ONE DOLLAR PER ANNUM, INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA :
Satnrhay fUormnn, Suite 30, 1855.
Original octal.
[Fr the Bradford Reporter.]
MY MOUNTAIN HOME.
I'm thinking of the dear old home,
t'pon the mouniain's brow ;
The dearest spot the earth e'er knew,
Methinka I see it now.
I'm thinking of the waving trees,
That shade the cottage door ;
Bright fancy flits on airy wing,
And views them o'er and o'er.
Methinka I feel the zephyr soft
Upon my heated brow ;
Ike pleasant vales and silver streams
Arc bright before mc now.
The woodland minstrels carol forth
One happy gush of song ;
Soft clouds are floating through the sky,
So peacefully along.
I fancy now a wildwood stroll,
Among the forest trees,
Gay wreaths are culled from sylvan grots,
Where sports th'e summer breeze.
It ,-ecms that dearest friends are near,
Within some rural bower ;
Kind voices speak in tones of love.
And swiftly glides the hour.
I'm thinking of the morning hour,
When beauty gilds the earth ;
And sweetly on the balmy air
Rings out the song of mirth.
Fond memory loves to linger now.
Upon the twilight dim,
And softly echoes on my ear
The holy vesper hymn.
And now a fairy vision floats
Before my eager gaze :
It seems that 1 am living o'er
The merry by-gone days.
I see a loving, household band,
Within that cottage home,
And there are left the vacant seats.
For those who distant roam.
I'm watching now a Father's form—
The Mother, pale and uiild—
And now they pray that Heaven will bless
And guard their absent child.
I gaze upon the welcome smile
Of brothers, warm and true ;
And now I feel a sister's love,
l'ure a the morning dew.
I know it is but fancy's dream,
It cannot longer stay ;
For I have left that happy place,
And home is far away.
The heart is lonely oftentimes.
When evening shades are near;
And when these memories cluster round,
Forgive the falling tear.
But friends have bid me welcome here,
And ever greet me kind ;
Affection's tones are ever heard,
To cheer the saddened mind.
1 ask for these, my cherished friends,
The gift of heavenly love ;
And pray that angels guide us all,
Until we meet above.
Toieanda Collegiate Institute. L.
HI ist r 11 ;ut ion s.
Lieut. I>oyd before Col. Butler.
An Incident of Savage forbearance and
Ci/iiized Vindictiveness.
The fearful massacre in Wyoming Valley
caused u thrill of horror throughout the coun
try and a universal cry of vengeance rose on
every hand. Government awoke to the neces
sity of striking a blow which should teach the
savages and their more barbarous conjurors,
the blood-thirsty Tories, that, if slow to defend,
it was powerful to revenge ; if weak to pre
vent. it was strong to punish such inhuman
acts Accordingly an army of five thousand
men was assembled, in the fall of 1779, for the
purpose of penetrating the Indian country in
Western New York, and destroying the nest i
of vipers at Niagara, the head-quarters whence
the Indians drew their supplies, and received
their rewards. The expedition was under com
mand of Gen. Sullivan, and embraced, among
other coqis, a part of Morgan's riflemen. Af
t-r a severe battle at Conewawali, (now Kl
";rw Millivan pushed on, destroying every
thing in his way, until he reached Little Beards
■' Mi. where was a deep stream, which required
I or.iiaring before the army could cross. While
I waiting here, Lieut. Boyd, of the rifle corps—
IV' ' Ring officer of great promise—was sent,
A ii twenty-six men, across the river to re-
Mimtre J'iloted by a faithful Indian guide,
I ''cjyd aiid his party reached the village, which
tound deserted, although it was evident
I y Indians hud recently been there, as their
were still bur ling. Night was approach
is - hen Hoyd had completed his reconnoisance.
