day's toil being o'er, they sought for amusement or mirth, according to the state of their purses or their credit. A few steps off in front of the street, or I should rather say the road-door, stood a tall forest oak that cast its deep broad shade over the dwelling and yard during the warm season of summer, and held suspended from one of its boughs the sign of the inn-a large red buffalo, though I should scarcely have distinguished it from a donkey in one of his frolicsome moods, had I not been previously informed of the name of the tavern.

The trees were now in a great measure stripped of their foliage, and this gorgeous sign hung full in open view, and was swung to and fro by the breeze as it whistled by. As I approached the mansion and obtained a more distinct view of what was passing, I saw ten or twelve villagers collected beneath it, and from their frequent starings and apparent remarks, which seemed to be answered by an elderly little man, measuring near five and a half from head to foot, who stood leaning against the door-post, his huge wool hat stuck upon the side of his head, concealing one eye and nearly half of his face, and drawing at a reed pipe stem, full six feet in length, I was led to conjecture it was some new invention which had taken the place of the "Big Buffaloe," so particularly described by my landlord at my last evening's lodgings. But I was afterwards informed, that it was only an improvement on the old sign which had been blown down a few nights since. My arrival at once silenced every voice; instantly every eye was rivetted on me, and the whole crowd gazed with mixed surprise, so seldom is the visage of a stranger, who has the bearing of a friend, seen in those drear and picturesque wilds. While the settlers crowded closer together and stared more eagerly as they gained a nearer view of my figure and trappings, seeming much in doubt whether they beheld a friend or foe, the landlord ceased his puffing, and, as the wrinkles that could be seen lengthening and contracting in every direction over his small, peaked, and emaciated phiz, told too well his inward joy, made an advance, or at least attempted it, to give me a gracious welcome. At his movement I alighted, but had not more than turned about to offer him my hand, when I saw him rising from the ground, where it seemed he had by accident taken rather an uneasy seat. For in the overflow of his heart with kindness, so eager was he to give a generous welcome to a traveling stranger, that, forgetting the round door block, he made a misstep, and, the block rolling, had met the sad misfortune of calling forth a loud, yet half-stifled burst of laughter from the crowd, and with the still more sad calamity of utterly demolishing both pipe and pipe-stem. But, however, he was a man of too much spunk, as he expressed himself, to be jostled by such trifles;-and luckily too for myself, since I could scarcely restrain me from joining in with the good

natured settlers, he was soon erect; and with a smile still playing over his features, he extended his hand, to give me a most gracious reception. He then called upon James, whom I presumed was his eldest born, to take care of my horse, and he conducted me into the hall. After making necessary inquiries concerning lodgings, etc., my landlord was next desirous of knowing from what part of the country I had come,—but particularly, "how far I was bound," and "how long I expected to put up in these parts." And when I answered that my native place was in the east, that my intention of visiting "these parts" was to become acquainted with the country and the manners of the people, but more particularly for my health, that this was as far as I expected to go, and I should remain here several days to rest myself and horse, a smile again curled his lip, and his broad grin, as he responded, "ah! indeed," and in the kindest tone asked if I would not smoke, opened the inlet to a hideous cavity well set with rows of decaying stumps. I consented to smoke, and he took from the wall, where they were stuck into the chink of the ceiling, two new reed pipestems of the same length with the one which he had the misfortune to break. After fumbling for some time in the deepest depths of his huge coat pockets, he also produced a couple of pipes and a twist of tobacco, the true American, and then his long jack knife. In a few moments our pipes were loaded and lighted, when, drawing our chairs up for the better enjoyment of a view of the country, we set to with good wills. The crowd now formed nearly a semi-circle around the door, leaning and yawning on each other's shoulders, still gazing on my then so important self, and making their whispering remarks and strange conjectures.

