488 
FOREST AND STREAM,* 
[Dec. io, 1964. 
away, and right smart — perhaps twelve miles." "Right 
smart of people lives round here," and there were houses 
along the river at intervals. 
Toward night I spied a rived board house, and on going 
to it the door proved to be guarded, by a fence that ran 
from one corner of the house in front of the door in 
a semi-circle to the next corner beyond. To get over the 
fence one must climb by way of two stepping blocks. 
Within the yard were corn ears in husks, and without 
were many pig tracks. The yard was to give the chickens 
a chance to eat and to keep the pigs away from the door. 
No one was at home, and I set about making my boat 
comfortable for the night. While I was at this a young 
fellow came along the trail from down stream. I greeted 
him, and he jerked his hand toward the house, inviting me 
to go with him to it, trying to say "Come in and warm !" 
but failing to get more than the letter "c" pronounced, 
for he stuttered emphatically. He built a fire in the fire- 
place, an opening made of split boards and daubed with 
mud. He was dressed in a light gray suit, celluloid col- 
lar, bright red necktie, and heavy shoes. His trousers 
were rolled up and his hands brawny. In a box which 
he soon opened was a pair of patent leather shoes, and a 
more striking contrast could hardly be found. To _ see 
patent leathers in the depths of Arkansaw swamps, in a 
split clapboard sassafras house, the proud property of a 
swamp woodsman, was surprising. 
After a time a man and woman came — W. H. Casen 
and his wife, who were attending the lumber camp which 
this building was. The spring previous a negro was killed 
out in the woods a piece, in a difficulty, the nature of which 
had been forgotten. The man who stuttered was a neighbor, 
and a scraggling bearded old man who dropped in later 
inquired about the sassafras dug-out which the pearl 
diggers stole. The snuff bottle was passed around. The 
stutterer dipped with his finger, the woman used a 
chewed-stick brush, but Casen poured the powder from 
the bottle into the required place in the left cheek, a fact 
that puzzled me until I learned that he came from the 
Ozark Mountains of Missouri. 
Casen voiced the indignation of the bottom lands against 
the game hogs who formerly swept the region of its wild 
turkeys, deer, bear, ducks, and other marketable creatures. 
One party of hunters in the fall of 1002 shot forty wild 
turkeys and sold them in the Memphis markets to "pay 
expenses." Another gang killed seven dozen ducks in a 
day for "sport," and sold them for expenses. 'Coons 
were hunted and trapped by the scores, and still there was 
a good deal of game left, though deer and bear were 
driven back five miles or more. 
Life in the bottoms was different from Casen's moun- 
tain experience; but the opportunity to get rich was not 
to be neglected. Land that could be purchased for $1.25 
an acre would pay for itself in the clearing many times 
over, now that saw-mills were reaching back that far for 
timber; and once this land was cleared, cotton land, 
valued at $30 an acre, was ready for the planting. Casen 
had a quarter section — 180 acres — to clear, and he pic- 
tured himself a plantation owner in a very few years. Of 
course there are drawbacks; one of which is the overflow 
that covers all the land to depths from a few inches to 
thirty feet. Men build cabin boats in the swamps to live 
in during the high water, if the land on which they live 
is subject to flooding in ordinary high water; but those 
whose land has a "high ridge" on it are overflowed in 
unusual years only, and then they must build flats or rafts, 
and while saving their own lives, see their cattle and 
horses and hogs topple over and drown when the icy 
water has chilled them so that they can no longer stand. 
We ate biscuit, rabbit, duck, and corn bread for supper, 
and then amused ourselves with French harp and stories. 
One remark by Mrs. Casen indicated the swamp life bet- 
ter than most descriptions. She was one of the women 
who were scared when I asked questions at the new house 
up the river. Hearing me repeat the questions, and re- 
membering that the old woman had told me 12 miles to 
Parkins, and Casen said the. distance was really 18 miles 
from his house, she said : ■ ■■ 
"We didn't know how far it was. The men folks has 
been there, but we never has." 
