THE TEXAN HUNTRESS. 329 



I took an opportunity to examine the little recess of which I 

 have made mention. I was not much surprised to find it 

 filled with books for that I was prepared to expect but for 

 the number of rare and valuable works upon ONE subject, I 

 had never seen it surpassed, even in extensive and pretentious 

 libraries. They were nearly all works upon Social Science, 

 and especially in its relations to Mechanics. I had only time 

 to glance hastily over the titles, but they impressed me quite 

 as strangely as had the appearance of the room and its wheels 

 and models in the first place. This discovery only served to 

 increase my curiosity. 



We soon had every thing arranged in some sort of rude 

 comfort and as it was too late for any body to return to 

 the plantation, my friend consented to remain until morn- 

 ing. My wound proved less formidable, now that there 

 were others to wait upon the wounded. The old man was 

 gradually waking and the woman continued perfectly calm. 



Tom was very active now, and quickly produced for us an 

 admirable supper. He was very alert in serving the woman, 

 and would jump eagerly at her slightest gesture, and ran to 

 do any errand she might require. It was even amusing to 

 observe how reverentially he watched her and obeyed the 

 slightest word or movement of the hand, and even endeavored 

 to anticipate her very thought. 



She received it all as a matter of course, merely deigning 

 the acknowledgment of a look. She seldom spoke to us, and 

 then it was in an abrupt and almost imperative manner, which 

 excessively disgusted my Planter friend though he obeyed 

 her with nearly the alacrity of Tom himself and then would 

 come back to me growling in an undertone, most furiously 

 about " A crazy harriden ! an insolent virago ! a ranting 

 fanatic ! a wier-woman ! a witch ! a she-devil," &c. I did 

 not pay much attention to all these expletives, for I felt how 

 entirely impulsive they were, and how little they expressed of 

 his real feeling about her. 