he concluded to encamp on the ground
r " he was. In the moruiug, as the first
, illumined the east, some of his men were
ir Icet. and approaching the village, dis
■ J '-'fed two Indians skulking about. One of
Im W ls ' lot a,u ' soa 'P e( l '>y a mau uained
jjfl i'uy, who could never forego a shot at an
I vvhen he endangered his own life
■ -rrow. Suspecting, from the presence of
1 ' lat Inorc Indians might be in his neigh-
I.' 7 " H '.' aru * having performed the duty assign
jfl . 111 ln ' 3uyd commenced to retrace his
H " ID'soon discovered, however, that a
1/ ~ P art . v of the enemy, chiefly Indians, were
a " J aln hush between him and the army,
fl ta- ''is case was a desperate one, and
I f;, t oth 'T alternative, he determined to
I it. ■ HaV if possible. Forming his
■ iC a S0 Phalanx, and cheering them by
■ taik sample, he led them to the at-
INHjjiji, .first charge was unsuccessful; and,
tl<: lt lna - v not a man of the lit
*l bv J Ua 'l killed, although they wcreoppos-
T ; hve hundred savage warriors and
*"e second and third attacks were
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
more unfortunate, almost all of the party being
killed, while only two or three succeeded in
getting through. Bovd, und a man named
Parker, were taken prisoners on the spot ; and
[ some few fell as if dead, and thus escaped, as
the Indians were too busy in following the liv
ing to trouble the dead.
As soon as Boyd found himself in the hands
of the blood-thirsty and revengeful Tories, he
demanded an interview with Brandt, the In
dian leader, preferring to throw himself upon
his well-known clemency, rather than to trust
to the generosity or forbearance of his Tory
colleague. The chief, being near, presented
himself ; when Boyd, giving a Masonic sign,
and grasping his hand, gave him the grip of a
Master Mason, and claimed his protection.—
Brandt being a Mason, recognized both, and
claimed the two prisoners as his own, promis
ing and assuring them that their lives should
be spared. And, so indeed, would they have
been, had not Brandt been called away from
the camp, on duties of importance requiring his
attention. F\ hether there was a ruse to draw
him awav, is not and cannot be known for cer
tainty ; but advantage was taken of his ab
sence, by Col.. Butler,* to endeavor to extort
from the prisoners, under threat of torture, in
formation regarding Sullivan's army.
Dear reader, accompany me to the council
house of the village, where was assembled a
groupe worthy the pencil of the most skillful
artist.
Before a table, on which was scattered maps,
papers, writing materials, etc., was seated a
short, fleshy, ill formed man, whose head (plire
nologically considered) gave tokeu of all the
animal passions, and but few of the moral or
intellectual faculties, ami whose features were
as expressive as his head of all the peculiarities
of his nature, which was cruel in tho extreme.
His dress was the uniform of the Royal Greens,
of which regiment lu was the Colonel. This
was Col. Butler. Opposite him sat an aid-de
camp, prepared to commit to paper the state
ment of the prisoner.
In front of Butler, kneeling upon one knee,
was the light, active form of Lieut. Boyd.—
His white hunting shirt brought him out in
bold relief from the dusky forms of the savages,
two ot whom held him in their grasp, while be
hind him stood the stalwart form of Little
Beard, the most vindictive and cruel of the
allies of Britain. He was distinguished for his
diabolical inventions in torturing a prisoner,
and whenever such scenes were to be enacted,
he was master of ceremouies. With one hand
twined in the long hair of Boyd's head, he
wielded in the other a tomahawk, which was
raised to strike the death-blow, on the signal
from Butler. Behind him stood the other pri
soner, Parker, in the hands of a fourth savage.
Several warriors and soldiers completed this
group of fearful import.
Listen ! Col. Butler is interrogating the pri
soner.
" What is your name ?"
" Boyd."
" Your rank ?"
" Lieutenant."
" What corps ?"
" Morgan's rifle corps."
" What is the number of Gen. Sullivan's
army ?"
" J shall not answer the question."
" Boyd, life is sweet,and you areye^ayoung
man ; there is impossibility of your escape, and
you have only one alternative ; either answer
j my questions or you must die."
