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Entered according to Act of Congress, in June. 1870, by J. W. Bubkk & Cos., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the So. District of Georgia
Vol. IV—No. 19.
THE YOUNG- EXPLORERS;
OR, BOY-MFS IN TEXA3,
CHAPTER XVII.
||JaME of all kinds was very
abundant in the country we
passed over to-day. We were
scarcely ever out
of'sight of half
a-dozen herds of
deer, and occa
sionally a herd
of antelopes was
seen bounding
gracefully away
in the distance,
K,for they were
much more shy
than the deer,
and seldom per
mitted us to ap
proach nearer
than half-a-mile
of them. We al
so passed one
solitary old buf
falo bull, that
was standing on
the apex of an
abrupt elevation,
gazing grimly
down upon the
little band of ex
plorers so pre
sumptuously
trespassing on
his domains. He
looked like a
very tough old
customer, and
we left him in
undisturbed
possession of his
native wilds. In
the chaparral we flushed many flocks
of a species of quail, that differed in
some respects from the common quail
of the old States. They were a third
larger, and of a bluish or lead-colored
hue.
Just after we had emerged from an
extensive tract of chaparral into the
open prairie, we saw a number of ani
MACON, GEORGIA, NOVEMBER 5, 1870.
mals of some sort ahead of us; but
they were such a long way off we could
not make out what they were. Mr.
Pitt, however, took a peep at them
through a spy-glass he had with him,
and said they were men on horse
back, or rather, four men on horse
back, with six loose animals or pack
mules.
“ See which way they are travelling,”
said Uncle Seth.
After another “squint” at them, Mr.
Pitt said he believed they were coming
towards us: but they were still so far
off he could not say whether they were
Indians or white men.
“ Well, if there’s only four of them,”
said Uncle Seth, “ it don’t much matter
wliat they are; for we kin sartainly
hold our own agin any such squad as
that.”
In a little while Mr. Pitt took ano
ther peep at the strangers. “ I think,”
said he, “they are white men; but I
may be mistaken.”
“Let me have the ‘bring’em near,’”
said Uncle Seth ; and after a long sight
at the party, he said they were un
doubtedly white men; “for,” said he,
“ they’ve got hats on, and I never
knowed an Ingen wear anything on his
head except a feather or two, or may
be so a pair of buffalo horns.”
When we had approached within a
mile of the'party, we noticed they came
to a halt, evidently for the purpose of
Whole No. 175.
reconnoitering us. It is in this cautious
and suspicious manner that parties on
the plains always make their advances
towards each other. In this instance,
our reconnoiterers appeared soon to
come to the conclusion that we were
either white men, or else, if Indians,
that our party was such a small one
they could easily cope with us if our
their way back into the settlements from
a trapping expedition after beaver; that
they had been'as high up the country as
the head waters of the Llano, where
they had found the beavers very abun
dant, and had been very successful in
trapping; and that the six pack-mules
were loaded with their peltries. r ihey
told us also, that they had had several
intentions were
hostile. At any
rate, they moved
rapidly towards
us again.
As they came
up within speak
ing distance, one
of them said:
“Hello, stran
gers, which way
are you travel
ling ? ”
Uncle Seth —
who, as usual,
was in advance
replied that
“We were n’t
bound for any
place in particu
lar; only looking
round at the
country.”
“Well,” said
the one who had
first spoken, “we
are mighty glad
to see you, any
how, for you’re
the first white
men we have
laid eyes on for
th e 1 ast four
months.”
He then in
formed us that
they were just on