The adventures of Big-foot Wallace

Front matter

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Preface

PTT^HE writer of this little book is well aware that it will not stand the test of criticism as a liter- Ji. ary production. A f rontiersman himself , his opportunitíes for acquiring information, and for supplying the deficiencies of a rather limited education, have of course been "few and far between;" and therefore it cannot reasonably be expected that he could make a book under such circumstances which would not be sadly defective as to style and composition. However, it can justly lay claim to at least one merit, not often found in similar publications — it is not a compilation of imaginary scenes and incidents, concocted in the brain of one who never was beyond the sound of a dinner-bell in his life, but a plain, unvarnished story of the " 'scapes and scrapes" of Big-Foot Wallace, the Texas Ranger and Hunter, written out from notes furnished by himself, and told, as well as my memory serves me, in his pwn language.

"Big-Foot Wallace" is, perhaps, better known throughout Texas as an Indian-fighter, hunter, and ranger, than any one now living in the State ; which is saying a good deal, when the great number who have acquired more or less notoriety in that way is taken into consideration. Few men now living, I am confident, have witnessed as many stirring incidents, had more "hair-breadth escapes," or gone through more of the hardships and perils of a border life. He was a participant in almost every fíght, foray, and "scrimmage" with the Mexicans and Indians that took place in Texas after he first landed on her shores in 1836.

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PREFACE

Pioneers, or frontiersmen, are a class of men peculiar to our country, and seem to have been designed especially to meet the exigencies of the occasion. With their "iron nerves," great powers of endurance, and indomitable "go-a-headativeness," they have been essentially useful in clearing the way through the wilderness from such obstacles as would have been perhaps insurmountable to those coming after them. Their mission has been very nearly accomplished. Like the flatboat-men of the Mississippi, who have entirely disappeared as a class since the introduction of steamboats on that river and its tributaries, their numbers are steadily decreasing before the extensión of railroads and the área of civilization. Only here and there one is still found in our midst, whom disease, wounds, or oíd age have rendered incapable of further contests with the Indians and other denizens of the forests and plains, and of enduring the hardships and exposure of a life in the wilderness. As a class, frontiersmen are observant and knowing in all that pertains to their peculiar mode of life, and as deeply versed in all the mysteries of woodcraft as the wily savage himself ; but they are guileless and unsuspicious as a child, and whenever they come in conflict with the shrewd, calculating man of business, they are as helpless as a "stranded whale." For this reason, they seldom accumulate property, and those who follow after them generally reap the reward of all their perils, toils, and hardships.

Wallace is no exception to this rule, and the best days of his life were freely given to the service of his country.

The Author.

Contents

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CHAPTER II.— Wallace's Initiation into the Mysteries of Woodcraft 4

CHAPTER II L— On the Route— The Oíd Lady and the Truck-Patch 6

CHAPTER IV.— A Rattlesnake Bite— Singular Spring— Wild Artichokes — Indian Art Gallery — Wallace's First Bear 11

CHAPTER V.— Buffalo— Fine Grove of Pecan Trees— The First Buffalo— Bit by a Rattlesnake— The Tarantula — Traveling Under Difficulties — A Free Serenade 15

CHAPTER VI.— The Palo Pinto at Last— The Camp in the Valley — Wallace's Last Look at the Camp — The Indians— A Tight Race— Wallace Kills His First Indian 19

CHAPTER VIL— Lost Among the Ravines— A Lucky Shot — Comfortable Quarters — A Petrified Forest — The Mexican Gourd — Wallace Makes a Friend 26

CHAPTER VIII.— My Little Valley— A Sad Accident— Wild Turkeys — On Crutches — On the Tramp Again — A Last Look 35

CHAPTER IX. — Gold — Indian Smokes — Comanche Uneasy — Captured by the Indians — Mysterious Movements —The Oíd Squaw— What Next? 40