" Colonel Butler," replied the intrepid youth,
" I am in your hands, do with me us you see
fit. I know your power and your will to put
me to theseverest torture, but vou cannot shake
my determination to refuse to answer your
questions, f "
" our death may be uj>on your own head,
then. Take him away."
Parker was thereupon question in like man
ner, with equal spirit refused to answer. lie,
too, was handed over to the tender mercies of
the barbarous savages, who commenced at once
their brutal and fearful orgies. Tying Boyd
to a tree, after stripping him of his clothing,
they formed a ring about him and commenced
their infernal dance over a prisoner at the stake.
Every means which artful cunning could invent,
or hate conceive, was brought in play to in
timidate the courageous Boyd, but without ef
fect. Tliev pierced him with their knives ;
struck their tomahawks in his face,stuck sharp
sticks into his flesh, and then commenced to
throw their hatchets as near to his head and
body as they could, and not kill him. Binding
that their endeavors to frighten him were of
no effect, and fearing the return of Brandt,
they finally cut a small hole in his bowels,took
out an intestine which they fastened to the
tree, and then unbinding him, with scourges
drove him around the tree until he was disem
boweled ! He was then beheaded, and his
head stuck on a pole beneath a dog's head,
which horrid trophy was left when they retired
from the town.
Parker, who had been compelled to witness
this fearful scene, in anticipation of a similar
or worse fate, was, however, owing to their
haste, simply beheaded, ami his body with that
of Boyd, was left where they suffered. They
were found and buried the next day by the
army in passing through the town.
•This was Col. John Butler, the Tory refugee, and must
not he confounded with Col. Zebulon duller, the patriot,
who commanded at Wyoming.
+lt has been supposed that Boyd honed that Brandt
would yet be able to save him from death, but such could
not be the case, for the tomahawk was uplifted above bis
bead,and he must have believed that immediate death
would follow his refusal.
Lccin ANSWER— " Pray, Mr. Professor,what
is a periphrasis ?" " Madam, it is simply a
circumlocutory cycle of oratorical sonorosity,
circumscribing an atom of ideality, lost in a
verbal profundity," " Thauk you, sir," said
the old lady, " that's just what I thought it
was."
" Biddy, has that surely fellow cleared
of the snow from the pavement ?"
" Yis, stir."
" Did he clear it off with alacrity, Biddy ?"
" No, sir ; with a skorel."
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
" OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
THE 33EOTtIEXiS.
A THRILLING SKETCH.
In 1849 tlie principal bauking institutions of
the chance kind in San Francisco, were the
" Bella Union,'' Verandah," "Mine de Or,"
"El Dorado," " Parker House," all situated
about the Plaza, and each employed a band of
music to lessen the tedious hours of that rainy
winter and to drown the noise of the jingling
gold and silver, and the cursing ejaculations of
the gamesters. Many a sad scene has taken
place within these saloons, that chilled the
blood of the beholders, and is remembered with
horror. I was once carelessly sauntering thro'
one of these places. My attention was attrac
ted towards a person who had large piles of
gold before liiui ; the starting eye-balls, the
swollen veins upon his clenched hands, told of
heavy losses ; mingled exclamations of horror
und contempt would escape him ; he seemed
unconscious of all else going on around him ;
his gaze beut upon the cards as if his life's
blood was the stake at issue ; and in this case
his last dollar was put within the dealer's bank,
when with the frenzy of a maniac he drew a
long dirk knife and plunged it up to the hilt
into his own body, and sank a corpse upon the
table. A few rude jeers followed the act ; the
body was removed, and the game went on as !
though nothing had happened—as though an- !
other victim had not been added to the page of
the gambler's damning record 1 or another soul
not gone to its final account.