Here were women — one of them at least fifty years old 
• — who had never seen two dwelling houses standing side 
by side; they had never seen a town of other description 
than a lone cabin, with the sign "Post-Office" printed in 
rude capitals on a rough sawed plank over the door. The 
newspapers with which the flimsy cloth they purchased 
at the "store house" or of the wandering peddler, was 
wrapped, were meaningless sheets to them. Election day 
means the time when the men folks "go to town" and 
come back with tales of fighting. Fancy_ how much these 
women hear about the horse show, wireless telegraph, 
automobiles, and other spasms and symptoms indicating 
the wonders of the human mind and progress as seen in 
New York. 
However, they have their own affairs. A saw-mill was 
being built not five miles distant; pearl diggers had ap- 
peared — "even niggers !" — clearings were being made, and 
a load of cotton already taken to market foreshadowed 
the whirr of cotton-gin and wide fields devoted to the 
"staple product of the valley." For people who had never 
been able to see two hundred yards "without squinting 
through the bresh,"' a mile wide cotton field • was some- 
thing to be hoped for, even if the scene was not first in 
their minds. 
When the youth who stuttered displayed his patent 
leathers, the woman whose waist and bust lines were 
perfectly natural, asked him: 
"Gwin to spo't 'round a little ?" The answer was a wink 
and an embarrassed grin. There was that in the woman's 
tone which indicated that the inborn wisdom of the sex 
in the swamps is not less than in regions where the figure 
is more restricted and the mind less so. The subtle com- 
pliment was not lost on any of the men present. 
Raymond S. Spears. 
^.Christmas will be all the pleasanter to look back 
upon through 1905 if among the gifts of the day shall 
have been a paid-up subscription to Forest and Stream. 
It is a gift which renews itself every week, it loses noth- 
ing by age, never becomes an old story, keeps its interest, 
and is as acceptable on its fifty-second coming as on the 
first. For a sportsman old or young the Forest and 
Stream is a most appropriate Christmas gift. 
Trails of the Pathfinders.-XXH. 
(Concluded from page 466.) 
Commerce of the Prairies. 
(( In 1839, after having been only a few months in the 
"States," _ Gregg was unable to resist his longing for 
the free life of the prairies and began to make prepar- 
ations for another trip to the Mexican settlements. At 
that time the ports of Mexico were blockaded by French 
men-of-war, and the demand for goods was great, with 
a prospect of correspondingly high prices. Late in 
April the wagon train, loaded with twenty-five thous- 
and dollars' worth of goods, crossed the Arkansas, not 
far from the mouth of the Canadian fork. They had 
not proceeded far before they lost a teamster; "a Chero- 
kee shop-keeper came up to us with an attachment 
for debt against a free mulatto, whom we had engaged 
as teamster. The poor fellow had no alternative but 
to return with the importunate creditor, who committed 
him at once to the care of 'Judge Lynch' for trial. 
We ascertained afterward that he had been sentenced 
to 'take the benefit of the bankrupt law' after the 
manner of the Cherokees of that neighborhood. This 
is done by stripping and tying the victim to a tree; 
when each creditor, with a good cowhide or hickory 
switch in his hand, scores the amount of the bill due 
upon his bare back. One stripe for every dollar due 
is the usual process of 'whitewashing'; and as the 
application of the lash is accompanied by all sorts of 
quaint remarks, the exhibition affords no small merri- 
ment to those present, with the exception, no doubt, 
of the delinquent himself. After the ordeal is over, 
the creditors declare themselves perfectly satisfied: nor 
could they, as is said, ever be persuaded thereafter to 
receive one red cent of the amount due, even if it 
were offered to them. As the poor mulatto was also 
in our debt, and was perhaps apprehensive that we 
might exact payment in the same currency, he never 
showed himself again." 
The party just setting out were well armed with 
Colt's repeating rifles and revolvers, and carried be- 
sides, two small cannon. Among the men were a number 
of young fellows from the east, most of them quite with- 
out prairie experience. They had not been many days 
out when one of the party, out hunting, became lost, 
and not returning at night, muskets were fired to guide 
him to camp; but he imagined that the firing was done 
by hostile Indians, and fled from the sound. Finally, 
according to his statement, he was attacked during the 
night by a panther, which he succeeded in beating off 
with the butt of his gun. It was imagined, however, 
from the peculiar odor with which the shattered gun 
was still redolent when he reached camp, that the 
"painter" that he had driven off was not many degrees 
removed in affinity from a skunk. 
