Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1879-09-27

below. 1t, after all, shows how yerv
little could accommodate, and satisfy
too, the early settlers, for a merrier
crowd | have seldom fallen among in
any circle or condition in life.
The next morning, when came to
leave, couldn't induce my kind-heart-
ed and pleasant host to take ANYTHING.
but it was some satisfaction finally. fo
remunerate him with a good supply of
powder, which I caused to be conveyed
to him; for that articls seemed to be
all that he craved or needed to make
him reasonably happy, apart from his
innate and complete freedom from
care.
On my return by another road, how
ever, on reaching the banks of Big
Sandy, and proposing to ford il, 1 was
diverted to ford several miles from
where l struck the bank of the river:
but my trials on this journey appeared
uncommonly numerous, for, on calling
at cabin in the vicinity Of the place
where / was expecting to cross the
stream, little boy was sent with me to
point out the crossing. I didn't much
like the looks of the alleged "ford (if
it was one), but, riding into the river
promptly, soon found my steed swim
ming instead of wading the stream.
However, considering myself fairly in
for it, I pushed boldly for the other
side, but, to my disgust, on reaching it
1 found had to encounter ledge of
rocks under water, and not far beneath
the surface; but, after two or three
efforts, my horse reared out ON the bank,
after narrowly escaping rolling over
backward into the deep water, and at
last succeeded in getting up the high
bank. Encountering just here an old
hunter, who lived in the neighborhood,
inquired of him if that was indeed
'ford?'" His reply was startling enough.
81 reckon, stranger, you're the first
one that ever forded it, for it's the
deepest part of the river this high up"
/ have never yet been able to under
stand what the people were thinking of
who sent to that point for a "ford."
Bat even yet my mishaps were not
ended. Obliged to find my way along
the high bank of the stream for some
miles before reaching my destination, /
finally got tired of riding around the
heads of the small, although deep,
gullies which cut the river bottoms at
the edge of the bank. I was mounted
on an extra-fne horse, one had taught
leaping, with the purpose Of more easily
getting over large fallen trees and logs
always encountered more or less in rid
ing through the primitive forest.
Glancing across the ravine, some ten or
twelve feet wide, although the depth OF
the, same must have been some less
than that, and, seeing that it extended
almost quarter of mile, irregularly, for
me to ride around, I determined to test
the jumping powers of my horse by
running leap. Retiring, perhaps, twenty
or thirty yards, came at the ravine on
full run, and my horse, indeed, cleared
it, or would have cleared it handsomely,
but his hind feet broke through the
edge of the further bank, where an old
stump had rotted out, and down he
went backward into the deep gulley, |
sliding off behind as I best could. Be
fore could straighten up he rolled
over toward me, aud I was compelled
to make sort Of scramble on all-fours
out of his reach, until, with one or two
founders, he stuck; and, when l got
him up and out of the place, l found he
limped, and, to punish me for my ad-
venturons folly, he never got. over It,
I have only to add that this adventure
pretty well cured me of attempts to
play the English fox-hunter in the
wilds of Kentucky.
NY adventures on my way down the
river some six weeks afterward were not
much of an improvement on those
have already given. Having business
down the Ohio river, l concluded te
take my way down Sandy to its mouth
in a small canoe or "dug- in com
pany with remarkably-tall fellow, some
six feet four inches high, and, with
small box containing his "plunder," We
started. The river was quite low, anc
by this time the nights had become
frosty, and, while my companion wal
too big and clumsy to stand up ane
"pole" the canoe, I could do it wheI
tired of padding the craft. :,
Just about sunset, while / was thu
occupied and while looking for SOM
settlers cabin on the bank OF the rive
where we could spend the night, tn
canoe struck sand-bar with such
shock as to throw me out into the river
The water was not very deep, but
certainly was very cold, and, wet almos
to nv shoulders, and the weather frost,
as have already said, it became prett
imperative to stop somewhere sool
And here was the first occasion where
had reason to complain of both VII
ginia and Kentucky hospitality, TO
the river was the boundary along ther
between the two States. Calling frs
on the Kentucky side, after shiverinl
walk up to double log cabin, foun'
some sort of q grand frolic on hand
perhaps O wedding-and no chance u
entertain strangers. Getting into tn
canoe again, / resumed the paddle, AM
nv teeth fairly chattered as the nigh
became colder; suffice it that 1 trle'
three catins in going several mile
down the river in the cold and dark
ness, having had long tramp up an
across the river bottom in one lnstanc
to where I had seen light. Variou
excuses we're preferred until at La
having, in the dark, come to part {
: tbe river studded with great rocks an
, where the water ran more swiftly, q
' tarmined to borrow light, and, bull
8 inc a bonfire, spend the night in cam
l ,n9 out as we best could. Fortunate
= we we about that time, heard the barkii
of dogs, and, following the SOUND, J
4 finally fetched up at an old settle
+ house, who welcomed us with blazll
fire. and the other accommodations
l. - .,nndad For some time aitt