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. 
