San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-02-21
NUMBER 8.

mander of the party poured him out q
dram of cheering liquor, which he gave
him with merry leer, to warm his
hoart; and ordered one OF his followers
10 fetch some garments from pinnace,
which was moored In cove close by,
while those In which our hero was drip
ping might be dried before tho fire.
Dolph found, as he had suspected, that
the shot from the glen, which had como
80 near giving him his quietus when on
him. He had nearly crushed one OF
them by the fragment of rock which he
had detached and tho jovinl old hunter,
In tho broad hat and bucktail, had fired
Mt the place where he saw the bushes
move, supposing II to be some wild ami
NAL. He laughed heartily at the blum
der; Il being what Is considered an ex-
ceeding good joke among hunters; "but,
faith, my lad" said he, "if had but
canght glimpse of you to take sight at,
you would havo followed the rock. An
tony Wander Heyden Is seldom known to
miss his aim" These last words were ut
onco q clew to Dolph's curiosity; and
few questions led him completely
into tho character of the man be-
fore him, and of his band of woodland
rangers. Tho commander I'm tho broad
hat and hunting frook was no less per-
sonage than tho Hcer Antony Wander
Heyden, of Albany, OF whom Dolph had
many a time heard. Ho was, In fact,
the hero Of many story, being man Of
singular humors and whimsical habits,
that were matters Of wonder to his quiet
Dutch neighbon. AZ he was q man OF
property, having had father before
him, from whom he inherited large
tracts of wild land, and whole barrels
full of wanpum, he could indulge his
humors without control. Instead Of
staying quietly ut home, eating and
drinking at regular meal times, amusing
himself by smoking his pipe ON the
bench before the door, and then turning
into comfortable bed ut night, he de-
lighted In all kinds Of rough, wild OK
petitions. He was never 30 happy as
when on hunting party In the wilder
ness, sleeping under trees or bark sheds,
or cruising down the river, or on some
woodland lake, fishing and fowling, and
living the Lord knows how.
He was great friend to Indians, and
to nn Indian mode Of life; which he con-
sidered truo natural liberty and manly
enjoyment. When ut homo he had al
ways several Indian hangers on, who
loitered about his house, sleeping like
hounds In the sunshine, or preparing
hunting and fishing tackle for some new
expedition, or shooting ut marks with
bows and arrows.
Over these vagrant beings Heer An
tony had us perfect command as hunts
man over his packj though they were
great nuisances to the regular people Of
his neighborhood. As he was d rich
man no ono ventured TO thwart his
humors, indeed, he had hearty, joyous
manner about him that made hun uni
vorsally popular. He would troll
Dutch song, as he tramped along tho
street; hail every ono u mile off and
when no entered house no would slap
the good man familierly, on tho back,
shake him blythe hand till he roared and
face--in short, there was no prido nor
Besides his Indian hangers on he had
three or four humble friends among the
white men, WHO looked up to him as q
patron, and had tho run Of his kitchen,
and the favor OF being taken with him
occasionally on bis expeditions. II was
with medley Of such retainers that no
was at present on cruise along the
shores ofthe Hudson, In q pinnace which
he kept for his own recreation. There
were two white men with him, dressed
partly In the Iudian style, with moccasins
and hunting shirts; tho rest Of his crew
consisted offour favorito Indians. They
had been prowling about tho river, with
out any definite object, until they found
themselves In the highlands; where they
had passed two or three days, hunting
the deer which still fingered among these
mountains.
"It Is lucky circumstance, young
man." said Antony Wander Heyden,
"that you happened to be knocked over
board today, as tomorrow morning we
start early on our return homewards, and
you might then have looked In vain for
D meal among the mountains--but come,
lads, stir about stir raboutl Let's sec what
prog we have for supper; the kettle has
boiled loug enoughI my stomach cries
cupboardD and III warrant our guest Is
In no mood to daily with his trencher."
fro pR ooNTINuFD