Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-02-22

u anu lanued In the middle OF ths
street. The scout then dismounted
snapped his riding whip, and the no
BILE beast bounded off down the street
rearing and plunging to her own in
tense satisfaction. A kindly disposed
! individual, who must have been a
stranger, supposing the mare was
running away, tried to catch her, wher
she stopped, and as if she resented
his impertinence, let fly her heels a
MIN and then quietly trotted to hel
stable. ..5 Is lsIio s,f5o. 3ais 5ao ri
"Black Nell has carried me along
through many tight place." said the
scout, as we walked toward my quar-
ters. "She trains easier than any
horse ever saw. That trick of drop.
ping quick, which you saw, has saved
my life time and again. When l have
been out scouting on the prarer or in
the woods have come across parties
of rebels, and have dropped out ol
sight in the tall grass before they saw
US. One day a gang of rebs who
had been hunting for me, and thought
they had my track, halted for half an
hour within fifty yards of US. Nell
laid as close as rabbit, and didn't
even whisk her tail to keep the flies
of, supposing they were on the wrong
scent. The mare will come to my
whistle and foller me about just like
a dog. She won't mind any one else,
nor allow them to mount her, and will
kick a harness and wagon all ter
pieces eff you try to hitch her in one
And she's right, Kernel" added Bill
with the emphasis of true lover o.
a horse sparkling in his eye. "a hoss
is too noble beast to be degraded
by toggery. Harness mules and oxen
but give hoss chance ter rum"
| had a curiosity, which was not ar
idle one, to hear what this man had
to say about his duel with Tut, and
asked him:
"Do you not regret killing Tutt
You surely do not like to kill men p
"As ter killing men," he replied
Il never thought much about it. The
most of the men | have killed it was
one or tother of us, an at such times
you don't stop to think; and what:
the use after it's all over? As fol
Tutt, [ had rather have not killed
him, for | want ter settle down quie
here now But thar's been hard feel
ing between US long while. I want
ed ter keep out of that fight; but h
tried to degrade me, and | couldn'
stand that you know. for | am
lighting man, you know"
A cloud passed over the speaker
face for moment and he continued -:
"And there was cause Of quarre
between US which people round her
don't know about One of us ha
to die; and the secret died with him.
! "Why did you not wait to see
l your ball had hit him? Why did 70
turn round SO quickly? ?''
The scout fixed his gray eyes o
! ! mine, striking his leg with his ridin
l whip, as he answered.
,, , II knew he was a dead man.
1 never miss a shot. | turned to tn
crowd because I was sure they woul
shoot me if they saw him fall"
"The people about here tell N
! you are quiet, civil man. How
it you get into these fights ?"
Odd if lean tell.n he replied, wit
?, a puzzled look which at once CAV
n place to proud, defiant expressio
y as he continued-"but. you know
/. man must defend his honor"
, ayes" | admitted, with some hes
r tation, remembering that | was not
q Boston, but on the border, and tn;
q the code of honor and mode of T
g dress differ slightly in the one pla,
r from those of the other.
e. One of the reasons for my desi
le TO make the acquaintance of Wi
IS Bill was to obtain from his own Iii
If true account of some of the adve
ID lures related of him. 1t was not .
E. easy matter. 1t was hard to owe
come the reticencc which makes M
of who have lived the wild mountain Ii
W and which was one Of his valuat
le qualifications as a scout. Finally
lg said:
r Il hardly know where to begin.
1g Pretty near all these stories are trl
ar | was at the war. That affair of 1
ed swimming the river took place
a that long scout of mine when | "
OF with the rebels five months, when
ed was sent by General Curtis to Pric
up army. Things had come pretty clc
at that time, and it wasn't safe to
I'D straight inter their lines. Eyerybo
was suspected who came from the
od parts. So | started off and We
an way up to Kansas City. l bought
ire horse there and struck out onto
ou plains, and then went down throu
Southern Kansas into Arkansas.
the knew rebel named Barnes, who '
killed at Pea Ridge. He was fir
er; near Austin. Texas. So | called !
ge. self his brother and enlisted in
hat regiment of mounted rangers.
ito General Price was just then /
lrd ting ready for a raid into Misso
1t was sometime before we got i
be- the campaign, and it was mighty b
,ili- work for me. The men of our r
ite- ment were awful. They didn't m
!. killing a man no more than hog
lell The officers had no command q
ked them. They were afraid of tt
ion- own men, and let them do what
in liked; SO they would rob and SC
'on- times murder their own people.
ard was right hard for me to keep up