The National tribune., 1898-07-14

manufacture, and it was not easy to
evade it. However, we must procure
some; and, seeing a house at a short dis
tance from the road, we stopped the horses
To Craze while | set out on the question
able mission of purchasing whisky, with
out knowing what to call it in ChOctaw.
AT the house | found no one at home
except squaw SO old that her teeth were
worn OFF even with her gums, and a young
girl-very pretty, but very shy. | made
known the object of my visit by telling
her, IN the very best English could COM
mand, that ] desired to purchase some
whisky; but she failed to comprehend my
meaning. thought for moment. and
then concluded that as they had 10 snug
gle it, perhaps they would be more fami-
liar with bottled liquors, and | said
brandy but was still not understood !;
morning. glory, "eyc-opener," whisky
cocktail, 'gin-slng, - "stone-walI," and
the names of a host of other drinks arose
IN my mind, but were discarded, one
after another, as altogctheraunknown i'm
that barbarous locality; and began to in
dulge in unavailing regrets that | had not
learned to speak Choctaw before visiting
the country.
But at this moment a happy idea pre-
| sented itself, and forthwith proceeded to
put 1t INTO execution. Up TO this time the
Indian girl had stood resolutely in the
middle of the floor, as il prepared to dis
pute my further advance | now passed
by her. and walked TO a table where there
was a gourd. Seeing the movement she
sprang TO 1T, and filled it with water from
bucket near by, and presented it to me
TO drink with every expression of kindness
Reader, must own it was a most eloquent
| temperance lecture; and. Derhaps had I
| been alone, should have made no further
attempt To make myself understood: but
johnston was out on the prairie thoroughly
drenched, while well, for my part. was
| dry.
Pouring the water back into the buc..et.
raised the gourd to my mouth, pretended
to take long drink, then made a wry
face, smacked my lips, touched my breast
with my forehnger, and then staggered a
| little. In an instant ! was understood
Her black eyes sparkled with delight. and
she lndulged in a merry laugh Running
out INTO the yard. she spent some time
looking up and down, as if in fear; then
| hastily entering the house. she lifted a
board in the floor under the table and
drew forth quart flask nearly full of the
desired article, and handed il TO me.
| a produced some money TO pay for it
but she put back my hand in an agitated
manner. pointed to the path by which !
| came, and patted her hands together
several times hastily, which interpreted
into go quick so without waiting to re-
| turn thanks which she could not under
stand. to her evident satisfaction, left.
| We crossed the Red River at CoIbert's
ferry, when the Colonel gave shout OF
| delight as he once more landed in Texas
We reached Mr.. Johnston's house ~
mIes south OF Dallas, and were welcomed
| by his wife and daughter. They went out
on the prairie to examine the stock and
as part OF The horses had been represented
/ as belonging 10 the estate Of his wife s
| first husband, ] naturally expected that
the lady would recognize some of them
and call them by name or otherwise pcr-
ticularly designate them; but to nv as
| constituent she seemed never TO have
| seen any OF them before | now remcm-
bered our haste, and the Coonel's unac-
| countable excitement at times. and I
could not escape the conviction that |
had helped 10 run of a drove of stolen
| horses.
AS my contract was now up, the Colonel
pressed me 10 continue with him. and his
solicitations were cordially seconded by
his wife and daughter; but as soon as I
had secured settlement with him. and
lTecelved my money pushed on to Austin.
where expected 10 find employment as a
printer.
My expectations OF finding emplovmen nj
were not realized, and went back To Bell
County. and turned my attention for n
while 10 horse tanning; but il was not long
before there was found more conreniaI
employment for me. The Kiowa. Conan.
the, and kickapoo Indians suddenly be-
| gan To wage a most relentless and cruel
y.
| Their first act of barbarfy was com
mItted lar down IN the country, within q
few miles Of where was employed. About
the LIST OF May, 1853, a small detachment
of Comanches appeared ON the west side
OF Bell County, stole some horses and
drove a lance through the body of a little
Doy about II years of age; the act being
uohe III the presence of an aponiZed
mother, and of sisters frantic with grief
and tear. The Indians, after mocIIinc the
terlihed actions, galloped away, laughing
and sneering at their agony
The neighborhOod was at once aroused
ana few men went i'm pursuit; |. nv,
sell, constituting one of the party. The
saVages fed toward the mountains. at
the mead waters OF the Colorado River;
and high up on the San Gabriel we came
m sight of them, and at once the chase
became SO hot that the Indians scat
tered, always their last strategic resort.
we only succeeded in finding one, a