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Show mCHAHD nunois. 14-1 neck, and rattle their pates together, for tho fun of it," was tho speC'ch of my companion, as we rode of\'. There was a needless display of valor in this, ant1 my answer exhibited a more cautious temper. Rash enough myself at times, 1 yet felt the necessity of temperateness when in comllany with one so very thoughtless as 1ny friend. " Ay, and soil your fingers :mel bruise your knuckles for yom l'ains. Jf they arc ll)croly uirty dogs, yon would surely soil your fingers, and if they wore at all insolent, you would nul some risk of getting them broken. The lc:lst we ktxc to do with nil such pcoph·, tl1C better for all parties-!, at.. l east, h:wc no nmbition to couple with them either in Jo,·c or hostility. Enough to meet them in their ow11 way when they cross the vath, nud prCVCill our progrCSl:i." "\Vhich these chaps will never du, l warrant you." '' \V e have less need to cross t heirs-the way iH Lro:ld enough fM Loth of us. I~ut let us on, siucc our road grows more level, · thon;;h not less wild. I :un tired of this jade pace- our nags wil\ sleep ut last, al\{1 stop nt the next turning." W c quickened our pace, and, in another honr we approached the confines of our debtor's habitation. \Ve lmcw it by the generally sterile an<l unprepossessing aspect of c,·crythiDg around it. 'l'he description whid1 Colonel Grafton had given us was so felicitous thnt we could have no doubts; and, riding up to the miscraulo cabin we were fortunate enough t.o 1ncot iu proper person the man we sought. lie stood at the entrance, leaning sluggishly against one of the doorposts-a slight\y.built person, of slovenly habits, an air coarse, inferior, unpreposses!iing, aud ilark \owNing features. llis dress was shabby, his hat uu.t!ihcd down on one side of his l1ead-l~is arms thrust to tl1c elbows in the pockets of his breccl1es, and he wore the moccasins of an Iudian. Still, there was something in the k een, lively glances of l1is small Llack eye, that donoto<l a restless and <tuick character, aml !1is thin, closely-prossed lips were full of l'romptucss and decision. Uis skin was tanned almost yellow, and his long, uncmuLecl but flow in• hair, black as a coal, falling down npon l1iS llrck which was b0urc, suitocl well, while colltrastiug strougly with his swarthy lineaments. U o rccoivocl us with civi!ity-advan?cu 145 from his .tottC'rin~ doorst('ps on our npproach, and held our horS('S wl1tle WC diSillOUJltCd. . "Y.ou remcmLer me, ?t£r. \VcbLed'' 5aid my companion call· mg lnm l1y name. ".1\fr. Carrington, I believe," was the reply; " I don't forget ea~I!Y· Let me take your horses, gentlemen 7" 1 here was a composure in the fellow's manners that nlmost amounted to dignity. ]'crhaps, this too was a(~ainst him. \Vhcre should be learn such habits- sucl1 an air0t \Vhcncc ~ould come .the assurance-the thorough e;lse and self-complaccticy of lm; deportment 1 Such c01didence can sprincr from two s?urccs only-the brcocling of blood - the systematic hauJts ot an unmmgled family, admitting of no connection with strange races, and becoming aristocratic from conccntration ~ r the recklessness of one indifferent to social clnims, and obcymg no other master th:m hi:; own capricious mood. \\r e were conducted into his cabin and provided with seats Wretched aud miserable as c':crything seemed about the prom: l SCS, OUI host showed uo fcelmg of disquiet or concern on this :tccount. !le made no apology; drew forth the rude chairs covered w•lh Lull's l~ides i and proceeded to ..,.ct the whiskey and sugnr, I he u~nal beverage presented in th:~t recrion to. the p- . b ·~Yon haYC ridden far, and a sup of whiskey will do y gootl, gentlemen. From Tuscaloosa this morni•w-you'vc r~~~ den well." o .\Vi~~iam corr?ctcd .his cr~·or by telling where we had stayed }ast llloht. A frown mscnslLiy gathcr('d abOYC thC' brow of the m~:1. :'IS he ]l('mll the name of OolouC'I Grnfton. J he coltmcl and myself don't Fet hor!ies now nltogethc " w·~~ the quick ,·oma>·k, "he's a rich -1'11) 11 poor man." r, ~\n~ yC't l ~hould scnrce think him tho person to find cause of d•sn?rccm.e~lt ~.ctwcen himself and any mun from a difl'er· en~.e rof comh,tJOH, wns_t\10 reply of \Vi\liam to this remark. "'Y~u don~ ki,10W hun, :JIIlr. Cn.rrington, I reckon. For a lono tm1C I. <.hdn t know him myself-I was his overseer ou know, aml It was then he put his name to that little bit of y •· per, that I s'posc you come about now, P Carrington nodded. . 7 |
