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rate, the barking seemed to me to bo
about the same distance behind me all
the time.
I therefore, hurried on as fast as I could,
until I had crossed the bottom—here
about three miles wide —and came to the
open prairie on the farther side, and still
hearing the barking of the dog, a plan
suggested itself to me whereby I might
put him at fault, if in reality he was fol
lowing upon my trail. I kept on out into
the prairie, in the same direction I had
been traveling, and when I had gone three
or four hundred yards I returned upon
my tracks to the exact point where I had
left the timber. I then sprang off to one
side as far as I could, and followed the
edge of the timber, until I came to the
bushy top of a tree that had been blown
off from one near by, in which I hid my
self, determined that I would remain there
until the mystery of the dog should be
explained.
The barking grew perceptibly louder,
and in a short time I saw two dogs come
out of the timber at the very point where
I||iad emerged, followed by a Mexican./
who held them by a leash or string.—.
They kept on the trail I had made in go-j
mg out until they came to the place iij
the prairie where I had turned back.)
Here, as I anticipated they would be, the
dogs were evidently bothered, but the\
Mexican, taking it for granted, I suppose,,
that I had not changed my course, urged,
the dogs on until the trail was lost alto :
gether, and they continued going in tin <
same direction until they disappeared'
from my sight. I took a good deal of
credit to myself for having thus beaten
them at their own game.
I concluded it would be safer to cross
this prairie, which seemed to be an exten
sive one, after night, so I remained where
I was until dark. Just as I started, I saw
a light apparently about a quarter of a
mile above me, on the edge of the woods,
and I concluded I would go to it, and as
certain, if possible, by whom and for
what purpose it had been made. It was
farther off than I anticipated, but at length
I got near enough to see that it came
from a small house, and that there were
other buildings in the vicinity.
The night was cloudy and dark, and I
silently and cautiously approached the
house from which the light proceeded,
and peeping through a large crack be
tween two of the logs, of which it was
constructed, I saw a Mexican, with a can
dle near by him, sitting upon a barrel
and busily engaged in shelling corn from
another into a basket. lie had on his
shot pouch and powder liorn, but his mus
ket was leaning against the side of the
BUIIIC E 5 8 WE E KLY.
house, and near it 1 noticed a crack large
enough, as I thought, to permit me to
introduce my arm, and draw the imn
O
through. I crept cautiously to this aper
ture, and was in the act of seizing the
gun when several dogs that, just at that
moment, unfortunately discovered me,
commenced baying at me furiously. I
withdrew ray hand instantly, for the
Mexican stopped shelling corn, evidently
suspicious that something was wrong,
and came to the door, which he partially
opened and looked out. It was so dark
he could not see three paces from his
nose, and concluding, I suppose, that the
dogs were barking at a wolf, or some
other “varmint,” he took his seat and
commenced shelling the corn airain.
Ilis back was towards me, and once
more I slipped my hand through the
opening between the logs, and seized the
gun. I drew it slowly and cautiously,
with the muzzle foremost, through the
opening, but unluckily the breech, w hich
was a clumsy affair, got jammed hard and
fast, and in my efforts to extricate it, I
made a slight noise, that attracted the
attention of the Mexican. He uttered an
exclamation of astonishment when he saw
his gun disappearing through the open
ing in the logs, and instantly sprang up
and seized it by the breech; whilst I,
knowing that all chance of obtaining it
was lost, beat a hasty retreat toward the
woods, followed by a whole “posse” of
yelping curs.
The failure to capture this gun was a
great disappointment to me, as I was ex
ceedingly anxious to secure some sort of
weapon to defend myself with against
straggling Mexicans and Indians. When
I had gone about a mile, owing to the
extreme darkness of the night, I lost my
course, and concluded it best to encamp
till morning. I did not venture to build
a fire for fear it might betray my locality
to the Mexicans, should they pursue me,
but the night was warm and cloudy, and
raking up a quantity of dead leaves, I laid
down upon them, and slept comfortably
till daybreak.
Just at the break of day, I was aroused
by the clucking and gobbling of wild tur
ldes. I had pitched my camp under a
“roost,” and all the trees in the vicinity
were filled with them. They were so
tame I could easily have killed one with
a bow and arrow, if I had had anything
of the sort, and having failed in my at
tempt to get a gun, I determined I would
try my skill in the manufacture of such
articles, as soon as I could find some suit
able tool to work with.
In order to give the houses where I had
seen the Mexican the night before a wide
berth, I travelled some distance down the
river, under cover of the timber, but the
day was cloudy, and I got completely be
wildered, and it was near night again be
fore I came into the prairie. A short dis
tance below me I saw a house, and as I
was very hungry, having consumed the
day before, the last of the provisions I
brought with me from the settlement on
the La Yaea, I concluded to venture up
to it, to sec if anything eatable could be
I had about the premises. The house was
a double-log cabin, raised some two feet
from the ground upon blocks. From the
appearance of things in and around it, it
was evident the Mexicans had been there
before me, and they had either taken off
or destroyed all the provisions that might
have been left on the place by the Ameri
cans, when it was abandoned by them.
There was a good bed left, however, in
one of the rooms, and I determined to
take up my quarters there for the night.
Upon this, I laid myself down, and in a
few moments was fast aleep.
*
Those can most easily dispense
with society who are the best calculated
to adorn it; they only are dependent on
it who possess no mental resources , for
though they bring nothing to the general
mart, like beggars, they are 100 poor to
stay at home.
There is perfect rest for God’s
people, both for soul and body, but it is
not in this world. Here we are on the
ocean, and we should not be surprised if
we meet with storms.
__ ♦♦♦
The «light of other days ” is now
supposed to have been a tallow candle.
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