The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-03-07
4 BAD NIGHT.
NJ q. u. ".


1t was about the middle of July,
1850, / found myself alta point about
forty miles above Memphis, Tenn,
almost a physical wreck from long
continued attacksof chilIs and fever,
and, worstof all, penniiess. Nearly
a thousand miles lay between me
and the paternal home for which I
yearned with all my heart. To
stake my foot in my hand and
walk as far as possible homeward
and trust to luck for the balance,
was my only remedy at hand. /
started. Everything passed off
smoothly for a few days, when one
afternoon a gentleman informed me
that by taking a "near cut across
the country I could reach the town
of New Madrid, Mo-, in half the dis
tance I would by following the CIR
cuitous windings of theriver. Grasp
ing the opportunity asia drowning.
man would at IA straw, I took his
advice and plungedinto the hitherto
almost untraveled woods. My only.
guide was the "bIazed" trees, and
even these silent sentinels were all
most obliterated 1t was about
three o'clock whom entered the
,,,<,,,,l., -, 4 II n l,.,t r - 4
to get once more into civilization
before dark set in. In this 1 was
sorely disappointed. Night begun
to gather her sable cloak around
me, and to say that my spirits Went
down several degrees would be but
mockery.
Gathering an immense pile of
wood, started fire, that / might
at least have the cheering influence
ola bright blaze to keep me COM.
pany. With chunk of wood for a
seat. and my back against a spall
tree, / gave myself up to thoughts
of that far away home and its In
mates. At last tired nature asserted
herself and | fell asleep.
had not slept long when some
thing aroused me and L sprang to.
my feet instantly Horrorsl Hun
dreds of fiery eyes We're glaring at
me from every direction, and the
peculiar noise of the gray wolf lick
ing his chops, froze-the blood in my
veins. For few seconds stood
rooted to the spot on which had
risen. An old Deringer pistol with.
two cartridges was the only weapon.
| had with which to defend myself
against this army of hungry brutesI
Reader, is it any wonder that my
hair stood on end2 Lad / escaped
all the dangers to which man is
heir, only to be devoured here in
this gloomy, infrequented place? IF
such proved to be the case, would
be as much lost to home and friends
as though the earth had opened and
swallowed me up. The thought
was sickening, but it made me des-
perate. i hurled fire brands into
their midst, which caused them to
scatter in all directions, and several
tunes led to bloody battles among
themselves, which from the bottom
of my heart | hoped would end as
did the Kilkenny cat tight-swal-
low each other. But it seemed all
the more to increase their ravenous
appetite for me.
They grew more bold and would
venture up to within a few feet of
me. Something must be done. /
resolved to save my cartridges until
every other source of defense was
exhausted. a new idea of safety
came to my clouded brain. /
pitched blazing brands of fire into
pile some ten or twelve feet from
the first one, and by throwing on
dry wood soon had two large fires
instead of one, and then took my
place between them.
The hungry demons did not dare
approach very close to me in my
new barracks; but another danger
now threatened me. 1t was SO hot
between the fires that several times
my clothes caught fire and my face
and hands We're almost blistered.
oh, how l longed for daylight; it
seemed as though it would never
come. Ny safety now depended on
the wood-pile. Would it hold out
until morning2 1 was confident
they would leave me when light
came. Stick by stick my wood
went up in flame and smoke, and
yet there seemed to be no coming of
the morn.
At last the song of red bird rose
'musically upon the air, and a thrill
of joy went through my heart, for I
knew that it proclaimed the coming
dawn. To make long story short,
n