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102 Written for Burke’s Weekly. Song of the Mountain Leaf. I was born in the Spring, That merriest time, When little birds sing Without reason or rhyme From morning to night, And just keep up a riot Because they’re so happy They cannot be quiet. I danced with delight When I first felt the breeze, But I trembled with fright When the wind shook the trees. Oh, I know you were glad When first I was seen Peeping cunningly out, In my dress of bright green. For then you knew well That stern Winter was past,' And that I came to tell Spring was coming at last. All through the bright summer I frolicked at will; When my playmate, the breeze, came I never was still, Now Autumn is coming— Already I feel The tremulous motion Os age o’er me steal. But still will I dance When the Autumn winds sigh, And I’ll doff, like the dolphin, Gay colors, to die. Acoa, Habersham Cos., Ga. E. P. M. ♦♦♦ Written for Burke’s Weekly. JACK DOBELL; Or, A Boy’s Adventures in Texas. A STORY FOR BOYS. CHAPTER Vl._ Continued. RNTICIPATING a renew al of the attack upon us by the Mexicans, as soon as daylight should ap pear, we went to work ill, (having plenty of en ' tools along with us,) and ie the next morning avc )sed a square sufficiently large to accommodate our whole force, with a ditch three feet deep, and an embankment on the outside three feet high. During the night three of our men de serted, and a volley of musketry, half an hour or so afterwards, gave us intimation ol the late that was in store for such as might endeavor to effect an escape in that way. A little after sunrise the Mexicans left their encampment in tho timber and mov ed towards our entrenchments. From tho increased length of their lines, it was apparent to all that they had been largely reinforced. In fact, as wo subsequently learned from the Mexicans themselves, a Jery company, fffs*n Goliad, had effected a junction with <hem some time during BUEKE’S weekly. tho night. They advanced to within three or four hundred yards of us, and having planted their artillery upon the most commanding positions, they opened fire upon our entrenchments ; but as we were in the ditches and protected b} r our embankments, no loss resulted to us from their cannonading. We were unable to reply to them, for the reason that all of the ammunition for our field pieces had been expended in the fight of the day previous. So we had nothing' to do but to “ lie low and keep dark,” until they should approach near enough to be reach ed by our small arms. After a time, finding their artillery had little or no effect upon our entrenchments, the firing ceased, and an officer, accom panied by a dragoon carrying a white flag, rode up to within a hundred yards of our lines, and made signs for a parley. Major Wallace, and one or two other offi cers, went out to meet him. lie came with a proposition from General Urrea— the officer in command of the Mexicans— to Colonel Fannin, to the effect, that if he would surrender at discretion, w r e should be held and treated as prisoners of war. Col. Fannin sent back a peremp tory refusal of such terms to Gen. Urrea; whereupon their artillery opened upon us again, and they appeared to be making their dispositions for an attempt to carry our entrenchments by storm. At the very moment, however, when we were anticipating a charge, Urrea himself ac companied by his staff' and a white flag, rode up within fifty yards of our lines, and made signs for another parley. Col. Fannin, with several of his princi pal officers, went out to meet him. Urrea again proposed to him to surrender at discretion, and insisting upon the useless ness of further bloodshed, as it was im possible for us to hold out much longer with such odds against us—which was true enough, for although Urrea was not aware of the fact, we were without am munition for our field pieces, and without water for our wounded. lie also pledged his honor as a gentleman and soldier that we should bo humanely treated and held as prisoners of war. Col. Fannin, however, positively refus ed to “ surrender at discretion,” and said to Gen. Urrea, that although the odds were so much against him, yet he would fight as long as he had a man left to shoulder a musket, unless he would grant him such terms of capitulation as lie thought he had a right to demand. These terms wore that a written capitulation should be drawn up, stating that we sur rendered ourselves as prisoners of war, and were to be held as such until libera ted upon parole, or regularly exchanged, at the option of the Mexican commander. There were some minor articles included in the capitulation, in addition to this, such as “that our side arms should be retained,” etc., etc. After some hesitation, Urrea agreed to the terms proposed by Col. Fannin, solely as he said, to save the useless effusion of blood. lie thereupon came into our lines with Col. Fannin, accompanied by his secretary, and the capitulation was drawn up in English and Spanish, and the Eng lish copy given to Col. Fannin. I have always believed that Gen. Urrea entered into this agreement with Colonel Fannin in good faith, and that the massa cre of our men, that occurred some days afterwards, was by the express orders of Santa Anna, and against the remon strances of Gen. Urrea. If Gen. Urrea had intended acting treacherously to wards us, the massacre would have taken place as soon as we had delivered up our arms, when we were upon an open prairie and surrounded by 1200 or 1500 cavalry, so that the escape of a single individual would have been an utter impossibility, and, consequently, he could have given to the world his own version of the affair, without fear of contradiction. ■ A Dog Story. The Harrisburg (Pa.) Telegraph tells the following story : A few days ago, as several persons were leaving the office of one of our physician’s, they discovered on the stairs leading thereto, a dog who had been severely wounded in one of his legs, from which, the blood was flowing freely. Seeing the door open, the dog at once entered the office,limped to the Doc tor, and in a most imploring attitude held up the wounded limb. The physician took pity on tho animal, and upon ex amining the wound, found that an artery had been cut. Carefully laying his dog ship on the floor, the doctor proceeded to bandage the wound, which he accomplish ed as skillfully as if his patient were a member of the human family. The dog seemed grateful for the attention shown him, and after exhibiting his gratitude in an unmistakable manner, he departed. What seems most singular is that the dog had never been at the office before, and that he was an entire stranger to the physician. Instinct alone could have caused him to visit the gentleman refer red to, in his hour of distress. Although this statement may scarcely be believed by some of our readers, we assure them that it is true in every particular, and the dog referred to can be seen any day near the office of the physician.