The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-08-08
A NORTH CARoLINIAN MAIL
 RIDER.

lChas. Dudley Warner, in Atlantic Monthly.l
 The mail-rider was a lean, sallow, sinewy man, mounted on a sorry sorrel nag, who proved, however, to have blood in her and to be fast walker and full oi endurance The mail-rider was taciturn, natural habit for man who rides alone the year round over lonely road and has nothing whatever to think of. He had been in the war sixteen months, in Hugh Whites regiment-reckon you've heerd of himl
 Confederate ?"
 (Which ?"
 "Was he on the union or confederate sidew
 "Oh, union."
 "Were you in any engagements
 "Which ?"
 Did you have any 6ghting2"
 Not reg1ar."
 What did you do p
 Which2"
 "What did you do in Hugh Whites regiment P
 "Oh, just cavorted round the noun tains."
 "You lived on the country2"
 (Which {"
 "Plcked up what you could 6nd-corn, bacon, horses
 That's about so Didn't make much difference which side was round, the country got cleaned out"
 "Punder seems to have been the ob- ject?"
 Which f'
 "You got living out of the farmers p
 "You bet"
 Our friend and guide seemed to have been a jayhawker and mountain ma rauder-on the right side. His attach ment to the word (which" prevented any lively flow of conversation, and there seemed to be only two trains of ideas running in hls mind one was the subject of horses and saddles, and the other was the danger of the ford we were coming to, and be exhibited good deal of in- genuity in endeavoring to excite our alarm. He returned to the ford from every other conversational excursion, and after every silence. {" 1 do' knows there's any great danger; not if you know the ford. Folks is carried away there. The Toe gifts up sudden. There's been right smart rain lately. If you're afraid you can git set over in dugout, and I'll take your horses across. Mebbe you're used to fording? It's bad ford for them as don't know it. But you'll get along. if you mind your eye. There's some rocks you'll have to look out for. But you'll be all right, if you follow me-"
 Not being very successful in raising an interest in the dangers of his ford, al- though he could not forego indulging a malicious pleasure in trying to make the strangers uncomfortable, he finally turned his attention to a trade. l" This hoss of mine," he said, "is just the kiod of brute beast you want for this country Your hosses is too heavy. How'll you swap tor that one O yourn9 The reit- ours, that they were hired made little im- pression on him. All the way to Burns vile he kept recurring to the subject of a trade. The instinct of "swap" was strong in him. When we met a yoke of steers he turned round and bantered the owner for trade Our saddles took his fancy, They were of the army pattern, and he allowed that one of them would just suit him. He rode a small, flat, English pad, across which was flung the United States mail pouch, apparently em ply. He dwelt upon the fact that his saddle was new and ours were old, and the advantages that would accrue to us from the exchange. He didn't care if they had been through the war, as they had, for he fancied an army saddle. The friend answered tor himself that the sad dle he rode belonged to distinguishes union general and had a bullet in it that was put there by careless confederate in the first battle of Bull Run, and the owner would not part with it for money. But the mail rider said he didn't mind that. He wouldn't mind swapping his new saddle for my old one and the rub Der coat and leggins. Long before we reached the ford we thought we would like to swap ,he guide, even at the risk of drowning. The ford was passed, in due time, with no inconvenience save that of wet feet, for the stream was breast high to tue horses; but being broad and swift and full of sunken rocks and slippery stones and the crossing tortuous, it is not ford to be commended. There is a curious delusion that rider has in cross ing swift broad stream. It is that he is rapidly drifting up stream, while in fact the tendency of the horse is to go with the current.