CHAPTER X.— Led Out for Execution— Saved at the Last Moment — A New Mother and a New Home — Comanche in Luck Again — "Lobo-lusti-hadjo" 46

CHAPTER XI.— Black-Wolf's Indian Legend— Determination to Escape — Back in the Settlements 51

CHAPTER XII.— Belated in the Woods— Wolves on the Track — One Fellow Out of the Way — Reinforcements Corning Up — A Hand-to-Hand Fight 58

CHAPTER XIII.— A Struggle for Life— Fight With the "Big Indian" 64

CHAPTER XIV.— A Tight Place— Indian Signs— Ben Wade's Motto — Ben and the Buffalo Ribs — "Ingins About"— Here They Come 71

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CONTENTS

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CHAPTER XV.— A Warm Reception— "Fire and Fall Bacfc"— Hot Work— A Natural Coward— Four at a Shot — Lassoing Dead Indians 77

CHAPTER XVI.— More Comanches on the War-Track— Keeping a Stifí Upper Lip — On a False Trail — Ben Wade Wants His Dinner— "Mr. John" Outwitted 81

CHAPTER XVII.— A Night Visit From the Indians— Afoot, and Ten Miles to Travel — On the Trail — A Curious Specimen 85

CHAPTER XVIII.— Story of the Indian-hater — The Move From Kentucky — New Home in Texas — Wife and Children Murdered by the Indians — Terrible Revenge — A Dangerous Companion — The Indian Camp 93

CHAPTER XIX.— Attacking the Indians— Narrow Escape — The Indian-hater at Work — Forgot to Untie His Horse — A Dying Struggle — Worse Scared Than Hurt — Dinner Ready Cooked — Return to the Settlements, and Disappearance of the Indian-hater 98

CHAPTER XX.— Wallace Makes a Treaty With the Lipan Indians — The Indians Break It — Preparation to Punish Them — First Appearance of a Live Author 103

CHAPTER XXL— The Author Again— The Boys Make Fun of His Umbrella — His Pistol "Goes Oí¥" and Creates an Excitement — Mr. Cooper's Indian Characters — Some Sage Reflections on Character — The Author Wants a Bed, and Gets Tige's Buffalo Robe — "Something Like a Pillow" — Troublesome Bedfellows — The Start After the Indians 111

CHAPTER XXII.— The Sudden Storm— Sad Fate of the "Author's" Umbrella— What He Thought of Mr. Cooper — The Author Goes a-Hunting, and What He Found — He Pronounces Mr. Cooper a Humbug 118

CHAPTER XXIII.— Our Author Has an Appetite — Scarcity of Water — The Author Takes Notes, and the Men Get Riled— The Mud-Puddle 125

CHAPTER XXIV.— Plenty of Water— A Halt for Refreshments — Our Author Among the Rocks — He Meets With an Adventure — Treed by Mexican Hogs — He Grows Desperate— Is Released at Last — Adventure With a Rattlesnake— More Scared Than Hurt 130

CHAPTER XXV.— Another Rattlesnake— How to Manage Rattlesnakes — Terrific Adventure With a Grape-vine Rattlesnake 143

CONTENTS xi

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CHAPTER XXVL— Fresh signs of the Indians— Our Author in Trouble Again — Scatter Guns Compared With Bows and Arrows 149

CHAPTER XXVII.— The Indians Overtaken— Desperate Fight — The Author Proves Himself a Good Soldier — The Indian Girl — The Author Has a Race for His Life —

The Umbrella Comes in Play — Gathering Up the Spoils

— The Horses Recovered — Farewell to the Author 154

CHAPTER XXVIIL— Wallace Surprises a Party of Indians Who Were Making Themselves "Comfortable" near His Ranch 163

CHAPTER XXIX.— The "Mier Expedition" 167

CHAPTER XXX.— Over the Rio Grande Again— A Costly Exchange — Reception by the Mexicans — Firing an "Escopeta" — Fighting in Earnest — Captain Cameron and the Mexican Soldier 172