But believe not, gentle reader, that it was either because so small a dwarf, I had the boldness to venture into those dangerous woods, or because, like a giant, I seemed to be roving the country: No; if many of you could now behold me in full equipment-such as is generally worn by travelers to our western regions beyond the Mississippi-I doubt not, but that you would gaze with as much interest as then did my new and untutored friends. There I sat full at ease, enjoying their admiration, dressed in a pair of jack-boots reaching to the knee, with spurs well set and large, my coat of the hunting fashion, and girt round the waist by a broad black leathern belt, in which were' a brace of pistols on each side, and also to the left side was attached a large bowie knife, near fifteen inches in length. In addition to this, that I may tell you my complete armor, there lay by my side on the floor my holsters, each charged with a large horseman's pistol, and in my bosom might have been found a twelve inch dirk, and also another brace of pistols in the breast pockets of my coat. Over this coat, I wore another of oil-cloth, and of nearly the same fashion, to protect me from the rain; a large tarpaulin North

Easter was the covering of my head. Now think it not strange that a person thus guised should be seen traveling in the Union. Through the countries adjoining Texas, as well as through that region itself, this or something similar to it, is the common traveling dress. The bowie knife is always worn, and frequently the long knife. My equipment it is true, was somewhat more extensive than is commonly seen in the more eastern and southern countries, but this was rendered necessary by the state of that section of the country through which I was journeying. It was just beyond the main ridge of the Ozark mountains. The settlements are "few and far between," sometimes forty miles apart. The road, often nothing more than a small and indiscernible path, leads now over large hills and through deep ravines, and again winds its way along the base of some rocky mountains. In traveling from one inhabited spot to another, you are almost continually buried in the deep wilderness-the tall oaks waving and sighing in the breeze above you—the thick underbrush sometimes enlivened with squirrels-here and there in the distance the nimble fawn breaking the monotony-and you are left again, for miles together, to whistle to the playful breeze, or muse alone on the wild beauty of nature, until the echoing of a savage yell, or the sight of a wandering woodsman, and very frequently of one of the roving members of Murrels' clan, when your safety depends entirely upon the strength you outwardly exhibit, arouse you to a sense of your situation. But to return to our landlord.

I was engaged myself in beholding the many gestures and motions of the crowd, as my landlord seemed to be much of a taciturn disposition, or at least, not inclined to talk and smoke at the same time. We had smoked for some minutes in silence, when the wind giving the sign board another swing, it attracted my landlord's thoughts, which seemed to be assuming quite a gloomy cast, ruminating doubtless, over the rather painful bruise received from his fall; for now and then as he blew away the thick folds of smoke that circled round his nose, he would lean himself to one side and, giving a rub, would mutter in a rumbling tone, "a pretty hard jolt that." After looking a moment with great earnestness upon his new sign, he cleared away the smoke and thus grumbled, as if with the intention of being partly heard:-"A pretty good piece that for these woods-just getting it up when you camea fine sort of a fellow that Jackey Spriggs." Again he was silent. Again we smoked on apace until my landlord once more roused himself, and, turning about, asked how I liked it. After giving my opinion, I inquired who might be the artist. "Oh! Benny's son," he replied "lives just over the way-he's a right ingenous fellow; but he thinks more about carving than painting, because he's got no paint-we'll go over and see him if you are agreed; he's just finished a buffalo." "No taint a buffalo," interrupted

one from the crowd, which had by this time nearly overcome their surprise, "for he told me himself dat he was gwine to make old Squash's poney." "Well, now by dad's old baskets,” shouted another, "dats not so, for daddy said he was gwine to give him a half pint o' whiskey for't, when he stuck a long tail to it, for a pictur for Betty's mule."

