Year: 1867

Personating different Texans, I will narrate
some OF their actual feats or customs On the
prairies, using the Ego" where the ''IUe'
should be, after the magma parsJ JM fashion.
This is fair as it is all for the entertainment of
your readers, and can be Of no possible advan
tage to your unknown correspondent.


On the 25th of NI1fch, | set out for Eagle
Lake, in the midst Of broad prairie, on a fish
ing and hunting froic. The gentleman, who
had rendered me the use of hounds and horses,
&C., had killed a man, few days before my
arrival, and his precise whereabouts had not
transpired. Of course, | felt slightly picked
up at being recognized, at the depot, as the
would be guest of murderer, but, more de-
cidedly, at the vanishing prospect of the prom
ised sport. My chagrin was, however, soon re-
lieved by several pressing invitations from
neighbors to join them In week IS hunt on the
prairles.


On arriving at the residence Of Mr.. n, / was
aarmingiy reminded that our sport was not to
be wholly without hazard to life and limb
The reminder came on this fashion. About
gun-shot range from where we were sitting, a
dense forest arose. From this forest, two little
darkies came running breathless, and evidently
frightened out of their wits, close behind them
came two men, bearing huge animal, which
they had just shot. They said that, on going
into the woods they had found the aforesaid
little darkles throwing rocks at something up
tree, thinking that 1t was a squirrel at which
they were throwing, they We're about to pass on
when, on being struck with rock, the animal
uttered a terrific sound which sent the little
darkies running out OF the woods, and inclined
them to follow In their footsteps; but the ami
NAL finding that, now he had ''foeman worthy
of his Steel decided that they should not get
Oft quite SO easily, and sprang full in their path
before them. Bringing both their guns to bear
upon him, they fired and fortunately both balls
struck and felled the huge monster to the
ground. 1t was full grown panther, that the
little darkies had been pelting for possun,
about fifteen minutes and that now lay, scarcely
dead, before US.


This comic tragic scene was still before US,
when the brother of mine host came up evl-
IDENTIFY excited, and said that he had just en-
countered the mate of the dead panther, great
ly enraged, perhaps from the scent OF It's blood.
When first observed she was about thirty PAGES
distant In the road, which he was crossing, and
wagging her tail which, as an experienced hun
ter, he understood to be a certain declaration OF
war She moved slowly towards him, crouch
ing, and eyeing him fercely, until both barrels
of his gun snapped, once, twice. Then the
caps must be replaced, with the full conscious
ness that, before it could possibly be done, the
panther might be upon him but with his eyes





and was about to replace the cap when, to his
infinite relief, her highness overawed by his
gaze, turned suddenly into the thicket and dis
appeared. The deponent confessed that he did
the same, and that at the rate Of twenty beats
to bar. e-.....7
The next day we all started for a deer hunt
on the prairies. Riding to point from which
we could see about twenty deer grazing, one of
the party, dressed in dried deer skin, moved
out boldly from the ambush, head down, as if
grazing and wagging his tail by means Of a
string. In this way, being near to the wind
ward of them, he got right into their midst and
broke several OF their legs with a stick before
the ruse was discovered.


The next drove that we saw, insisted upon
having an opportunity of shooting one But
how to get close enough On the open prairie,
after leaving the brushwood, was the question.
At the suggestion of an old hunter, l took a
red handkerchief, tied il to switch and crawl
ed cautiously towards them, still Oh the lea
wardslde. On getting near enough, l raised
| the red flag and attracted their attention.
Prompted 10y curiosity natural to them, they
advanced towards the red object, intent upon
that, and not being able to see me for the grass.
| When they had approached within easy range.
| rose and fired, killing splendid buck. Inis
Was glory enoug b for one day, SO proposed re-