CHAPTER XXXI.— Surrender to the Mexicans— General Green's Proposition — Marched Off to Prison — The Mexican Maiden — Off for Camargo — A Short Stay, and OfT Again— Reinosa 179

CHAPTER XXXII.— Off for Matamoros— Distinguished Reception at Matamoros — An Oratorical Display — Again on the Road — A Serious Loss — Goat or Dog? 185

CHAPTER XXXIII.— Still on the Road— Inhuman Treatment — Wallace Uses His "Big Foot" to Advantage — Planning an Escape — Disappointment — Monterey — The Tarántula — Change of Commanders, and Off Again — Rinconada — Another Plan of Escape, and Another Disappointment — Arrival at Saltillo, and a Determination 191

CHAPTER XXXIV.— Successful Attack on the Mexican Guard — Bravery of Colonél Barragan — Retreat From Salado — Rapid Traveling — Bad Counsels — Suffering for Water — In Dimculties — Water at Last — The Horses Killed and Eaten 197

CHAPTER XXV.— A Dreary Prospect— No Water— Dying by the Wayside— Hunger and Thirst — Dreaming of Water — Hopes and Disappointments — Captured by the Mexicans — Water, at Last — Wretched Condition of the SurviVors 205 xii

CONTENTS

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CHAPTER XXXVI.— Encampment at the Water-Hole— Wretched Appearance of the Men — March Back to Saltillo — Mexican Vermin — How Wallace Was Dressed — Mexican Vegetation — The Tiger Thorn — Conflicting Rumors 213

CHAPTER XXXVII.— Sudden Change of Quarters— Rancho Salado Once More — Brutal Order — The Drawing of the Beans — "Dip Deep, Boys" — The Baboon-faced Mexican Officer — Indifference of the Men — The One Exception — Wallace Draws a White Bean — "Ould Ireland Forever^ — Speedy Execution — A Miraculous Escape, and Subsequent Death 220

CHAPTER XXXVIII.— San Luis Potosí— Queretaro— Tuli — The Black Hole of Calcutta — Murder of Captain Cameron — Arrival at the City of México — put to Work on the Public Road — How Wallace Got His Pay — How One of the Men "Played Horse" — Escape of Prisoners — Why Wallace Was Called "Big-Foot" — "Texas Cannibals" 231

CHAPTER XXXIX.— Puebla— Perote— Wallace Has "Jail Fever" — The Surgeon-General Saves His Life — Seeing the Animáis — More Men Escape — Final Reléase, and Start Home — Stopped by Robbers, Who Prove to Be Very Clever Fellows — Yellow Fever — Home Again 238

CHAPTER XL.— Wallace Hears from Virgiania— Civilized Compared With Uncivilized Life — He Determines to Take a Trip to the "Oíd States" — Lays in a "Civilized" Wardrobe — An Oíd Friend Finds Him Disguised in His New Cloths — Starts on His Journey — Wallace's Opinión of the Sea — At New Orleans, and What He Saw There 244

CHAPTER XLL— Wallace Goes to the Theatre— His Opinión of "Play-Aetors" — The Dancing Woman — Wallace Gets Excited— The St. Charles "Tavern"— How He Registered His Ñame — Wallace is Afraid of a Fire — He Breakfasts at the St. Charles, and Gets Up an Excitement— The Bill of Fare— Fried Bullfrogs 252

CHAPTER XLII.— Wallace Meets With an Adventure— Goes to a Quadroon Ball and Teaches Them "The Stampede" — Wallace Takes a "White Lion," and Pays for It— Has His Fortune Told— What Followed 260

CONTENTS xüi

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CHAPTER XLIIL— Wallace in Trouble— Leaves New Orleans — On the Mississippi — A Boat Race — Wallace Roars Like a Mexican Lion — He "Sells" a Dandy — "Running Against a Snag" — Anchored on a Sand-bank — Damage Repaired, and Arrival at Cincinnati 272

