l the character of the people among whom
I was living; I knew there was no justice to whom I could apply; I
reckoned also that, if once put in gaol, they would not only take the
two hundred and fifty dollars; but also the whole I possessed. So I
submitted, as it was the best I could do; I removed immediately to
another part of Texas, but it would not do. Faith, the Texians are a
very ugly set of gents."

"And Meyer," I interrupted, "what of him?"

"Oh!" replied the parson, "that is another story. Why, he returned to
New Orleans, where, with his three sons, he committed an awful murder
upon the cashier of the legislature; he was getting away with twenty
thousand dollars, but being caught in the act, he was tried, sentenced,
and hanged, with all his hopeful progeny, and the old negro hangman of
New Orleans had the honour of making in one day, a close acquaintance
with a general, a colonel, a major, and a judge."

"What, talking still!" exclaimed the doctor, yawning: he had just awoke.
"What the devil can you have babbled about during the whole blessed
night? Why, 'tis morn."

Saying this, he took up his watch, looked at it, applied it to his ear,
to see if it had not stopped, and exclaimed:--

"By jingo, but I am only half-past one." The parson drew out his also,
and repeated the same, "half-past one."

At that moment the breeze freshened, and I heard the distant and muffled
noise which in the West announces either an earthquake or an
"estampede," of herds of wild cattle and other animals. Our horses,
too, were aware of some danger, for now they were positively mad,
struggling to break the lassoes and escape.

"Up!" I cried, "up! Gabriel, Roche, up!--up, strangers, quick! saddle
your beasts! run for your lives! the prairie is on fire, and the
buffaloes are upon us."

They all started upon their feet, but not a word was exchanged; each
felt the danger of his position; speed was our only resource, if it was
not already too late. In a minute our horses were saddled, in another
we were madly galloping across the prairie, the bridles upon the necks
of our steeds, allowing them to follow their instinct. Such had been
our hurry, that all our blankets were left behind, except that of
Gabriel; the lawyers had never thought of their saddle-bags, and the
parson had forgotten his holsters and his rifle.

For an hour we dashed on with undiminished speed, when we felt the earth
trembling behind us, and soon afterwa