Year: 1867

turning home


Taking different route to that by which we
came we encountered another drove. Not be-
ing willing to hazard my well earned laurels on
second shot, said nothing about shooting
this time. 1t was, therefore, decided that Mr.
T., a native hunter, should try another trick
with them. Fastening his gun to his back he
started to crawl towards them through the high
prairie grass He had not gone far in this Way..
before | saw him lying on his back and kicking
his heels up In the air, in full view of the drove.
Presently they all stopped grazing, and looked
towards him, l then discovered that he was
relying upon their curiosity to bring them with
IN the proper distance. In this, he was sue
eessful and brought back fine fat fawn.


Fatigue from this days hunt preYented me
from renewing the chase. But the day after,
feeling somewhat rested, | proposed fishing
excursion to the Brazos. It was decided that
we should have no hounds this time also, but
that we would take laryatts or lassos in case we
should cross any deer on the way We had not
gone far before one of the party left the road
abruptly and moved off leisurely at right angles
to our course. Looking in the direction in
which he was moving, [ saw about dozen
deer. Of course we stopped and watch his
maueuvers. He rode carelessly along. heaaino
to the right of the drove, as if he was eoin, to
pass them, but, at every step, lessenine the dis
tanee from them. They soon became restless
and turned directly away, increasing their speed
as the distance diminished. Knowing the ha-
bit of the deer of always running windward.
that they may scent any danger ahead, he start
ed full speed on line somewhat shorter than
that which they would have to take in order to
keep the wind In their faces, and as they were
passing the point at which their courses would
have met he hurled his lasso and lodged it on
the horns of a tremendous buck Quick as
thought, his horse stopped, threw himself back
on his hind legs and the capture was complete,
jerking the deer completely over on his back.


On reaching the Brazos We found trot line,
apparently heavily weighed with fish, It was
agreed that we should make raid upon it, as
among nelghbors it was understood that the
first at any trot line was to have the spoils-
There were three fish upon the lines; and such
fish never saw in any fresh water stream in
the States. One of them was so large that we
agreed to cut him open and see what it had
eaten. What do you think we found? A
whole puppy, not exactly alive, but scarcely
dead


This suggested a story that is literally true.
A few hours after the explosion of steamer
near Memphis, a fish was caught in the Miss
isslppi that, when opened, contained gold
watch. The watch was whole and running and
told the true time of day. It had doubtless
j
ploslon. This is positively true.


Though my name would warrant the impress
sion that ought to be good fisherman, yet
this days experience only confirmed my past
experience In fishing that had inherited lite
rally none of the skill of my iustrious name
sake. While sitting, line in hand, and nursing
an undissembled disgust at fishing and fisher
men who caught all the fish when I could catch
none, discovered large alligator coming out
of the thickets on our side of the river and not
very far from me. She was followed by several
young ones Of course made motion to In
crease the distance between US. The noise noi
my retreat soon alarmed the young ones who
turned towards their mother, and ran pell-me
where do you think? Down their mothers
throat an open view of which satisfied me that
after taking on board all her young, there was
still room enough for my limited corporeity.-
| But was soon satisfied that her freight would
| diminish her speed so that all the advantage in
| a foot race would be on my side. She also
seemed to realize this. and turned down the
/ bank into the water. By the way, / saw a very
old negro put up to the top of his speed to gse'
away from one OF these Varments. But fo1
some men working In the field not far from him
he would have been swallowed bodily


Having more than enough Geh, thanks to tlit
tfot line, for all practical purposes it vas agreed
that we would ''call it a half day. and quit ssh
ing.
=, On our way home, we came to what the
ieXans call leap l. low place in a
hedge or fence where the deer lean in going to
water. Here it was proposed that we set 4
stake for one. Accordingly they cut stick
pointing It at both ends, and set it at an angle
OF about forty. five degrees just in the path or
beat, and at the precise spot where the deer
would light in making the leap. The next
morning we found deer sticking, breast fore
most, on the stake, his heels high up in the air.
Ofcourse he was dead


But my letter is already far beyond the nro
per limits | had intended giving YOU an ac
count OF our chase of the mule-eared rabbit in
which several ladies' participated. 1t was the
most thrllhngly anlmating sport I ever engaged
IN. The rabbit, owing to its lightning sreed.
has to make at once for the open prairie. or it
would dash its own brains out against the trees.
The fastest grey-hounds are hardly match for
them, and yet ladies and gentlemen chase them
for hours with the most reckless break-neck
speed.


| cannot prolong this letter and will close with
an invitation to you to visit me, and will show
you mule-eared rabbits ear, a tarantula a
centipede and singing lizard These reptiles.
being bottled, are harmless and very interesting
curiosities.


[ sent by the same mail to the Religious
Herald, Richmond, some more serious refec
tiops on Texas, headed Religious, Social and
Political Views of Texas" Any one disposed
to read those views can do so by borrowing the
said paper.