CHAPTER XLIV.— Cincinnati— WaiterGirls at the Hotel — Wallace Discourses on Politeness — Southerners and Yankees — A Little Dish of Politics — Goes to Dan Rice's Circus — Rides a Refractory Horse, and Makes Twenty Dollars— What Wallace Thought of Cincinnati 280

CHAPTER XLV.— Off for Wheeling— Everybody Smoking — Wallace's First Trip in the Cars — What He Thought of Railroad Traveling — Richmond — The Dime Restaurant — Wallace Goes to a Fire, and Gets "Put Out" — What He Thought of Prince Albert — Wallace Leaves Richmond, and Goes to Lexington — What His Relatives Thought of Him — The "Wild Texan" at a "Fandango," Where He Tells Some "Big Stories" — Miss Matilda, and What She Heard — Wallace Gets Tired of Civilization, and Goes Back to Texas 287

CHAPTER XLVL— Wallace Gives Jack Dobell His Opinión of Farming — Unele Josh — The Jews a Sensible People — Wallace Makes His Arrangements for a Crop — He and "Keechie" Try Ploughing — Both Disgusted — Queer Muskmelon — Ruined by the Drougth — How Wallace Was Cheated Out of His "Roasting-ears" — Living on Watermelons and "Poor Doe" — Wallace's Future Prospects — Conclusión 300

SKETCH OF WALLACE'S LIFE

ILLIAM A. WALLACE was born in Lexington, Rockbridge. County, Virginia, in the year 1816. He went to Texas in 1836, a few months after the battle of San Jacinto, for the purpose, he says, of taking pay out of the Mexicans for the murder of his brother and his cousin, Major Wallace, both of whom fell at "Fannin's Massacre." He says he believes accounts with them are now about square.

He landed first at Galveston, which consisted then of six groceries and an oíd stranded hulk of a steamboat, used as a hotel, and for a berth in which he paid at the rate of three dollars per day. From Galveston, Wallace went on to La Grange, then a frontier village, where he resided until the spring of 1839, when he moved to Austin, just before the seat of government was established at that place. He remained at Austin until the spring of 1840, when finding that the country was settling up around him too fast to suit his notions, he went over to San Antonio, where he resided until he entered the service.

He was at the battle of the Salado, in the fall of 1842, when General Woll carne in and captured San Antonio. The fight began about 11 o'clock in the day, and lasted until night. General Woll had fourteen hundred men, and the Texans one hundred and ninety-seven, under Caldwell (commonly known as "Oíd Paint")- Between eighty and one hundred Mexicans were killed, while the Texans lost only one man (Jett). Forty men, however, from La Grange, under Captain Dawson, who were endeavoring to form a junction with them, were surrounded and captured by the Mexicans, who massacred them all as soon as they had surrendered their arms.

In the fall of 1842, he volunteered in the "Mier Expedition," an account of which appears in this volume. After his return from México, he joined Colonel Jack Hays's Ranging Company, the first ever regularly enlisted in the service of the "oíd Republic," and was with it in many of those desperate encounters with the Comanches and other Indians, in which Hays, Walker, McCulloch, and Chevalier gained their reputations as successful Indian-fighters.

When the Mexican war broke out in 1846, Wallace joined Colonel Hays's regiment of mounted volunteers, and was with

SKETCH OF WALLACE'S LIFE

XV it at the storming of Monterey, where he says he took "full toll" out of the Mexicans for killing his brother and cousin at Goliad in 1836.

After the Mexican war ended, he had command of a Ranging Company for some time, and did good service in protecting the frontiers of the State from the incursions of the savages. Subsequently he had charge of the mail from San Antonio to El Paso, and, though often waylaid and attacked by the Indians, he always brought it through in safety.

