The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1879-07-24

NNaN9Nos % ChfFehk AsseA tAa A@Nb
eighty or hundred yards further, when
coming to 8 shslvIng bank, ! scrambled
out Of The waisr-somewbat TO The ser
prise Of my pauuez land took TO the
woods.
Young DuEArs object was now 20 reach
the American settlements on the other
side oi the Brazos. The intervening
country Was wilderness. Where settle
ments had been made they were now de-
serted on account Of the war. lie wsa.
dered for weeks through this wilderness,
living on what be could dad, and In dan
ger every bour from the Indians and
msrauding bands Of Meriesns.
Que afternoon, after crossing very
grassy prairie. be came TO a heavily TIM
bered bottom where there was a river.
This be knew must be the NavidAd
While looking along the bsuk for Shall
low place where the stream could be
forded, be heard the barking Of dog.
At fret, be says, supposed that ii
might be some settlers dog, left behind
In the general flight; but | soon perceiv-
ed that II was coming nearer, although !
was walking quite fast.
then surmised that the dog was on
my track, and that probably there might
be some one following him. Coming
uow TO sbosl water, waded into the
river at place where ii was not much
above my knees, and then hurried on as
fast rs could.
After an hour or more, during which
must have gone four or FIVE miles, |
emerged from the timber upon the edge
Of another prairie.
All this time the yelping OF the dog
bad continued. The animal seemed to
have fully kept pace with me, and was
not now, judged, more than half mile
behind ielt sure that this persistence
in following me meant danger.
Invent out on the open prairie for three
or four hundred yards, then turned short
round aud retrsCed my steps to the edge
of the timber. Here ] made leap, just
as far as ! could at one jump, off 10 the
right of my trail; then running down the
edge OF the timber for ten or fifteen rods,
| hid myself in the top OF tree which
had lately been blown down, posted
myself so that | could have good view
OF The prairie above me, and OF my recent
trail.
The barking of the dog soon came
nearer, and presently y yellow and white
cur appeared, followed by three Co
manche Indians, one of whom held the
dog back by leash. They come ont on
my trail at the precise point where ! had
left it, One OF the savages had gun;
the other two had lances aud bows. They
were walking fast, aud went straight out
upon the prairie, following the trail bad
made, the dog now yelpiDg eagerly.
When they came TO the place where
had turned back, the dog stopped and
began smelling about, as il at fault; the
brute seemed TO wish TO turn back. My
heart beat fast then, for j was wholly un-
armed. But the savages, thinking that |
had gone on across the prairie. AS soon
as they we're out of sight, rapidly made
tracks in another direction; bu. for
this trick | am very sure they would
have had my scalp.
For the next three or four days | wan
dered through tract Of country where
there was not much that could use for
food. At last, late one afternoon, came
to clearing, on the further side of which
| saw log house. After watching a
while, | became satisfied that there was
no person in the house I yentured across
the clearing to Il.
The door was open. stole in and
searched eagerly tor food, for was near
ly famished, aud had grown so weak that
could hardly walk. But could find
nothing save few dried crumbs on the
cupboard shelves, and some unsavory old
beef bones. These crumbs | greedily
devoured, and then gnawed the beef
bones. There was bed In one corner,
which looked SO inviting that deter
mined to resi on il for that night at least :.
About midnight | was alarmed by q
noise Of some sort. Listening, | found
that II was made by hogs grunting be-
meath the cabin floor. The shanty was
set up on blocks, two or three feet from
the ground, TO keep ont snakes. The
animals had taken shelter.
AT another deserted cabin where our
hero stopped TO pass a night be found 3
large wolf dog, which, like himself, sp-
peared TO be q refugee and wanderer.
The dog seemed to be overjoyed at meet
Ing human being The two at once
joined their fortunes, and thenceforwArd
travelled IN company. -Four or Eve days
later they resched the San Bernard river
which they crossed by swimming, and
then went TO an abandoned house 10 pass
the night.
For supper that evening they bad only
some dry corn, 20, building fire, Duval
set at work 10 psreh the corn 10 the bot
ashes.
1 While thus busily occupied, he said,
Ben - W hich was the name | bad given
my dog uttered low growl, aud look
Ing up saw the muzzle Of gun poked
slowly through the open window.
ln momen, il flashed to my mind that
the smoke Of my 1rc had attracted the
notice of some struggling party OF the
enemy, and saw that sas completely
enlrapped, for the Only door Of the house
was on the same side ~ the window.
Before | bad lime 10 thInk what
would do the dog lesped through The