I learned this much of his history : He star
ted with a large stock of goods, given him by
his father, to sell on commission, and the fath
er's fortune depended upon a sure return of the
money so invested ; but, as usual with young
men, lie indulged in the full liberty of unbridled
license, and while the ship stopped at one of
the South American ports, he engendered the
first seeds of " play but for a while after his
arrival the excitement of trade, and the ener
gy to accomplish a successful issue, kept his
mind busy. One day, by appointment, he was
to meet a mercantile friend at this house, and
while waiting for his friend, he staked a few
dollars on the morning cards, when the latent
disease sprang into life, and it carried him head
long over the precipice, and ended in the tragic
manner related.
The " Mine de Or" was a gambling saloon,
situated on Washington street, and opposite to
the "EI Dorado," and in 1849 was the princi
pal resort of the disbanded soldiers who had
been engaged in the war with Mexico. Behind
one of the largest monte-banks in the room, sat
a man who had won for himself honorable men
tion, aud an officers' commission was given him
for his bravery at the storming of Monterey ;
but preferring the climate of California and its
golden prospects to a more northern home, he
embarked for that country at the close of the
war with Mexico, and upon his arrival he
opened a bank for gambling. The emigrants
came iu by thousands, and a few nights alter
his arrival a young man entered his saloon aud
seated himself at the bank, and staked various
sums upon the cards, until he had lost nearlv
all the money he possessed. Excited with the
play, and maddened by his losses, he accused
the dealer of cheating ; the dealer replied
sharply to the accusation—the lie passed,when
the young man struck the dealer a severe blow
in the face ; as quick as thought the sharp re
port of a pistol followed, and the gambler's
clothing was covered with the young man's
blood—he had shot him through tho right
breast. The room was soon cleared of the
spectators present, the doors closed, and medi
cal attendance called in aid of the wounded
man. The gambler sat moodily over his bank,
running the small merite cards through his fin
gers, and perhaps thinking over the deed just
perpetrated, when the wounded man gave a
moan of agony as the doctor's probe reached
the bottom of bis wound. The doctor inquired
what State he was from, and the wounded man
replied—
"From Vermont."
The gambler raised bis head, for it had been
a long time since be had seen a person from
the home of his childhood, and Vermont being
his native State, the mere mention of its
name interested him. The doctor next in
quired the name of the place where his parents
resided, if he had any. The wounded man re
plied—
" Moutpelicr."
The gambler sprang to his feet, his limbs
trembled, and his face was as pale as death,
for Montpelier was the home of his youth, and
perhaps the wounded man might have been a
playmate in childhood—perhaps a schoolmate—
or know his brothers and sisters. He clung
convulsively to the table, and with contending
emotions of rapid thought, and the weight of
the injury he had inflicted, he could scarcely
keep on his feet. A stimulant was given the
wounded man ; and he was momentarily reviv
ed from the weakness the body is so subject to
after a severe wound—when the doctor inquir
ed if there was any friend in the city lie wish
ed sent for.
" Yes," he replied. "Mv wife—she is at the
City Hotel, on the corner of Clay and Kerncy
streets. Tell Mary to hasten for lam badly
hurt."
A man was sent for his wife.
"Doctor," said the gambler, " save that man's
life and there's my bank and $lO,OOO iu Bur
goyne's—you shall have it all."
The doctor felt the pulse of the man, and
probed the wound anew. The gambler watch
ed him with the greatest anxiety until his in
spection was finished, when the doctor shook
his head at its impossibility. The gambler sat
down by the side of the wouuded man and
hathed his head with water, and staunched the
flow of blood from the wound until the arrival
of his wife ; she came accompanied by a few
friends, anil as a heroic woman bears Tier mis
fortunes, she bears hers. >*ot a word of re
proach escaped her—words of cheerfulness on
ly came from her lips as tears coursed down
her cheeks. To her inquiry as to the chances
of her husband's recovery, the doctor assured
her that there was no hope ; that the wound
, was mortal, and that in a few hours he would
die. She sank down upon her knees and in
voked the mercy of a forgiving God for her dy
ing husband and his murderer. The gambler
asked forgiveness of the wounded man for the
wrong he had committed, also that of his wife,
which was readily granted.