By Dr. F. O. Ticknor

His life is past the forties — his length is six foot two — And both his feet import he's not a fly to shoe! They dubbed him Big-Foot Wallace down in México, As Liliput would cali his Brobdignag, you know.

Straight as a rifle-rammer, and lightly too he stands, Tho' weighted with sledge-hammer in each of his great hands! Grave as his own gun-barrel, yet gracious with the grim, And when we pick a quarrel we mustn't pick at him!

A plant of the "'red ripper," whose level eye-light means A charge of Chili pepper ballasted with "Beans." A loyal soul! 1*11 pound it as ever ruled the ranch; And so the Doodles found it, and also the Comanche!

And so the little Greasers! They say he used to catch

A score of their Mestizoes to grease his bullet-patch!

May they be bothered wholly — in body and in soul!

For the milis are grinding slowly and Wallace takes the toll.

His features so resemble his sire's, a cycle back, That curs and tyrants tremble to come upon his track! Here's Hope's un-Butlered chalice; here's loyalty's last wine! And here's — To William Wallace the Second, by his — "Sign!"

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY

IN 1867, while temporarily sojourning in the city of San Antonio, I had a severe attack of fever, f rom the effects of which I recovered but slowly. Thinking that fresh air and exercise would aid me in regaining my health and strength, I mounted my horse one fine morning in the latter part of October, and set out for the "ranch" of my quondam messmate and compadre, "Big-Foot Wallace," who held an uncertain tenure upon a tract of pasture land, situated on the Chacón, one of the head-waters of the Attascoso. I say, uncertain, for his right to and possession of the same was constantly disputed and ignored by predatory bands of savages, and Mexicans, and horse thieves of all colors, grades, and nations.

Toward sundown, from the top of a considerable hill, I carne in sight of Wallace's little ranch, snugly ensconced at the bottom of a valley, near the margin of a small lake, and protected from the northern blasts by a beautiful grove of spreading live-oaks. As I rodé up I discovered Wallace under one of these trees, engaged in the characteristic occupation of skinning a deer, which was hanging head downward, suspended from one of its lower branches. Wallace did not recognize me at first, for it was many years since we had last met ; but, as soon as I made myself known to him, he gave me a cordial shake of the hand, and invited me into his ranch, where, in a short time, he prepared a supper, to which I sat down, "nothing loath," for my appetite was sharpened by my long day's ride.

I staid with Wallace two weeks, or thereabouts, hunting, fishing and riding around during the day, and entertained each night with "yarns" of his numerous " 'scapes and scrapes, by flood and field." Many years previously, when Wallace and I were messmates together, in the first Ranging Company, enlisted in the service of the "Oíd Republic," under Colonel Jack Hays, I asked his consent to write out a narrative of his "adventures," to be published for the benefit of the public generally. But he seemed so much opposed to my doing so, that I did not press the matter upon him. His reasons for refusing to accede to my request were characteristic of the man. He did not think the public would be interested in the history of one so little known; and, even if he had vanity enough to believe otherwise, he had not the least desire to see himself íiguring in print. I determined once more to approach him on the subject, and this time I had better success than formerly, for íinally, though evidently with reluctance, he consented that I should publish the following narrative of his adventures in México and on the frontiers of Texas.

u There is," I said to Wallace, "one difficulty in the way of writing out your 'adventures,' which I do not exactly know how to get over ; and that is, you do not murder the king's English with every other word you speak. Now, in all the books I have ever read, in which backwoodsmen or frontiersmen figure, they are always made to talk without the least regard to the rules of grammar."

"I know," said Wallace, "that my education is a very limited one, but do give me credit for the little I have. People are not such fools as to think that a man cannot be a good hunter or ranger, merely because he speaks his own language passably well."

And so, in compliance with Wallace's request, in the following narrative of his "adventures," I have ignored the time-honored rule of making him speak in slang and misspelt words, and tell the story "just as it was told to me."

