The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-02-08

There was a portion Of the swamp country
! down on the Gazoo, Tallahatchie, aud
1a1labusha rivers, in which nearly all the
people are wealthy, and into this country
no life insurance agen. had ever penetrated.
This section of the country, as | knew. was
wholly cut off from the outside world by
! impossible swamps, during nine ten
| months of the year. In July it would be
practicable TO attempt CANVASS tour there,
and l inten, going at that time, as the
people living there were chiefly old friends
of my family, though | bad never met any
of them. Major N coolly warned me
off, however, with the remark
Between gentlemep woi king together
in the relation we bear to each other, there
must he no rivalry. Wemust keep off each
! others ground, Of course"
l was distressed at this stroke of i'll for
tune which cut me off from the field that
had hoped to work &, protitably-the more
because there was no other spot. large or
| small, within my territory that had not
been canvassed thoroughly by more than
one agent. There was no remedy. how.
ever, and l dismissed the matter from my
mind.
Upon my return home that evening,
received note from the Old gentleman
whose applications had prepared, telling
me that Major N had called, aud
agreed not only to forward applications
Immediately, but to deliver he policies
! when they SHOULD come, and to await his
conven ence III the matter of paying the
! premiums. In short, ibis honorable Major
N, after ANNOUNCING the high tone u"de
of morals which should govern the business
operations of gentlemen holding the rela-
| tions that we did to each other, had
! straIghtway gone To my best client, and
taken his business. with its profits, out of
| my hands by shabby, dirty trick.
My first impulse was to cowhide him !.
| my second To do better in the way of get
| ting even with him. 1t was now June, aud
! L determined at all costs and hazards to
| visit the swamp before he could. | was
| free tO do 30, of course, after learning W hat
| he had doue; aud | trusted my horses
stamina and my own hardihood foI the ac
| complishent of my pui pose.
Setting off the ncxt morning | rode to-
| ward Greenwood, little village on the
| azoo, at the entrance of the swamp
| From my own home to the ccutre of the
! swamp the dis ance was not greater than
| twenty-fiv miles in direct line, bHt |
! knew that the roads in that direction EN-,
ed speedily in a vast tract of water aud the
J only possible route by which | hoped to
get To my destination lay through Green-
i wood, sixty miles away.
Two days on horseb back brought me to
the village, and there T>ree,ained over
night, making careful inquiries as to the
| state of affairs ahead of me.
Has anybody succeeded yet in getting
| INTO or out of the swamp this summer /?
! Were the rivers within their banks vet !?
What special difficulties should have to
encounter III my attempt, and was there
any PROBABILITY whatever that | should
| succeed? These were tue uupstIon " bich
diligently put to every man in Greenwood: ::
| aud II these persons gave me Ii tie encuur-
agement, they at leas: did not set me wild,
in npI,
giving replies. There was. indeed, a dis
coHraging uniformity in their answers. and
the look OF Intense surprise with which my
| questions we've greeted speedily grew mon
| otouous No; nobody had come out OF the
swamp ye, and nobody would try for IA
mouth to come, everybody said As to
gong IN, there hadn't been idiots along
| that way yet, and 50, of course, nobody had
! tired to goin. Conid get into l,r swamp?
Certainly, If didn't mind going in per
| pendlcuiarly. | could sink in almost any,
| where. W hat was the special difficulties :?
| Wen, the rivers were in their banks now
| tor the most part, but the nnire was hone
lessly bad all along. And besides, there's s
| the Devils Race Course, you know every
| man of them said in conclusion. as if that
| reminder we've in itself sufficient to settle
the question, and crust, all hope out of NV
| bosom After having that one sentence.
! AND besides, there's the DEVILS Race
course, hsrled at me by some thirty on
| forty different persons, | naturally began to
| feei curious Concerning the peculiar nature
! OF ms Saianic Majest $ special pleasure
| ground. Beng unwilling to appear ab
| Jectly ignorant of So i'm mportant a mailer.
concerning which everybody had assumed.
as mat er of politeuess, | suppose that T
was fully informed, tried in various ways
ny ii1Vtrect means To learn something of
the race course. 1t was no use, howevei
| Noo"Cy Who knew anything at all could
! possibly be ignorant on this subject. and
| The courteous dwellers in Greenwood were
| seemingly unwilling to offer an insult to
my ihteillgenco by volunteering informa-
! ton with regard 10 so well known a matter
l was forced, therefore, to seek the desired
k"owledge toy direct means. Selecting the
| metkest and most compassionate looking
man IN the viiiage-the one least likely, as
L thought, "a browbeat me or publish my
| ignorance 20 the Greenwood world took
HIM aside, and with heterm nation wrought
up TO the highest pitch, threw myself on
his Compassion.
"N hat is the Devils Race Course, any
| how" [ asked
The man looked at me as he tight have
| looked AT hippopo'amus, had one walked
| up out of the Iazuo. lie braced his nerves
with AN entirely fresh quid of tobacco, spat
three or four times with great deliberations.
| "'PCu SptctdCPS, anu ADJUSTED tDem
on bis nose in order that he might inspect
me to advantages, walkeo to the door, and
returning said, emphasizing each word
with foretnger and palm
| IF you don't know what the Devil IS
Race Course is, stranger, let me advise you
not 20 find out by experience
This was alarming, but not quite cx-
| picit
Having already subjected his powers of
! as enlistment to the utmost strain Of which
| they were capable, [ bad nothing more to
| Tear IN that way, and so | determined to
| ply him with further questions.
| Il am aware, SIR" | began, "that my
| ignorance seems to you incredible and in
excusable, but pray remember that | am a
| total stranger here, dependent upon better
informed people for intelligence i'm regard
to this swamp which desire to visit Can
you not bring yourself To believe that
! really never heard of the Devils Race
Course until to mig ht. and will you not en-
| tighten me regarding it,
well, that's easily done," replied hc
The DEVILS Race Course is lust a little