The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-06-24
prise of my pursuers--aud took 10 the

country was q wilderness. Where Sc
Elements had been made they were now
deserted on account OF the wa He
wandered for weeks through the midei-
ness, living ON what he could end, and !.
in danger every hour from the Indians
and marauding bands OF the Mexican
cavalry.
One ternoon, after crossing grassy
prairie, he came to a heavily -,imbered
bottom where there was river. This
he knew must he the Navidad. While
looking along the bank for u shallow
place wheie the stream could be forded,
he heard the barking of dog.
"At 6rst," he says, suppose that t
might be some settlers dog, lett behind
in the general fight; but soon preceived
that it was coming nearer, although was
walking quite fast. ~
II tben surmised that the dog was on /:
my track, ard that probably there might
be some one following him. Coming
now to shoal wat.r,I waded int the ri,-
er at place where it was E,t much above
my knees, and then hurried en- as fast as
could. q,
"After an hour or more, during which
must have gone four or five miles,
emerged from the timber upon the edge
of an, tier prairie.
"All this time the yelping or the dog
bad continued. The animal seemed to
have fully kept peace with me, and was
not now, / judged, more than half a mile
behind ileit sure ,hst this PERSISTENCE
in following me mealt daI ger.
81 nent out on the open prairie for
thee or four hundred yards, then tlrned
short round and retraced my It ps to the
edge CT timber Here l made leap,
just as far as I could at one jump, off to
the right of my tail then running down
along the edge of the timber for ten or
| Il teen rods, | bid myself 10 the stump Of
tr,e which bad lately been blown down.
post ID myself so tiat could Lave q
good view of the prairie above me, and
of my recert trail.
"The barking of the dog quickly came
nearer, and soon yellow and white cur
appeared, followed by three Comanche
Indians, one of whom held tie dog back
by leash. They came out on nv trail
at the precise point where had left il.
Zone of the savages had gun; tie
ttler two had ances and bows. They [
we're walking fast, and went straight out
upan the prarie, following the trail had
made, the dog now yclping eagerly.
when they came to the place whereI
had turned back, the dog slipped and be-
gan smelling about, as if at fault. The
brute seemed to wish to turn back. My
heart beat fast then, for was wholly un-
armed.
"But the savages, thinking that / Lad
gone on, pulled thedog forward ,ana COL
tlnued on across the prairie. As soon
as they were out of sight. lrapidly made
tracks in another direction. But for this
trick ! am very sure they would have
had my scalp.
"For the mkt three or four days
wandered through t att of ,couI try
where there was but lit lie that could use
for food, At length, llte one afternoon,
came to clearing, on the farther eide
of which saw 9 LIGHTHOUSE. After
watching while, I became satisfied tha
there was no person in the house. and
then ventured across the clearing to il.
7 "The door stood open. Istoie in and
searched eagerly for food, for ! was near
ly famisled, and had grown so weak that
could hardly walk. BIT l could find
nothing save few dried bread crumbs
Oh the cupboard shelves, and some un-
savory old beef bones. These crumbs
greedily devoured, and then gnswed the
beefbones There was bed in one col
ner. Which looked so inviting tat d, ter
! mined t. rest on 1t for that night at least.
i About midnight was startled by
noise of some sort. L 8 ening, fouEd
that it was made by hugs gruLtng be-
meath The cabin floor, Tue shsI ty wss
8 up on blocks, two or three feet fr m
the grouno, to keep out snakes. The
hogs had taken shelter under it,"
i At another desc t. cabin where our
hero stopped to pass night, he found
large vol dog, which, like h.msel', al-
peared to be refugee and q sandereI.
The dog seemed Ell joyed st me-. ting
human being. The two ct once jeined
their fortunes, and taenceforward travel
led in company.
u Four or fve.days later they reached
the San Bernard River, which they cross
ed by swimming, and then went to an
abandoned house to pass the night
For supper tl tevening they had only
: some dry corn, so, building fire, Duvsl
set It work to parch the corn in TIE h,t
ashes. M
"WLile thus husily occupied" he says,
"Ben-wLich was the name bad given
+, my dog-u tered low growl, and lock-
ing up saw The muzzle Of a gun poked
slowly through the open window.
"In momeIt it flashed to my mind
tn, t the smoke of my fire had attra d
: the attention of some s'ragling pa ty Of
the enemy and saw that l was mpletely
D ntralped, for the only door OF the house
was on the same side as the window. -
t "Before I had time to think what I
0 would do, the dog leaped through tie
D window.
'At the sans instant heard some one
D ut er a sm, thered shout, followed BY
e some swearing in very llain English, and
! rushed out just in time to prevent the
II dog from throt'ling and old friend OF
: mine named Hardeman, who, with CAY t.
l. Duncan and his company, were in pursuit
2 of the flying Mexicans. For while l
" had been wandering in the wilderness,
y the decisive bate of San. JaciLto had
been fought, and Sauta Anna himself
e, was aprisnner t, our brave fellows.
a "Hsrdeman had seen my smoke, and
thong there might be Mexiesns in the
o house. Ben would have Sc zed him fairly
p by the throat had It not been for thick
J. woollen comic ter Which he had mufn ID
d around his neck"
,s cF Fresh manure produces but little
effect when applied to crops, but when
q it is well rotted it then contains much
valuable soluble matter, absor5able by
" plants. In fresh manure the most i'm.
y portant constituent Of its soluble poi-
I'd ton is potash. and it contains but small
ly proportions of ammonia and phosphoric
m acid. Rotten manure, on the contrary