CHAPTER II.

Wallace's Initiation into the Mysteries of Woodcraft

SOON after I carne out to Texas, in 1837, said Wallace, being out of employment, and having no inclination to loaf around the "groceries" of a little village, I looked about f or something to do ; but for several weeks no "opening" presented itself. At length a surveyor, who was preparing for an expedition to lócate lands upon the frontier, made me an off er to go with him, which I gladly accepted. At that time, as an Irishman would say, I was "as green as a red blackberry," and I frankly told the surveyor that I knew nothing about the woods or how to get along in them. But he said that made no difference, as the rest of the party were all oíd frontiersmen, and it was well enough to ha ve one "green-horn" along to make sport for the balance.

It was a week or ten days before we were ready to start, and in the meantime I prepared myself for the "expedition" as well as I knew how. I had brought with me from Virginia a good rifle, a pair of Derringer pistols, and a bowie-knife (that you know was before the days of six shooters) , so that there was no necessity for my hunting up firearms. I bought a good stout Spanish pony, with saddle, bridle, etc., and laid in an ampie supply of ammunition and tobáceo ; and when the surveying party were ready to start, I joined them "armed and equipped as the law direets."

Our party consisted of a guard of ten men, well armed and mounted, together with the surveyor, two chainmen, a marker, a hunter, and a cook, making in all sixteen men — a sufficient forcé to travel with safety, at that day, in the most dangerous part of the country. At that time, one American, well armed, was considered a match for eight or ten Indians, with their bows and arrows and miserable guns ; but now, thanks to the traders, they are well furnished with good rifles and u six-shooters," and can hold their own, man for man.

The first day out, we traveled only a f ew miles, and encamped on a beautiful little clear stream, where I killed my first deer. I thought I had performed a wonderful feat, for I had never killed anything before larger than a squirrel or a 'possum, and I proudly returned to camp with the deer on my shoulders, trying all the time, though, to look as if the killing of a deer was no unusual thing with me. But the boys suspected me, and when I owned up that it was the first deer I had ever shot, two or three of them seized me, while as many more smeared my face and hands with the blood of the animal — a sort of ceremony, they said, by which I was "initiated" into the brotherhood of u mighty hunters." I suppose I was "initiated," as they called it, for I have killed many a hundred deer since that time, to say nothing of buífalo, bear, elk, wolves, panthers, Mexican lions, catamounts, and other "varmints" too numerous to mention.

CHAPTER III. On the Route— The Oíd Lady and the Truck-patch

P" jí ^HE next day we started just after sunrise, and traveled twenty-five miles over a beautiful roll- Ji. ing country, watered with clear streams, and encamped at night in a pecan grove near a fine spring. Just at dark, a large drove of turkeys flew up into the trees around, and we killed five or six of them, and spitted them before our fires. These, together with a f at doe killed by our hunter on the way, furnished us with an ampie supply of provender, while an abundance of fine mesquite grass in the vicinity enabled our horses to f are as sumptuously as ourselves.

The next morning, after an early breakfast, we saddled up and again took the road, or rather our course, for there was no road, and went about twelve miles to a water-hole, where there was good grass, and where we "nooned" for a couple of hours. The country passed over was all high rolling prairie, interspersed with "mots" of elm and hackberry. While all hands were taking a comfortable snooze here, we carne near losing our horses. A wolf or some other wild animal gave them a scare and they "stampeded," and all broke their halter-ropes, except one, and ran off several miles. One of the men, however, mounted the horse that was left, and, after a chase of several hours, succeeded in bringing them all back. In consequence of the delay caused by this incident, we went only five miles farther that evening, and encamped in the edge of the bottom timber, on a small stream.

The country we passed over was of the same character as that we had formerly seen. As soon as we had "staked" out our horses, I rigged up a fishing-line, and in half an hour caught a fine mess of perch, and several "Gaspar Goo," a fish found, I believe, only in the streams of Texas, somewhat similar to the white perch of the "oíd States." Great numbers of turkeys carne at dark to roost in the trees in our vicinity, and they were so tame that we had no trouble in killing as many as we wanted.