" This," said he, " is for not obeying the sac
red injunction of my aged father aud mother—
not to gamble. I have faced death a thousand
times, and still I have escaped ; the balls of
au enemy have whistled past my ears as thick
as hailstones, and bursting bomb has exploded
at my feet ; still I have lived —oh, God ! aud
for this ! High above the red tide that won
for me a name among men—when not one com
rade was left to tell the deeds of battle, I es
caped unscathed. Why was I not killed like
the rest ? All that was proud aud pleasing to
man I have have had ; and if I could recall
this last act by living on carrion, sleeping in a
pauper's grave and renouncing every proud act
of my life, I would do it. I was born in the
same village with that man ; we have been
classmates in the same school ; received in
structions from the same aged man ; we were
born under the same roof, and oh God! the
same mother gave us birth ! He must not die—
he is my brother /"
Aud the gambler sank in a swoon upon the
floor. The wounded man raised himself uj>-
on his elbow ; bis glussy eyes wandered about
tbe table as if in search of some particular
person.
"Marv," said lie, "is brother William here ?
I—" and the words choked in his throat, the
gurgling blood stopped his utterance, aud be
sank back a corpse upon his pillow. The wife
knelt again, but it was beside a dead body,and
invoked the mercy of God upon his soul, and
forgiveness ol the murderer. The gambler awoke
from his swoon, and staggered up to the wife
and said :
" Mary, would it were otherwise, for I have
nothing to live for now, the dead and the dy
ing do not want anything in this world, take
this certificate of depogite to our aged father,
and tell our parents we are both dead—but,
oh ! do not tell them how we died !"
Before the woman could reply or any one
interfere, the report of that pistol sounded
again, and the fratricide had ceased to live.
On the hill near Kiucon Point were two
graves, a few years ago, enclosed with a
white picket fence, and one tombstone stood at
their head, with the simple inscription— " BRO
THERS."
THE JUDGE'S MUSTARD BATH. —Two or three
days ago, a young friend, who has recently been
spending some time in Georgia, related to us an
anecdote which shows how thoroughly scared
the people of Georgia were during the preval
ence of the yellow fever in Savannah.
11 seems that J udgc B -g, of the Supreme
Court of the State, was in the upper country
at the time, but within twenty hours run, by
mail, of the terrible disease. Quite suddenly,
late one afternoon, lie was seized with a head
ache, pain in his back, limbs, Ac. Having
heard that these were salutations Yellow Jack
extended to his victims on approaching them,
the Judge, in great consternation, applied to a
friend who was " posted," for advice. A hot
mustard bath was urgently advised and being
prepared, the Judge was soon in
the irritating fluid. Presently he felt better,
and finding a cake of soap iu the vessel of
water he begau to apply it quite freely upon his
person.
After quite pleasant exercise in this way, he
looked down for the first time on his body and
limbs, and discovered that he was turning
black ! Oh, horror ! Jlis friend was hurriedly
sent for, came and declared that the symptoms
were intensely expressive of yellow fever.
" But," said the Judge, shivering the while,
" I feel no pain ; I feel well."
" So much the worse ; the absence of pain is
a marked symptom !"
Good heavens !" ejaculated the judge," what
shall I do?"
" The only hope is in the mustard. Rub
away," was all the advice his friend could give.
And rub lie did, with will. He used the
soap to open every possible pore, and after
some minutes sent for a candle, (for the twilight
was fading,) to ascertain his exact cnticular
condition. On examination, lie was as black
as a crow, and the soap, which a careless
servant had dropped into the tub, was discov
ered to be somebody's " Patent Paste Black
ing !"
We need only add that tbe Judge survived.
A BIG STORY. —An old gentleman who had
a neighbor rather addicted to telling large sto
ries, after listening one day to several which
quite taxed his credulity, boasted that he him
self could tell a bigger one still ; and proceed
ed to relate the following :
Said be, one da>' 1 was quite at the farther
end of inv farm, more than half a mile from
my house—when at once, 1 saw a heavy dark
cloud rising in the west. Soon I saw the tor
rents of rain descending at a distance, and
rapidly approaching the place where I stood
with my wagon and horses. Determined—if
possible—to escape the storm, I instantly leap
ed into my wagon, and started my team tow
ards home. By constant application of the
whip to my horse-*, I barely escaped being over
taken bv the rapidly approaching torrent. But
so tremendous did it pour down, that my little
dog, who was close behind me, actually had to
swim all the way !
