Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-01-15
Written expressly for the Staunton Spectator.
OUR MESS-BY A REBEL sUBALTERN
CHAPTER LII.
TOUGH STORIES.


ber; the air was balmy, and, as we were not
allowed to light our fires, we were compelled to
use shrubbery for our canopy and the softest
kind of rocks we could find for our pillows
Our mess gathered as usual to partake Of the
luxuries of our haversacks Tobacco and
''torch-light'' corn whiskey constituted the de-
sert, and then came the feast of reason and
the flow of soul. y
Major Stretcher had found him a moss bank
as far from Captain Smilax as possible without
absolutely leaving the circle. Mlldew sat be-
side me, and Ben Muckton with Chester Dun
can tugged away at their pipes in a kind of uni
son of feeling and action.
'tHard times in Richmond, said Duncan )"
only two hundred and fifty dollars barrel for
four-and cut-throat whiskey five dollars a
drink [ wonder how the Maryland line
manages to exist.under the rigime of Famine
and her haggard staf?''
''Hard times!' exclaimed Stretcher, raising
himself up, and knocking the ashes from his
meerschaum ''you, none of you, know what hard
times are-you are living in luxury when COM
pared with the times I have witnessed. Expe-
rience. gentlemen is good master-ln fact,
the only master L-Major Sam Stretcher-
have experienced many hardships, and know
what it is to suffer. | am not SO young but l
can remember distinctly every circumstance of
Houston was my most intimate friend, though
much my senior both in years and rank-for l
was then only young midshipman in the navy
of the infant Republic Houston used to con-
slider me youth of promise
"What-promise to pay?' interrupted Dun
can.
II wish to proceed with my narrative with
out being cut off by fankers, tartly replied the
Major. "As [ was saying, gentlemen, l was
considered youth ofnerve by the commanding
General, and he frequently entrusted me with
important duties-duties involving great re-
sponsibility At one time, [ never shall forget
it, was commissioned to bear dispatches to
Galveston, coast-wise in an open boat. l had
with me six halfbreeds for oarsmen, as william
GUS set of cut-throats as ever you clapped
eyes upon Our voyage was from San Jacinto,
at the mouth Of the Trinity river down the bay
to Galveston. We had barely pushed off from
the shore, and were gently sweeping over the
calm waters, when [ thought l perceived an
unusually strange expression In the swarthy
features of my crew. They frequently glanced
at me, and then at each other with an express
sion anything but friendly to your humble SER
want.
"Americano-carahoo! quartero in Meyhe-
cano p muttered one Of them.
Christi! stingarro terrambo," exclaimed
another.
Fortunately understood their mongrel Span
ish and Indian dialogue; they contemplated a
mutiny, and [ was to be their victim. | con-
tinued calm and collected at the helm, and pre-
tended not to notice their sinister actions My
pistols were in prime order, and had a heavy
cutlass by my side.
Pull smartly on the larboard oars p ex-
claimed [, assuming an air of authority.
'Chi untoo quanto abajos!' responded the
/ L.
"Who cares for you
Night began to draw her dark vail over the
waters, and as the darkness became deeper and
deeper, [ began to mature my plans of defence,
in case they should offer me violence. The
pitchy darkness was, however, soon dlspelled
by myriads of meteors that rolled over the la
goons lining the shore You who have never
visited the coast of Texas, can have no concep-
ton of the beauty and grandeur Of these igns-
fatu. They are immense balls Of phosphoric
fire, about ten feet in diameter, that are formed
in the river marshes and roll majestically over
the waters One of them, Of changeable hues
and intense brilliancy, followed Immediately in
the wake of the boat This was lucky cir
cumstance for me, but the oarsmen did not ap-
pear at all to relish the proximity of the meteor.
1t was nigh upon midnight when the fore
most of the crew stopped tugglng at his oar /;
this was the signal for the others who followed
his mutinous example. [ ordered them with a
tone of authority to work-they refused to COM
ply, and with loud yell, raised their oars and
aimed them at my head In second let go
the helm and seized my pistols. The first fire
felled the leader, and the second his compan-
ion-there were four left, and my good cutlass
was called into requisition. Two more tell be-
meath my herculean blows the remaining two,
becoming desperate, threw away their oars and
leaped upon me like panthers. The struggle
for the weapon was fearful, having determined
to resign it only with life. At this crisis of the
fight the fiery ball that blazed in the wake ap-
preached the boat and enveloped us in sheet
of living fame The mutineers struggled hard,
but my muscle was too much for them in our
combat for life the boat was upset and we sank
several fathoms beneath the surface Of the wa
ter, but shortly arose and were again covered
by the fiery meteor The sight was grand in
deed-fre and water all around. [ had one of
the wretches by the throat, my grip was like
that of vice-and [ strangled him to death.
The other, a gigantic fellow seven feet tall and
weighing about six hundred pounds [ con-
quered by seizing him by his long black hair
and holding his head under water until he was
drowned
Thus it was, gentlemen, that [ got rid of the
whole six. Being very expert swimmer, |
found no difficulty in reaching the shore, to
which [ was guided by the light of the meteor
which still followed me in my aquatic journey
of ten miles-and, strange to say, l had nc