When the train reached the north fork of the Can- 
adian, they met with a considerable camp of Comanches, 
with whom they had some friendly intercourse. With 
them was a body of United States Dragoons, under 
Lieut. Bowman, to whom had been entrusted the task 
of trying to make peace with the Comanches, and so 
protecting the settlements of the border. Among these 
Comanches were a number of Mexican captives — 
women, boys and small children — of whom Gregg notes 
that a number of them were still well able to speak 
Spanish. In other words, their captivity had been so 
short that they had a clear memory of the events of 
earlier life. An effort was made to purchase several 
of these captives, in order to return them to their 
homes. Most of them, however, were unwilling to go, 
and for a variety of reasons; one of the lads, only 
ten or twelve years old, explaining that by his life 
among the Indians he had become "now too much of 
a brute to live among Christians." One lad Gregg did 
purchase, and was repaid by much gratitude. 
It was near the Canadian River, which they had now 
reached, that a small party of Americans experienced 
terrible suffering in the winter of 1832 and '33. "The 
party," Gregg says, "consisted of twelve men, chiefly 
citizens of Missouri. Their baggage and about ten 
thousand dollars in specie were packed upon mules. 
They took the route of the Canadian River, fearing to 
venture on the northern prairies at that season of the 
year. Having left Santa Fe in December, they had 
proceeded without accident thus far, when a large body 
of Comanches and Kiawas were seen advancing toward 
them. Being well acquainted with the treacherous and 
pusillanimous disposition of those races, the traders 
prepared at once for defense; but the savages having 
made a halt at some distance, began to approach one 
by one; or in small parties, making a great show of 
friendship all the while, until most of them had col- 
lected on the spot. Finding themselves ^surrounded in 
every direction, the travelers now began to move on, 
in hopes of getting rid of the intruders; but the latter 
were equally ready for the start, . and, mounting their 
horses, kept jogging on in the same direction. The 
first act of hostility perpetrated by the Indians proved 
fatal to one of the American traders named Pratt, who 
was shot dead while attempting to secure two mules 
which had become separated from the rest. Upon this, 
the companions of the slain man immediately dis- 
mounted and commenced a fire upon the Indians, which 
was warmly returned, whereby another man of the 
name of Mitchell was killed. 
"By this time the traders had taken off their packs 
and piled them around for protection; and now falling 
to work with their hands, they very soon scratched out 
a trench deep enough to protect them from the shot 
of the enemy. The latter made several desperate 
charges, but they seemed too careful of their own 
personal safety, notwithstanding the enormous superi- 
ority of their numbers, to venture too near the rifles 
of the Americans. In a few hours all the animals of 
the traders were either killed or wounded, but no 
personal damage was done to the remaining ten men, 
with the exception of a wound in the thigh received 
by one, which was not at the time considered dangerous. 
"During the siege, the Americans were in great 
danger of perishing from thirst, as the Indians had 
complete command of all the water within reach. 
Starvation was not so much to be dreaded, because, 
in cases of necessity, they could live on the flesh of their 
slain animals, some of which lay stretched close around 
them After being pent up for thirty-six hours in this 
horrible hole, during which time they had seldom 
ventured to raise their heads above the surface with- 
out being shot at, they resolved to make a bold sortie 
in the night, as any death was preferable to the death 
that awaited them there. As there was not an animal 
-eft that was at all in a condition to travel, the owners 
of the money gave permission to all to take and ap- 
propriate to themselves whatever amount * each man 
could safely undertake to carry. In this way they 
started with a few hundred dollars, of which but little 
ever reached the United States. The remainder was 
buried deep in the sand, in hope that it might escape 
the cupidity of the savages, but to very little purpose, 
tor they were afterward seen by some Mexican traders 
making a great display of specie, which was without 
doubt taken from this unfortunate cache. 
'With every prospect of being discovered, overtaken 
and butchered, but resolved to sell their lives as dearly 
as possible, they at last emerged from their hiding- 
place, and moved on silently and slowly until they 
found themselves beyond the purlieus of the Indian 
camps. Often did they look back in the direction 
where three to five hundred savages were supposed to 
watch their movements, but, much to their astonish- 
ment, no one appeared to be in pursuit. The Indians, 
believing, no doubt, that the property of the traders 
would come into their hands, and having no amateur 
predilection for taking scalps at the risk of losing their 
own, appeared willing enough to let the spoliated ad- 
venturers depart without further molestation. 
