Evening star., 1897-03-06

senses. The old white horse was trotting
slowly along, and there sat the grim mon
ster bolt upright in the saddle. He could
see it's grinning teeth. hear it's bones rattle.
and he imagined that its eyes were two
balls of fire. He shouted something. but
1t kept coming and seemed to be riding
right at him. He did manage to draw his
pistol with a shaking hand and fire. The
fash and the report frightened the old
white horse. and he sprang forward in
gallop. and then the old bones ratified as
If the devil himself were shaking them. The
farmers horse needed no urging. AS much
frightened as his master, he wheeled in his
tracks and started back to town with the
speed of the wind. Mr.. Homes looked back
and saw the white horse close to him, and
1t looked as If the terrible monster was
reaching out its long, bony fingers. eager
to clutch him and tear him to pieces. His
own horse happened to be good one, and
under the double stimulant of fright and
his masters spurs he managed to keep in
the lead. As soon as the farmer reached
town he began to fire the remaining shots
from his pepper-box and shout for help.
1t was early, and the stores were still
open. People rushed out on the sidewalks.
and when they saw a man riding at the top
of his horses speed and some terrible grim
ming white object on a white horse riding
after him, they did not know what to make
of it. The negroes shouted ''Ghostr' and
then one man fired shot at the thing.
That was the signal for a general uproar,
and a scene of excitement and consterna
ton such as General Houston said was
never eQualed outside of the internal
regions Mr.. Homes would have stopped
in front of the hotel. but his frightened
horse entertained different ideas on the
subject and ran on around the plaza. 1t
never occurred to a single individual that
the thing they saw was a human skeleton.
Congress was in session at the time. and
the members rushed into the street, sup
posing that nothing less than the vanguard
of Santa Ana's army had surprised the
capital. In those unhappy times every one
carried arms, and as Farmer Homes came
around the second time with his white hair
streaming in the wind and death or the
devil on his white horse in hot pursuit, the
Texans opened fire. Pistols. muskets and
shotguns were emptied into the pack OF
bones, and they could be heard rattling and
cracking above the stentorian yells of the
flying farmer Strangely enough, not one
shot of the first volley struck the white
horse Hounds, of which there were forty
packs In the town, Joined in the pursit
while the engineers of the two steamboats,
lying at the wharf turned all the steam In
the boats boilers into their whistles.
What the devil is it?' said Gen. Houston
to the secretary of war. "Order out the
Rifles and capture the thing. They are not
afraid of the devil himself
Women and children were screaming and
the negroes were praying. At corner of
the street the farmers horse collided with
an old negro and fell. throwing Mr.. Homes
sprawling in the sand. The negro crawled
away with a broken leg, and Mr.. Homes
shouted He has got me now, by thunder!
The old white horse, having nothing to fol-
low, trotted around to Mr.. Campbelrs sa-
loon. where he stopped and interested him.
self in kicking at the hounds The crowd,
including several congressman and men who
had distinguished themselves in a dozen
battles with Mexicans and Indians ran in
side and fired at the thing through the win
dows. Not man was game enough to face
his satanic majesty and ask him what he
wanted. These men were not afraid on the
battlefield or the field of honor, but the
devil on his pale horse possessed terrors
that crushed all human fortitude. The
strings with which the bones had been tied
to the saddle had doubtless become weak
ened by the great strain to which they had
been subjected. and when three or four
monster blOodhoundS seized the skeleton
they easily tore it loose, and it fell with a
clatter upon the sidewalk. The whole pack
fell upon it, snarling and yeping, and drag
ged 1T about the street. Some of the bolder
ones peeped from the saloon and saw the
saddle empty and the hounds tearing a
white object to pieces and one, into whose
mind a ray of the truth had crept, said,
Let go and help the dogs to kill the
devil"
Gen. Houston, when told the true story.
threatened to have the three worthless exiled
or shot. Mr.. Wilson, who is yet living, says
| that he had to hide from Farmer Homes
| for long time. and that he never did for
! of San Jacinto in the following April. 1t is
| said that Santa Ana never laughed but
once while he was prisoner in the Texas
| camp, and that was over this story. as told
to him by American officer. II think,
| he said, that l should have run away as
| the old farmer did, for we are all very
much afraid of the devil"