At this I could restrain myself no longer, and bursting into a laugh, only heightened the dispute, for, like Paddy a courting, they always think to be laughed at is the highest praise. In noticing their dispute, I suffered my pipe to become quite extinct, and knocking the ashes out, gave my landlord warning that he was in the same predicament. He invited me to fill up, when I proposed if he had more wieldy stems that we should walk, and view the settlement; while at the same time we would enjoy a smoke. The stems were soon procured, by making one answer for two, and, having doffed my belt, to be more free, and placed it in a closet in one corner of the room, which was the only spot under lock and key in the dwelling, where sundry articles of more than common value were stowed, we filled our pipes and started on our walk, my landlord not forgetting his twist of tobacco, and a coal of fire by which we might light anew when out. We took the road to the west, in order to view the mountain scenery, in which direction lay a considerable ridge of the Ozark range. When we had proceeded on our walk near a hundred paces, my landlord pointed to a neat two story log house, situated about a hundred yards back from the road, in the midst of a thick oak grove. The yard in front, which was very extensive, was cleanly swept. This he told me was the residence of the young artist's father and family. There too, he gently insinuated, live two very pretty girls, the belles of the neighborhood-the Misses Spriggs-and then warmly pressed me to conclude to remain for a short time, and go over to a quilting at piper John Lane's, about six miles off, on the next Saturday night. To this I replied, that I had fixed no definite time to return. Then, for encouragement, he gave me a description of all the quiltings, weddings, balls, and cornshuckings, which had taken place within the last two years; but which I will not here relate, but let them have their proper place. Thus conversing on the manners of the people, the situation and fertility of the country, we soon grew quite intimate and interested in each other, and appeared as if two kindred spirits had met,both lovers of the wild and beautiful. Nothing passed unnoticed, and there was nothing seen, of which I had not a full description. After a walk of thirty or forty minutes from Mr. Spriggs' dwelling, we came to a bend of the road, which, when passed, brought us in full view of the broad expanse of a prairie. The long grass had assumed the harvest hue, and waving in the fresh breeze, that softly sighed as it swept along, its last breathings dying away

in the distance through the thick forest, amidst the rustling of the dead leaves as they lay upon the trees, produced a sensation which it would be impossible to describe. It was such, that those who have once experienced it, I am sure can never forget. The prairie, from appearance, was near three miles in breadth. Beyond it, and also on its northern boundary, at a considerable distance, was the ridge of mountains, to which I have before alluded; but towards the south, it extended and widened as far as the eye could reach. Just on the other side, at the foot of a small hillock, I perceived the spiral wreaths of smoke issuing from a close clump of trees, and diffusing itself in every direction. That, my landlord informed me, was the habitation of old Squash, a chief of an Indian tribe that roved through that part of the country, but seldom ever passed the prairie, except to sell their skins, and purchase "red-eye." We stood for some time musing on the prospect, each employed with his own thoughts, as we wandered in imagination over the picturesque scenery. At length I was awakened from my revery, by the voice of my landlord, who called me to observe the setting sun. During the time we had thus stood gazing on the scene, myself engaged in noticing a numerous flock of birds towards the north, he had been obscured by a dense cloud, that lowered a little above the horizon, but just at this moment, ere his final adieu to surrounding nature, he burst suddenly through the thick folds that seemed to envelop him, and shed a lustre and beauty over the view, that far surpassed any thing of the kind I had ever witnessed. He was setting behind the smoke from Squash's cabin, which had now become quite dense, and the charm which he threw around, as his rays, struggling through the smoky fog, glanced upon the waving prairie, and tinged the deep shaded forest, in some places, far within, with its golden hues rendered more resplendent by the gloom into which they were thrown, the most vivid imagination of him that has never enjoyed such, can scarcely conceive. The first and sudden view of the far extending prairie was to the eye a most luxurious feast, but this filled the soul with raptures. Ye who have gazed upon a sunset at sea, when a light fog moved upon the waters, can form some idea of the emotions a sunset like this inspires. Motionless we stood, our eyes fixed upon the sight, and our thoughts roving through the regions of the sunlit ether, until the great orb had receded from our vision, and the brilliant tints were softened down into the gray cast of twilight.

As we turned from the spot, and directed our footsteps towards the settlement, a deep sigh rolled from the bosom of my companion, and, with his eyes turned upon the ground, as he wiped away a tear that was trickling down his haggard cheek, he muttered in a low voice, that seemed almost to stifle his breathing, "What tender recollections,-yes, dearer to me than happiness