The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1920-09-03

When / was sixteen / had completed the
course in our city schools and so well were my
parents pleased with the progress had made
that they gave their consent to my accepting
an invitation of long standing to visit our rela-
tives in East Texas.
NV uncle, Samuel Dunlap, and his son Lee,
robust boy of my own age, met me at the
station and gave me hearty welcome TO thelr
Western home.
My uncle had large farm and employed a
great many work hands so he could easily
spare Lee who was appointed to act as my en-
tertainer and escort during my stay.
1t was in the spring of the year, and trees
and all vegetation were much more advanced
in that part of Texas than in my Northern
home.
Every day Lee and spent in the woods and
along the streams, either hunting or fishing,
as we preferred and were so successful that
we kept my aunt's table well supplied with
wild game and many kinds of fish.
During our hunting excursions near the farm
Lee had told me great deal about the SABINE
Bottoms, where his father owned large tract
of timber, and where, in the winter time, ne
usually had woodchoppers at work, making
rails and preparing firewood to sell
Lee had accompanied Uncle Dunlap's work
men two or three times and had encountered
some thrilling adventures in the Sabine
woods, the recital of which filled me with
desire to visit the timber claim.
There was strong love of adventure in my
nature and thought ! could not possibly re-
turn TO my home without having seen the places
of which my cousin talked.
But the Sabine Bottom was good two days
tourney from the Dunlap farm. 1t was not the
season to send woodchoppers there, and Lees
parents would not permit us to go alone. What
could we do?
| was on the point of yielding to despair,
when my uncle informed us that he had con-
AL .,,;th I har n1 decided
to let Old Hosey take us in the wagon.
Old Hosey, or Hosea Drubb was an eccen-
trio fellow. without home or friends. Uncle
Dunlap had employed him some years previous
ly, and having proved him to be faithful
worker, he gave him home at the farmhouse,
which the old man seemed to appreciate very
much.
When told of his charge the old fellow mani
tested great delight, and entered into all our
arrangements with the zest of a boy.
Lee and | were no less delighted, for Old
Hosey possessed a vast amount of dro stories
and amusing songs, with which we knew he
would be only too willing to divert us when we
called for them.
We were very happy and merry as we fitted
up our covered wagon, preparatory to starting
Aunt Dunlap furnished us plenty of provisions
and bedding, and with supply of guns and am
munition, and a large hammock to swing in
when we should feel like it, we said good-by
to our friends and drove off.
We reached the Sabine Bottom without hav-
ing encountered anything worth recording.
The woods were very thick, and many of the
trees had long draperies of silvery moss de-
pending from their branches, which gave them
a peculiar but most picturesque appearance.
! could not help admiring the scenery, al
though that was merely a secondary considera-
ton with me.
Hunting was my first thought and as we
drove along through the dense wood, old Hosey
informed me that hunters very seldom fire.