[Here we quote from Wallace's journal.]

October iyth. — Made an early start again, and went íifteen miles, when we halted to rest on a little creek, called by the hunters "Burnt Boot." The country passed over high and rolling, and about "half-andhalf" prairie and woodland. Here is the last white settlement, I am told, we shall see for many a long day. A man by the ñame of Benson lives here, and supports himself and family by hunting and trapping and cultivating a small patch of land. I went up to his house to see if anything in the way of vegetables could be had. Benson was out hunting, but his wife, a tall, raw-boned, hard-favored woman, as soon as she saw me coming, stepped to the door with a gun in her hand, and told me to "stand" — and I stood! A half-dozen little cotton-headed children, who were playing in the yard, discovered me at this moment, and they "squandered," and squatted in the bushes like a gang of partridges !

"Who are you?" asked Mrs. Benson, pointing her gun right at me, "and what do you want here?"

"I am from the settlements below, ma'am," said I, as polite as possible, but keeping a tree between the good lady and myself all the time; for women, you know, are very awkward about handling firearms; "and," I continued, "I want to buy some vegetables, if you have any to sell."

"Well," she answered, "come in. We hain't no vegetables left now," she continued, as I walked into the cabin and took a seat on a bench, "except cowcumbers and mushmillions, and, maybe so, a few 'collards,' the dratted Varmints' are so uncommon bad on 'em ; but if you want any of them, you can go in the 'truck-patch' and help yourself."

"You seem," I ventured to remark, "from the way you handled your gun, to be a little suspicious of strangers in these parts."

"Yes," she said, "I am, and good reason to be so, too ! Only last Saturday was a week ago, some Tonk Ingens, dressed up like white folks, walked into Squire Henry's house, not more than two miles from here, and killed and sculped the whole family ; but, as luck would have it, there was nobody at home, except the baby and an oíd nigger woman that nussed it. And which way are you traveling to?" she asked.

I told her we were going up on the head-waters of the Brazos to survey lands.

"Well," says she, "you'll be luckier than 'most everybody else that has gone up there, if you'll need more than six feet apiece before you get back. If I was your mammy, young man, you shouldn't go one foot on sich a wild-goose chase" — and she looked so determined, I do believe, if she had been my mammy, I should never have got nearer than "Burnt Boot" to the head of the Brazos.

After some further questioning on the part of the oíd lady, she showed me the way into the "truck-patch," and filled my wallet with "mushmillions" and "cowcumbers," for which I thanked her, as she would take no pay, and started back to camp.

u Good-by, young man!" she called after me; "I feel mighty sorry for your poor mammy, for you'll never see her again."

"Well," I answered, u if I don't, and you do, you must be sure and give her my kindest regards."

"You oudacious young scamp," she replied, u put out from here f ast. FU insure you against everything but hanging, which you are certain to come to."

The "mushmillions and cowcumbers" were a treat to the boys, as well as the account I gave them of the way in which the oíd lady had made me dodge behind the tree, when she levelled her gun at me.

After dinner we mounted our horses again, and leaving the last settlement behind us, we rodé on ten miles farther into the "wilderness," keeping a bright lookout all the time for "Mr. John;" for we were liable to meet up with him, now, at any moment. The country was more broken and rocky than any we had yet seen. We camped at the foot of a high hill near a little spring of cold water. Our hunter killed an antelope to-day, on which we made a hearty supper. The flesh of the antelope is somewhat coarser than that of the deer, but I think sweeter and more juicy. They are much shyer than deer, and it is consequently more difficult to get in gunshot of them. Some of the boys found a "bee-tree" just before dark, which we cut down, and got four or five gallons of honey out of it, and from this time the boys said we shall nave no