"The destitute travelers, having run themselves short 
of provisions, and being no longer able to kill game 
for want of materials to load their rifles, they were 
very soon reduced to the necessity of sustaining life 
upon roots and the tender bark of trees. After travel- 
ing for several days in this desperate condition, with 
lacerated feet, and utter prostration of mind and body, 
they began to disagree among themselves about the 
route to be pursued, and eventually separated into two 
distinct parties. Five of these unhappy men steered a 
westward course, and after a succession of sufferings 
and privations which almost surpassed belief, they 
reached the settlements of the Creek Indians, near the 
Arkansas River, where they were treated with great 
kindness and hospitality. The other five wandered 
about in the greatest state of distress and bewilder- 
ment, and only two finally succeeded in getting out of 
the mazes of the wilderness."* 
After many difficulties, Gregg reached Santa Fe 
again, and prepared to start south for Chihuahua, where 
a better market for his goods was expected. They 
crossed the famous Jornada del Muerto, and reached 
El Paso del. Norte, and at last Chihuahua. Here was 
a country devoted to cattle raising; the herds, accord- 
ing to Gregg, being almost as numerous as those of 
the buffalo to the northern plains. Some time was 
devoted to journeying through northern Mexico. 
One of the largest cities visited was Durango, one 
of the handsomest cities of northern Mexico, having 
at that time a population of about 20,000. Situated in 
a level plain, surrounded on all sides by low mountains, 
it presented two or three handsome squares, with fine 
buildings, and some splendid churches. "Durango is 
the first northern city in which there is to be found 
any evidence of that variety of tropical fruits, for which 
southern Mexico is so justly famed. Although it was 
rather out of season, yet the market actually teemed 
with all that is most rich and exquisite in this kind of 
produce. The maguey, from which is extracted the 
popular beverage, called pulque, is not only cultivated 
extensively in the fields, but grows wild everywhere 
upon the plains. This being the height of the pulque 
season, a hundred shanties might be seen loaded with 
jugs and goblets filled with this favorite liquor, from 
its sweetest unfermented state to the grade of 'hard 
cider'; while the incessant cries of 'Pulque, pulque 
dulce! pulque bueno!' added to the shrill and discord- 
ant notes of the fruit venders, created a confusion of 
sounds, amid which it was impossible to hear oneself 
talk. 
"Durango is also celebrated as being the head- 
quarters, as it were, of the whole scorpion family. 
During the spring, especially, so much are the houses 
infested by these poisonous insects, that many people 
are obliged to have resort to a kind of mosquito-bar, 
in order to keep them out of their beds at night. As an 
expedient to deliver the city from this terrible pest, a 
society has actually been formed, which pays a re- 
ward of a cuartilla (three cents) for every alacran (or 
scorpion) that is brought to them. Stimulated by the 
desire of gain, the idle boys of the city are always on 
the lookout, so that, in the course of a year, immense 
numbers of this public enemy are captured and 
slaughtered. The body of this insect is of the bulk and 
cast of a medium spider, with a jointed tail one or two 
inches long, at the end of which is a sting whose 
wounds are so poisonous as often to prove fatal to 
children, and are very painful to adults. 
"The most extraordinary peculiarity of these scor- 
pions is, that they are far less dangerous in the north 
than in the south, which in some manner accounts for 
the story told Capt. Pike, that even those of Durango 
lose most of their venom as soon as they are removed 
a few miles from the city." 
On his return to Santa Fe, Gregg, having ordered 
his men to "rope a beef" for food, from the herds which 
covered the plains, got into trouble with the Mexican 
authorities, and was greatly delayed, being taken back 
to Chihuahua, tried for his offense, but acquitted on 
the ground of ignorance of the laws and the customs 
of the country. 
Shortly before they reached the Staked Plains, on 
their return, they were attacked by a war party of 
Pawnees, on foot, who succeeded in running off a few 
of the horses, and in wounding two or three men. 
Their Comanche guide took them safely across the 
plains, until at last they reached the Canadian River. 
Gregg relates of the winds of the prairie: "It will 
often blow a gale for days, and even weeks together, 
without slacking for a moment, except occasionally at 
♦Mconey— Kiowa Calendar, p. 255— gives the account of this 
occurrence from Kiowa sources. They say that one Indian. Black 
Wolf, wa» killed in the fight 
