The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-01-18

portant commercial point in all west
Texas. My operations for time were
confined along small river called the
Colette, as a civil engineer in the in
terest of Capt. John Field, veteran of
the Mexican war, who had settled on
that stream some years previous, who
had become dissatisfied with the unre-
liza bility Of the only means of grinding
the Indian corn, the old-time windmill
then in vogue, and had determined to
build a frst-class water mill on the
Colette.
At that day game of the edible kind,
such as deer, turkey, squirrels, prairie
chickens, etc, was very plentiful, at q
distance of twelve or fifteen miles from
the settlement There was also gen.
erous sprinkling of panthers, wild cats
and other night providers, and now and
then a lost Comanche Indian spy would
appear on the scene.
It quite a relief to the whole
working force in that enervating eli
mate when the captain would call a
halt in all departments of business and
announce big hunt up the river for a
few days to recruit our lost energies
and wonted strength, depleted by in
cessant and profuse perspiration.
There were generally five or six in
the party and we went usually on horse
back with our allowance.of bread. coffee
and quart lineup securely tied to the
saddlestraps behind and carrying .
good deer gun, Colts navy six and a
huge cutlass, or belt knife. The plan
was to stay long enough for each one
of the party to secure a saddle of ven-
ison (the two hind quarters of a deer)
with the skin still on, the fore quar-
tiers having been skinned and thrown
away.
Along about the first days of Novem-
Der, when the days had slightly cooled
off and the nights were most delight
fully cool and crisp under a clear blue
Italian sky-such weather as makes a
vigorous man feel glad that he is living
the captain announced to his forces
his intention of '1aying off, the whole
| force for two weeks.
We were soon in splendid trim for
| the big hunt, and took the road to the
| field of sport with high spirit of ella
ton and anticipation, as our field of OPP
Grafton had been selected in new and
untried section, where the panther and
| jaguar, or spotted tiger, did most
| abound
We arrived at our destination in good
condition, after moderate ride of some
thirty miles, pitching our tent near the
headwaters of the Colobo, stream to
| the north of the settlement We had
no fear. or at least no thought, of
trouble from ferocious beasts or hostile
enemy of any sort, SO after rather
dry, and must say uninviting, supper,
we made our bed for the night at the
"Widow SprawPs inn" with anything
but . satisfied stomach. We were in
the best condition possible to enjoy a
sweet and unconscious sleep after hav-
ing travelled SO far and going through
the arduous la Dor of selecting a camp
ing ground, and were doing ample JUS
tice to that strong desire for rest, when
about midnight terrible racket broke
out among our horses staked out lit
tie way from the camp They spun
around their stakes in the widest
alarm, snorting, kicking and rearing,
and making desperate efforts to release
themselves from their fastenings-
Now the captains favorite saddle
mare seemed to be the center of attrac-
ton, being beautiful specimen of the
broncho or Texas mustang, and al
though an albiuo was nevertheless Of
pleasant aspect, symmetrical and .
splendid saddle animal, highly priced
by her master. The captain had often
refused an unreasonable sum for her.
We were put in a perfect frenzy of e1-
element on being so suddenly aroused
by the distressing appeals of the cap
tain for assistance. 1t seemed that he
had been awakened by the neighing OF
his mare which had been attacked by
couple of hungry panthers. and, fear
ing that something was wrong with
her, he repaired at once to the scene OF
disturbance, to find the mare in most
desperate and determined struggle to
throw off the beasts and release he I
self from her dangerous position. The
old captain was frantic, and by the
time we reached the bloody scene the
captain had gotten so mixed up with
, the struggling animals that we could
hardly tell (which from t'other." The
captain, with his heavy belt knife. wa
carving one of the panthers with such
desperate vigor that the animal was al
most in. narrow strips and had dropped
= from the mares loins to the ground in
the last throes of death. The Other
c had secured Judgment just over the
! withers and had firmly fastened it:
fangs in the jugular, drinking the
blood of pretty Betty Martin" as The
captain had been pleased to ZANE hi
favorite roadster.