St. Landry democrat., 1880-09-04
Personal "Reminiscences i'm the
Early Days of Texas.

A.~s = -
DIR. Gideon Lincicum, who pub
lished a number of years ago a long
account Of his travels in Texas i'll
1882, among many other interesting
incidents and episodes he cNpe-
rienced in that famous land, mar
rates the following thrilling adven-
lures:
FLIGHT OF SWANS.
1t was drawing towards
sunset when / observed the swans
were setting in a line, extending
parallel with the shore as far as l
could see either up or down the
beach, half mile out to sea. BY
the time the sun had sank below the
horizon the entire host of them
seemed to have pitched down, and
had formed a snow-white belt, just
outside the breakers, for miles up
and down the coast. There was no
apparent connection amongst them;
no talking or noise going Oh. The
white stripe formed by them on the
water was half a mile or more wide,
and was much broader at a point
mile or so below my position. 1t
was the evening Of the 9TH of April
1892, and it seemed like everything
but myself knew what was to take
place. All that quacking uproar OF
thousand tribes of the feathered
race was hushed up and perfect 81
lence reigned. = 1t was near
| Z o'clock-deep twilight. [ was done
eating, and was thinking about sur
prising those swans before day in
the morning. At that moment the
shrill note of a small tin trumpet,
down at the broad section in the drift
of swans, waking sleeping echoes,
and breaking the dismal silence. At
the sound of the second blast the
note was repeated at measured dis
tances, running along that vast belt
of birds beyond the range ofmy ear
shot. At the same moment the
threshing storm of wings com
menced, when increasing every in
slant, soon surpassed the din and
uproar of the rushing hurricane.
They passed square over at height
of not exceeding thirty feet. They
were five minutes or more in getting
past. I could feel the conclusion of
their wings, and somehow or other
they seemed to devitalize the air.
Ny breathing was painfully OPP
pressed while the living tornado
passed over me. | felt like there
wasn't air enough-lille as if the
swans we're using it all up to hy on.
When they were gone and out OF
hearing, the agreeable silence re-
turned, and l sank to the ground
feeling considerable exhaustion. |
have witnessed the stampede of a
thousand butfaloes at another time
six or eight hundred mustangs.
had a million Of wild pigeons pass
over me in few minutes but they
all dwindle to insignificance when
compared to that flight of the south
ern division Of American swans on
the Texas gulf coast.
MYRIADS OF CRANES.
| hadn't travelled far the next
morning until | saw right ahead,
and distant not over mile, a re-
markably large drove of deer. They
were grazing, and were scattered
across my path half amile mide. AT
the same time, and more than q mile
, to the right, were to be seen ten OF
fifteen acres Of cranes, busily en-
gagged in digging dubious roots. As
soon as they saw me and were sure
that | was a man, and had a gun,
they raised the whoop, and there
being so many of them they filled
the air with their discordant sounds.
A party of them took upon them.
selves to come by where I was,
screaming and shouting, and show
ing me to the deer. AS soon as |
discovered that they intended to call
on me, [ jumped down from old Ned,
stepped off to a naked place where !
could stand firm, made ready and
waited for them. They came so low
, that | could see their eyes. | GOV.
cred the leader with my rifle, and
at the moment when he checked an
instant to make the turn towards
the deer, I fired. He seemed to drop
loose from his company, and whirl.
ing down struck in twenty feet OF
me, with such force that it Jared
the ground. Instantly the whole
party turned, and with loud coor-
r-ruck lak-lak, raised the whole flock
and, meeting half way, began to
circle, every gyration Of which came
nearer to where ] stood, and every
one of them vociferating at the top
of his voice coor-r-ruck- lax lax.
Soon they we're turning a heavy liy-
ing cloud in circles, Immediately
above the dead one. / have been
present in big battles once in a de.
vaststing tornado; in mast-snap
ping storm at sea but | never heard
that much noise before, and it was
increasing rapidly, for | could sec
them collecting in tlocks from every