San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-07-14

W
off mules hind leg. fer he's goin' ter
kick" said long, lank Teller on the out
skirts of the crowd.
Even the negroes had something to say.
Approaching me with Difference, one Of
them whispered to me confdentially:
BOSS, ye'd best tie dat fool Niger
what's drivin' ter the seat, fer soon's he
hears a cap pop he's gwine ter jump out
an run like de debil."
Bill gave the mules stimulating touch
of the whip and away we went. For two
miles out we had good roads After that,
the toughest and worst that had ever
seen. Stumps, tangled roots, hills, gull
lies, swamp, corduroy, and the county
commissioners know what else, made o
regular panacea fer the twin evils of dys-
pepsia and love, according to the jolting
up theorists. Now we were in the wilder
ness, solemn, awful silence, broken
only by the tramping of the mules, the
creaking of the wagon and the hiccoughs
CT the driver, who was about half drunk
when we started 1t was a pine wilder
ness, with the underbrush all gone, no
song of bird, no scent of flower, no futter
of insect life, strange, dreary desert of
forest. Here were majestic trees aged
with century of growth. Gazing at their
stately tops, one could well imagine that
in days agone, perhaps under the very
trees we were passing, 10, the poor In
dian, had once assembled to shake dice
to see who should pay for the beer.
1 was absorbed in these meditations
when the wagon ran into huge stump
and away went sailing out into space.
The shot gun about this time decided that
it was tired of riding and came along also.
Neither of US were hurt, and We resumed
our seats in the wagon, the gun rather
unwillingly I thought.
We were now getting near the camp Of
the enemy and rather curious sensation
took possession of me. OF course it was
not fear, but my heart evinced a curious
disposition to desert its pericardium and
homestead the lower portion of my throat.
l cooked both the rifle and the shot gun,
placing them sideways in the wagon to
satisfy the manifest uneasiness of the
driver. The revolver took out and placed
on the seat by me, covering it with a
superabundance of cot tail. The knife
loosened in it's sheath. About half
mile further on saw approaching one of
the most villainous looking men l had
ever seen. He was of negro blood, nearly
white, of herculean frame, and if not q
born criminal and assassin. should have
had his face indicted for malicious libel.
id rrI; oh dow.
and eyed me insolently.
The driver turned around with whIs-
per, Oats him, boss"
Ny knees now partook of the general
excitement; my hand trembled as if my
best girl was about to refuse me, and my
blood seemed determined to 60 into the
cold storage business. At the same time
an overwhelming conviction reached me
that this was not the man was looking
for and that it would be impolite to risk
suite for false Imprisonment.
As he came opposite the wagon, my
driver drew up and assumed the initiative
"Is your name Perkins,
Nav" was the surly reply.
My thermometer Immediately resumed
It's normal condition of 70 in the shade.
"My good man." said l, carefully con-
cealing all weapons, Il am looking for one
Perkins, can you inform me where that
most esteemed gentleman lives?"
In that house over yonder," he said,
pointing about quarter of mile distant,
where a thin spire of smoke emphasized
tumble down log house.
When about 100 yards from the house
halted the team and gave few brief
directions to the driver.
With the rifle at full cock l cautiously
approached the house. It was of rough
logs, very rickety, with the usual stick
and mud chimney. Outside of the smoke
from that there was no sign of life about
the place. Silently came up to the back
door, with vigorous kick sent it off the
leather hinges, and covered with the rifle
ID figure dimly seen in the semi-darkness
of the room.
Throw up youz handsl" 1 commanded.
If you stir I'll shoot"
From the figure. in shrill, frightened
accents, came:
For de Law'ds sake, watcher mean
white man. amt dun muffin"
The gun dropped from my nervous
hands.
Thomas Perkins, alleged desperate. was
an old crippled negro, about 17S years old,
half paralyzed and wholly stupid.
Three hours afterward drove into Dead
Pine with my prisoner, to be greeted with
ironical comment and uproarious laugh.