Year: 1863




bounded on the east by the Cross Tim
bers. Not long after this event, I was
sitting on the bank of small stream,
resting my weary limbs after long and
fatiguing hunt, when / was fired upon and
slightly wounded.


81 was fortunate to discover the marks
man who proved to be an Indian, Of what
tribe do not remember. instantly shot
him dead, and then perceived that he was
not alone. for one of his brethren was with
him. who made his escape. Time passed
op, and was undisturbed in my amuse-
ments for long time


Zone day. not feeling very we'll, re.
turned to my camp sooner than usual. l
laid down to sleep, but could not. ! felt
uneasy and nervous, and so arose and went
on the prairie. The grass was not very
tall, and the hot sun of the season had
dried it until it was crispy, and ratified
as l walked through it. l assembled a
gentle swell and looked around me. The
scene was grand one. On one hand were
the Cross Timbers dimly seen in the dis.
tance, resembling dense wall of wood
built by human hands, while in every d.
rection the prairie stretched away until
lost in the distance. The sun was getting
low, and looked like sunset on the sea.
AS my eyes wandered from point to point
they were suddenly fixed upon a solitary
figure several hundred yards distant, at
the foot of the long swell or roll upon
which | was landing.


"He stood in open space; and l at first
wondered how that could be-, as the grass
was so high in every other place but
the affair soon explained itself. More care
full examination showed me that the SOL
itary object was an Indian, and his man
ifest object in packing up the dry grass,
was to set fire to the prairie! 1t was
doubtless the same fellow that escaped at
the time I had been fred upon. He had
discovered my retreat. and was about to
revenge himself.


"The wind was fresh towards me, and
if the grass had been set on fire, no pow.
er on earth could have saved me, for the
feetest horse could not run fast enough to
escape from its devouring flames. A ter
rible dread of that kind of death came
over me. l stood like one fascinated, and
gazed at the preparation of the savage.
He stood in the middle of the open space
he had made, with blazing torch in his
hand. Innumerable thoughts rushed
through my mind in an instant of time.
| was never SO completely paralysed and
stupefed in my life. The power of thought
seemed to be the only power left me, and
that was stimulated to an unnatural de-,
gree. The past, present, and future, were
reviewed and speculated upon in that
brief and broken fragment of time in which
the savage stood waiting for the brand to
burn more brightly, before he thrust it
into the grass. Yes, my destiny was to
be burned Some hunter or traveller
would find my body charred or blackened !;
and others, after time would pass my
bones bleaching in the sun.


"You must remember that all these
ideas ran through my mind in the short.
est appreoiable space of time for you
must know in the sudden prospect of the
great danger, from which there is no ap-
parent mode of escape, imparts to the
brain horrible faculty of thought, at
which the mind at rest can form no possi-
BILE conception ! closed my eyes in pray
er, and commended my soul to God; but
it was impossible for me to close my eyes
against the one great absorbing idea in
my mind-that of being burnt up like
the vile reptile that crawls in the woods.


my lids unloosed, and as they did 50,
my eyes rested upon my trusty rife; it
was the first time had thought of it. for
the distance was great between me and
the enemy; but now it seemed like an
old friend-the only one that had power
to save me. a.E .


Il embraced the thought that the sight
of my rife called up, species of joy which
is nearly overpowered by an agonizing
feeling. I lifted the instrument unon