The Indianapolis journal., 1895-07-07

deviltry suddenly possessed the ele-
phaat. or whether the spirit Of deviltry
originated with the conductor and was
communicated TO thes elephant In some
mysterious way, the deponent saith not.
Certain it is that the elephant made
straight for the bayou and in he
plunged 1t was I'm vain that Buzzard
roared. Mrs. Buzzard shrieked and the
children squalled. The elephant marched
straight into the deep water, and. I'LL
ing his trunk full. turned IT over his
head and poured a flood into the hou-
dab. nearly drowning the Buzzards. Old
Buzzard fiourished his sword and roared
like a lion. Finally the elephant laid
down and rolled over. Buzzard was
good swimmer, and he managed to get
10 the opposite shore with his wife and
children. Seated on the bank. with the
muddy water dripping from them, they
presented a picture TO excite pity, but
the spectators laughed until everybody
was koarse.
THE FAMILY DISAPPEARS
Now comes the strangest part OF the
story. The Buzzards remained seated
on the banks of the bayou until the sun
lied that they had been furnishing
amusement for the town, and the old
man developed a belligerent spirit
that caused the people 10 do their laugh
ing at distance. Every time any one
approached them he would flourish his
sword and swear lie pirate. The sun
went down ON his wrath. and ii hid the
Buzzards forever, so far as Texas was
concerned. Houston never saw the Buz-
yards again. 1t was just as If you had
put your hand in a bucket of water and
WI wa
Of the Buzzards. OF course, everybody
was soon satisfied with the theory that
they had been murdered.
Time rolled on. The steamboat fell to
pieces and furnished firewood and build
ing material for the Brazos bottom ne
groes. The old cabin on the banks of
the river decayed, and few people re-
membered the Buzzards.
About year ago an article hoated
around in Texas newspapers describing
a rich find made in a cave by Governor
Hogg and party of his friends while
on a fishing and hunting expedition.
Among other things it was claimed that
the lucky Governor had found some old
Spanish documents which would enable
him to locate and claim a large body of
land and some rich mines in Mexico. AT
the time there was a great deal of talk
about the matter, and many people be-
lieved that there was something in it.
the BraZos hills tive hundred or three
hundred yards from Buzzard's old cab
in. Your correspondent and several
other persons visited the place soon
afterward. The entrance to this cave,
which had been closed by rock, had
been diSlodged by recent rains. We
crawled inside on our hands and knees
and found ourselves in quite large
room. There were marks Of the chisel
and hammer on the walls, and there
was no question but that the former oc-
cupants had done considerable work
with edged tools TO make the place more
comfortable There were several dressed
rock and burnt brick on the floor, in
Vulnerable pieces of broken crockery,
old rusty knife blades and handles and
pieces OF heavy oak boards that had
evidently formed the sides of a chest
There was nothing of any value even TO
an archaeologist. The old story of the
Buzzards and their sudden display of
such extraordinary wealth was revived
The walled well, the earthworks and
the cave furnished plenty of food for
speculation. The most plausible of all
theories is that the old Spaniards had
a fort here in very early times. This
road was Travelled by the people from
New Orleans and old Spain, going to
the City of Mexico, as far back as the
very first years of the century. In the
toned, and the good crossing on the
Braos is referred to. The old viceroys
travelled this road,a and long caravans of
pack mules loaded with treasures have
passed here. Old Buzzard must have
found large sum of gold and the dia-
monds and other costly jewels that he
displayed in this cave. There is no tell
ing where the precious stuff came from
or whom it belonged TO. Lafitte's pi-
rates often ran their vessels into the
mouth of the Brazos. They may have
followed the stream to this place of per-
feet safety in those times. and here con-
cealed rich treasures transported by red
hands from the slippery decks of some
Spanish galleon.
Once more the story of Buzzard and
his gold and his diamonds was forgot
ten, until just now there are few peo-
pie who smile every time they hear the
name of BuzZard. 1t is a short story,
but there is enough in it to make some
people look grave and ask: Twill won
ders ever cease?'
A few weeks ago the son of a retired
merchant Of Houston, now a citizen of
the coast country, married a very beau
tiful young lady in Paris, France. The
young man was making the tour Of Eu-
rope when he fell in with a party of
Americans and then fell violently in
love with the young lady. who was one
Of the party, and who was celebrated
everywhere for her great beauty. The
match appeared to be a very suitable
one all around. The young man pos
sesses sufficient amount of this world S
goods, and the young lady, who is an
orphan, inherits real estate and money
enough to make her one OF the wealth.
lest heiresses in Virginia. The bridal
pair arrived at home in Texas, where
they received warm welcome. The
beauty of the bride had not been exag-
gerated, and the old merchant was tick
led to death with his sons wife. 1t was
at the supper table, on the very 1rst
evening, that the bride said:,'I have
always wanted to come to Texas. ]
think 1 shall like Texas. 1t is my ma
tive State
'Tndeedw exclaimed the old Houston
merchant; where were you born?"
"Oh, / don't know. Somewhere on
the Brazos river. not far from Houstoh
II remember" continued the young la
dy. "of being in Houston one time.
and papa, and mamma, and brother
went there To a show. and we all rode
on the elephant. 1t was jolly fun riding
| away up on the big elephant in a little
house, but the elephant ran into the
river and laid right down in the water
and we all like TO have drowned. l was
very small. and 1 don't remember much
| about it,"
The old merchant was staring at his
| daughter-in-law as IL he had discovered
| something new IN her face