The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-12-19

the point Of departure, and from which
I dragged the reader more after the
wont of some absent.minded, spectral
pedestrian than from any positive pur-
pose held in view.
was speaking of last weeks hasty
sketch, when
ssThe Devil run away WITH
the old lead pencil, and took us ca
vorting to the verge of his dominions,
and, what some fear as much, to the
play grounds of absurdity. Recovered
by the counter-march, it is time to say
that my efforts at hunting have been
but few the past week. The weather
has been abominable, the mud enticing
and the adjacent jungles covered here
and there with deceitful little pools OF
water. The fields are bare of birds OF
all kinds whatsoever-crows, wood
peckers and floating buzzards excepted.
/. however, sailed forth one evening
with small boy (c) as a companion,
and, having changed guns, returned
with two large fox squirrels and three
birds. ssproud as a lord!' The mis-
chance of failing to get shot at a
woodcock, that flew up at my heels,
during the round, was a feather out OF
my cap. But sucked his bones in
Imagination.
In this jaunt, missed the keen eye
and sensitive ear of my late companion,
Port, now, suppose, safely lodged at
his fathers in Catahoula parish. The
genial fellow was several days bustling
about with preparations for the jour-
ney, and was the more absorbed by
being undecided whether to go by
boat or trade for a pony and go horse
back. The boat hanging back, for
more cotton, it is likely, Port finally
decided to make the trip on horseback.
To this end, he laid down his gas pipes,
yclept shotgun, before one OF the
freedmen of the place and surmount-
ing it with capital of ten silver dol
lars received pony ga goat" Port
called it) in return. He had bargained
for bridle-
"a kiss to seal the bargain"
but was deity cheated out of it by the
sable mate of the freedman, and was
forced, in purchasing saddle, to law
ish his money on Mr.. Filhiol for
bride, price 81 %. The pony's name
and tail were overlooking with cookie
burrs, and, though young, she wore
the saddest expression of countenance
pony, no matter whether freedman's,
or whose, ever did, and, as subse-
quently discovered, with good reason.
The pony had the big-head, but only
in tho primordal stage. But this did
not affect Ports equanimity, in the
least. In his various trades, beginning
some months ago, he had risen from
hat, (cost 81 5O,) by the slow gradations
of other hats, pistols, pigs and guns, to
a pony which stood him in hand only
$6 25, and he thought the pony was
worth all of that. In fact, when he
reached his journeys end, he was quite
certain he could exchange the pony
for at least three cows and calves, and
these, joined to a small stock of hogs
he had left in Alabama, would give
him a fair start. He had not, he OBJ
served, seen the hogs for four years,
nor heard from them, but he was sat
isfied ethe woods were full of Them"
I decorously assented to this last
proposition, as was due to my liege
lord In the chase, but thinking over
the contemplated journey, submitted
to Port that the valise he had laid in
for a steamboat, or steamboat trip
rather, would i'll become Crusader
mounted on his charger returning home
in triumph-as all the old Crusaders
did, you Know. The valise (before me
now) is about the size of a shoe-box,
and fully as stiff and formal. I never
saw the interior, nor have any con-
ception of the contents. 1t may con-
tain spades, picks, axes, ropes, sails,
or shot and powder-articles of hus-
bandry equally suited to Ports taste
and sundry pursuits in life; or it may
harbor none of these. To me it is
simply a valise-and I shall pry into
no mans valise with locked lock.
AS an old friend of mine remarked
opco hut not ovoctlv aS fO n kindred