The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-07-08
CLEBURNE,

CLEBuRNE, July 6,-[Oorrespondence, -
While travelling on horseback, south of this
city, about noon on the 22nd ultimo, / OBJ.
served just in front of me, near the road
a beautiful, though not large lake of clear
water, to and through which small
stream ran and then lost itself in the dis.
lance. The splashing and ripping Of
the water in the lake IN
dictated the presence of fishes
Along both sides OF this stream the flower.
scented prairie breeze rusted the leaves OF
Il line OF beautiful green elms, under whose
refreshing shade | observed a number OF
men, who, on nearer approach, proved tc
bea penitentiary guard with squad OF
conyiCts, all strung on a large, Ions
double chain, locked at the ends. Eleven
of thu convicts, who, on their way to new
place Of work, had stopped to rest and eat
their scanty dinner in the shade of the elms
Soon gentleman rode up from the op
posite direction, and, introducing himself
as Colonel Joe MulhattOn claimed the right
to interview the crowd. He insisted that
he was newspaper correspondent and
Literary retormer OF some celebrity that TO
his versatile genius was due the honor of
having discovered new, distinct immense.
ly lustrous, hitherto undiscovered star, in
the vast ornament OF literature. Well, we
were in doubt.
AT this iuncture spectacle more alarm.
ing made its appearance, and instinctiyely
| stopped to witness it. In the tall grass, a
short distance from the lake, COW had
trod on, or otherwise disturbed and en-
ragged a hoop. or horned snake-the kind
hut T,Ntg a,,I .,.t-
their deadly tail sting into everything in
their path. Well, he was large specimen,
and was bent on mischief. SO he first
popped his sting into the COW, which with a
faint below expired. He then drove il
into the body of a large elm. The deadly
poison seemed to flash through and
over every part OF the tree like
electricity, causing the green leaves to fade
and fall, and an opOssum and a buzZard that
happened to be in the tree at the time, To
tumble liteless to the ground. Then max.
ing his way toward us, as he passed the
lake he struck with all his might at the re-
Election of himself in the clear water. This
caused the water of the lake TO siZ and fry
and scores OF fishes, together with one ALI
gator and turtle, turned up their bellies
in death. Quicker than thought he reac he'd
the convicts, and deliberately striking al
lutult us slluB ptuctIhttu Tue KEY "
the lock on the chain. from which the
deadly poison. as If by magic instantly
communited to every prisoner on the chain
and pale death claimed them as his Own
He then made for aud reeklessly struck
Mulhatton fearful blow under thechin, and
that's where the snake got left. II he had
confined himself TO his legitimate bushes,
Of hurting out of existence the cattle of the
| prairie, harmless convicts and inhabitants
OF the trees and lakes, he might even now
be revealing in the lap Of fame, But no, in
the height of his glory he strikes Joe Mul
hatton in the neck, and that settles his wild
career. He did not know that Joe wal
then about to belch up one of bis doubly,
refined, unapproachable, unpenetrabe
concentrated lies, and had it then stuck in
his throat unborn. But the moment the
sting strikes it, his snakeship feels the
deathly shock, and with a wiggle of the
tail expires; while Joe Mulhatton smiles
with contempt at the serpent's folly In at.
lacking him in so formidable place.