SENATORIAL FURY. —Iu the Massachusetts
Legislature, last week, a Boston Senator, in
reply to a remark made by another member in
a spirit of pleasantly, jumped up in a rage
and delivered himself as follows : " Mr. Presi
dent—the Senator lias charged me with chang
ing my position. I deny it, sir—it is false !
and if he repeals if, I will rani it down his
throat /"
A DANDY'S SENTIMENTS.— Commercial Gent.
—"This war, sir, will lie a terrible hindrance
to all kinds of business." Dandy —" Dessay !
D'lighted to hear it—always had the gweatcst
awemon t' all kinds of business."
The Captain's Bathing Tub.
A cabin-boy of one of the ward-room offices,
on board a United States vessel, a good deal
given to mischief, one day made his way into
the captain's cabin, while they were engaged
above in making out a strange sail in the hori
zon. Here he finds all sorts of luxuries, includ
ing wines, of which he drinks enough to raise
his courage not only, but to make him some
what reckless of consequences.
In this state he finds himself in a room ad
joining the cabin, a tin bathing-tub in one cor
ner, luxuriously supplied with rare cosmetics,
and smelling like a barber's sbop of the first
class. " Now," he says, " I had tried all the oth
er good things that I found in thecabiu ; I hud
drunk the captain's wine, and straightened my
self out ou his sofa, and swung in his hammock ;
and thought I wouldn't quit without taking a
dip in his bath."
Accordingly he stripped, and was just enjov
ing the first pleasant feel of the water, when
lie was interrupted by the messenger-boy, who
had been seut into the cabin by the Captain.
Fortunately he was not discovered this time,
but it made him cautious.
" I must contrive some way to get out with
my clothes if anybody came along again. I
wasn't long in finding the way. The ports on
the side of the forward cabin were open, and
thro' them I could easily get out into the lnizcn
chains, where I could dress myself without be
ing seen. There was a big gun in each port, a
carrouade, as they call'em—short but fat—the
biggest kind—you never see such kind of guns,
except aboard ships-of-war. I could clamber out
alongside one of 'em easy enough though. I
was a little fellow then."
lie takes his shoes, clothes and hat, sticks
them outside of the port where they couldn't
be seen ; "and then," he says, " I weut back to
the tub. All ibis didn't take more than halfa
minute, for I worked sharp, I can tell you. The
only thing I was afraid of was, that the stew
ard would come in and catch me. I didn't care
a tinker's copper for the captain. I knew 1
could get out of the port in less time than would
take him to come down the poop-ladder. Big
bugs are never in a hurry—it wouldn't look
dignified, yon know."
Presently, while lying luxuriously in the cap
tains tub, he hears him corning down the cabin
stairs, when he jumped out the receptacle and
makes for the port.
" 1 was fairly outside and safe, as I thought,
in the chains, before the captain opened the
cabin door. 1 sat there a minute, drying my
self, then was going to begin to dress* when I
heard the sound of oars coming round the stern
of the ship. I knew by the regular dip in the
water, and by the noise of the oars in the row
locks, that it was a mau-o'-war's boat, and, of
course, it was the first cutter coming alongside,
though it seemed to me she had come up migh
ty quick."
"Here I was in a fix. They would see me
from the boat as soon as she pulled round the
stern, and I should have hard work to tell what
I was doing, stark naked, in the chains. 1
couldn't get my clothes on quick enough to be
ready for company—for I couldn't stand up
without considerable risk of being seen from
the poop, in case some fellow happened to be
looking over the larboard side. I concluded
pretty soon what to do. I first looked into
the cabin. The captain wasn't in sight, so I
jammed my clothes into the muzzle of the gun,
and then got in after myself, feet foremost. I
told you, you know, that the guns of the kind
they call currouades are short, but have tre
mendous big bores. They are used in close
fighting, and, when nothing else comes handy,
they load tliein with a cask of nails, and such
sort of things. I shoved myself in feet fore
most, because I know that if I rammed my
head in first, with my body on top of it for a
wad, it would be rather close quarters for
breathing comfortably. I found it rather a
snug berth as it was ; I couldn't move an inch
after I got in, but I knew I was out of sight at
any rate.
" I supposed that after the men had come
aboard the boat would be hauled out to the
booms, and that then I could get out of the
gun. But, instead of that, they had the cutter
loaded with something, I don't know what,that
it took pretty near an hour, it seemed to me, to
clear her off. They got a sling on the main
yard, and I could hear the ordeis given to hook
on in the boat, and the bo'sn's mate in the gang
way piping to haul taught and 4 hoist away,'
and 4 avast hoisting,' and 4 come up,' over and
over again, until it appeared to me they had
got a dozen launch-boats over the side. By
this time my back began to ache with lying in
the bore of that old gun ; it didn't exactly fit
my shoulders.
I began now to hear talking in the cabin.—
The gun, yon know, was all in the cabin except
the muzzle of it, that ran out of the port. I
couldn't hear so well through the iron though,
and it was sometime before I could make out
what the talk was about. I could distinguish
the captain's voice, and could hear the words
4 lock'and 4 wafer'pretty often, At last he
and the man lie was talking with came close
up to the very gun I was in, and then 1 heard
him call the gunner by name in talking to
bim, and I recognized him by his growl. I
heard him rubbing the gun off with his hand,
and playing with the lock, and two or three
times he snapped it ; that made me feel a little
nervous, for I didn't know what he might have
put in it."
He finds out at last what they are talking
about. The gunner has been making some per
cussion wafers that lie thinks will never miss fire.
He said he would set the charge off without any
priming, and he wasu't sure that there would be
any need even of pricking the cartridge. The
captain tells the gunner to try some of these
new wafers on the very gun that the fugitive
is in!
44 1 was just going to sing ont," lie continues,
44 when the captain asked the gunner ifhe was
sore the gun wasn't loaded.
44 4 4 Yes sir," says he ; the charges were all
drawn when the ship came in, and these guu6
in the cabin have n't been loaded since."
44 That was not so bad after all. They were
only going to try if the wafers would snip—
V 01.,. XV I. KO. 3.
so I concluded to lie quiet. 1 didn't quite
like the idea, though, for I wasn't quite so
well contented with the gunner's trial in the
gun as I should have been ont of it. I wasn't
quite as easy in mv mind as I had been an
hour be lore, when I was swinging in the cajh
tain's cot. I lav >till though, and inean't to see
it out. I knew there wasn't any s hot in the
gun, at all events, and I didn't think a blank
cartridge would hurt me much, seeing usl had
pushed my trowsers and frock in before I got
in myself. If I had gone in head foremost T
should have been a good deal more worried
about the matter ; but thinks I to myself, "I'll
risk my feet !"
"To there I lav, aching all over, from hav
ing my shoulders and hips jammed in between
the round sides of my berth, and listening to
the talk between the captain and the gunner
that came in at the touch hole, and then to the
noise in the boat that came in at the muzzle.
It's not strange that I got every thing mixed
up in a heap, in mv mind, as to what was go
ing 011 outside. At last, however, I heard the
click of the spring, as the gunner cocked the
lock, and the next instant—"
" Well, what then?"
" I was going through the air as if I had been
kicked by a forty-horse power ! My clothes
didn't follow me more than twenty fathoms, but
I didn't touch the water till I was a mile and a
half from the ship !"
That lie was saved is a matter of course,
"else wherefore breathes lie iu a Christian
land" to tell this wondrous yarn ?
THE KNICKERBOCKER for May is full to
overflowing ; as the Editor complains of his
lack of room to stow away his choice contribu
tions. As a specimen of the " Gossip" of the
number we give the following "good 'on
Heard a good story last night, over a glass
of good hock, (the wine that " Old Spraker"
of the Mohawk Valley, had "queer notions
of," if 1 remomlier you rightly.)
" I was stopping last summer," said our
host, "at Cape May. As usual, I was ut
Harwood's and of course my wife was with
ine.
" About two o'clock one morning I was
awakened by a rered/e tap from my better half.
" for gracious sake !" she whispered, "if yon
want to laugh, just listen to that gentleman
and his wife bunting a mouse in the next room !"
" Ee-ec-arc /" I murmured, half awake.
" Now, do just wake up ! Tomorrow, when
I tell the story, you'll be sorry that you wasn't
awake to the reality."
•' Thus adjured 1 woke up iu right earnest,
too late to hear any of the mouse-hunt but just
in time to hear the next room door opened, and
a little, quavering dandy voics, (which I at
once recognised as that of Priukey) call out to
some distant night walker :
" Wai-taw !— wai-taw ! —WAI-TAW !"
(No answer.)
" Po-taw ! — po-taw ! —PO-TAW 1"
(No answer.)
" Watch-man !— watch man —WATCH-MAN !"
" That's me, sir," growled a deep voice.
" Watch-man, come here diwecktly ! We're
in gwate twubble ! There's a mouse, in this
apawtment, ami it nibbles awound iu the most
distwncted manner. I spoke to Mr. Ila'wood
about it, and lie pwomised to have the mouse
wemoved, but lie hasn't done it. Aw think it
vacu unhandsome cotiduct of Mr. Ila'wood to
allow the mouse to wemain, after pwoiuising
that it should be wemoved. Mrs. Pwinkcy is
vewy appwehensive of mice. Can't you come
in and catch tlie cweature ?"
" Fraid not, sir. It's too late, and I should
be sure to wake up some boarders as mightn't
like it."
" How widickulous ! Well, {along pause,)
watch-man, couldn't you just step down to the
baw-woom and get some rtraders and cheese,and
entire the animal out into the e tit icy /"
" A brief remark from the watch-man, that
the bar was dosed, sent Mr. Priukey back into
his mouse-haunted dormitory. Fortunately the
'cweature' ceased its nibbling, and a dead calm
soon reigned over that portion of friend liar
wood's "college'' known as the " New Build
ing."
TRANSIENT Yorxu MEN.— Girls lioware of
transient young men ; never suffer the addresses
of a stranger, recollect that a good steady far
mer boy or mechanic is worth all the trash in
the world ; the allurements of a dandy-jack,
with a gold chain about his neck, a walking
stick iu his paw, some honest tailor's coat on
his back, and a brainless skull, can never make
up the loss of a kind father's home, a good mo
ther's counsel, and the society of brother's and
sister's ; their afl'ections last, while that ofsuch
a young man is lost at the wane of the honey
moon. " 'Tis true."
BST Editing a newspaper is a good deal
like making a (ire. Every body supjvoses he
can do it "a little better than any body else."
We have seen people doubt their litness for
apple pedling, driving oxen, or counting lath,
but in all our experience we never yet met
with that individual who did not think lie could
" double the circulation of any [>aper, in two
mouths."
toy Success rides 011 every hour ; grapple
it and you may win ; but without a grapple it
will never go without you. Work is the wea
pon of honor, and lie who lacks the wcapou
will never triumph.
to?" Love sees what 110 eye sees; love
hears what no ear hears ; and what never rose
*1:1 the heart of niau love prepares for its ob
ject.
tor That sarcastic old genius, Dean Swift,
once proposed to tax feuialo beauty and leave
every lady to rate her own charms. He said
the tax would be cheerfully paid and prove very
productive.
To THE GIRLS.— -Mrs. Swisshelin says : "The
secret that you dare not tell your mother is a
dangerous secret, one that will be likely to
bring you to sorrow.