cat's hair; in fact that bar was in a wrath all over. Only one pup came near him, and he was brushed out so totally with the bar's left paw, that he entirely disappeared; and that made the old dogs more cautious still. In the mean time, I came up, and taking deliberate aim as a man should do, at his side, just back of his foreleg, if my gun did not snap, call me a coward, and I won't take it personal. Yes, stranger, it snapped, and I could not find a cap about my person. While in this predicament, I turned round to my fool friend: says I, 'Bill,' says I, 'you 're an ass-you're a fool-you might as well have tried to kill that bar by barking the tree under his belly, as to have done it by hitting him in the head. Your shot has made a tiger of him, and blast me, if a dog gets killed or wounded when they come to blows, I will stick my knife into your liver, I will:' my wrath was up. I had lost my caps, my gun had snapped, the fellow with me had fired at the bar's head, and I expected every moment to see him close in with the dogs, and kill a dozen of them at least. In this thing I was mistaken, for the bar leaped over the ring formed by the dogs, and giving a fierce growl, was offthe pack, of course, in full cry after him. The run this time was short, for coming to the edge of a lake the varmint jumped in, and swam to a little island in the lake, which it reached just a moment before the dogs. 'I'll have him now,' said I, for I had found my caps in the lining of my coat; so, rolling a log into the lake, I paddled myself across to the island, just as the dogs had cornered the bar in a thicket. I rushed up and fired; at the same time the critter leaped over the dogs and came within three feet of me, running like mad. He jumped into the lake, and tried to mount the log I had just deserted, but every time he got half his body on it, it would roll over and send him under; the dogs, too, got around him, and pulled him about, and finally Bowie-knife clenched with him, and they sunk into the lake together. Stranger, about this time I was excited, and I stripped off my coat, drew my knife, and intended to have taken a part with Bowie-knife myself, when the bar rose to the surface. But the varmint staid under-Bowie-knife came up alone, more dead than alive, and with the pack came ashore. "Thank God,' said I, 'the old villain has got his deserts at last.' Determined to have the body, I cut a grape-vine for a rope, and dove down where I could see the bar in the water, fastened my queer rope to his leg, and fished him, with great difficulty, ashore. Stranger, may I be chawed to death by young alligators, if the thing I looked at wasn't a she-bar, and not the old critter after all! The way matters got mixed on that island was onaccountably curious, and thinking of it made me more than ever convinced that I was hunting the devil himself. "I went home that night and took to my bed-the thing was killing me. The entire team of Arkansaw in bar-hunting acknowledged himself used up, and the fact sunk into my feelings like a snagged boat will in the Mississippi. I grew as cross as a bar with two cubs and a sore tail. The thing got out 'mong my neighbours, and I was asked how come on that individ-u-al that never lost a bar when once started? and if that same individ-u-al didn't wear telescopes when he turned a she-bar, of ordinary size, into an old he-one, a little larger than a horse? "Prehaps,' said I, 'friends,'-getting wrathy-' prehaps you want to call somebody a liar.' "Oh, no,' said they, 'we only heard such things as being rather common of late, but we don't believe one word of it; oh, no,'-and then they would ride off and laugh like so many hyenas over a dead nigger. It was too much, and I determined to catch that bar, go to Texas, or die,—and I made my preparations accordin'. I had the pack shut up and rested. I took my rifle to pieces, and iled it. I put caps in every pocket about my person, for fear of the lining. I then told my neighbours, that on Monday morning-naming the day—I would start THAT BAR, and bring him home with me, or they might divide my settlement among them, the owner having disappeared. Well, stranger, on the morning previous to the great day of my hunting expedition, I went into the woods near my house, taking my gun and Bowie-knife along, just from habit, and there sitting down also from habit, what should I see, getting over my fence, but the bar! Yes, the old varmint was within a hundred yards of me, and the way he walked over that fence-stranger, he loomed up like a black mist, he seemed so large, and he walked right towards me. I raised myself, took deliberate aim, and fired. Instantly the varmint wheeled, gave a yell, and walked through the fence like a falling tree would through a cobweb. I started after, but was tripped up by my inexpressibles, which either from habit, or the excitement of the moment, were about my heels, and before I had really gathered myself up, I heard the old varmint groaning in a thicket near by, like a thousand sinners, and by the time I reached him he was a corpse. Stranger, it took five niggers and myself to put that carcase on a mule's back, and old long-ears waddled under his load, as if he was foundered in every leg of his body, and with a common whopper of a bar, he would have trotted off and enjoyed himself. 'T would astonish you to know how big he was: I made a bed-spread of his skin, and the way it used to cover my bar mattress, and leave severel feet on each side to tuck up, would have delighted you. "It was, in fact, a creation bar, and if it had lived in Samson's time, and had met him in a fair fight, it would have licked him in the twinkling of a dice-box. But, stranger, I never liked the way, I hunted him and missed him. There is something curious about it, I could never understand,—and I never was satisfied at his giving in so easy at last. Prehaps he had heard of my preparations to hunt him the next day, so he jist come in, like Capt. Scott's 'coon, to save his wind to grunt with in dying; but that ain't likely. My private opinion is, that that bar was an unhuntable bar and died when his time come." When the story was ended, our hero sat some minutes with his auditors in a grave silence; I saw there was a mystery to him connected with the bear whose death he had just related, that had evidently made a strong impression on his mind. It was also evident that there was some superstitious awe connected with the affair,-a feeling common with all" children of the wood" when they meet with anything out of their every-day experience. He was the first one, however, to break the silence, and jumping up, he asked all present to "liquor" before going to bed,-a thing which he did, with a number of companions, evidently to his heart's content. Long before day, I was put ashore at my place of destination, and I can only follow with the reader, in imagination, our Arkansas friend in his adventures at the "Forks of Cypress," on the Mississippi. THE MIDDLE WATCH. BY LIEUT. the hon. frederiCK WALPOLE, R.N. "TWELVE o'clock, sir," said the small, but in this case potent, voice of the midshipman, as, pushing aside the curtain, he entered my cabin; and the most delightful visions of rest disturbed and rest regained floated through my mind as I turned from the light, and sank again into sweetest sleep. “Twelve o'clock, sir, and Mr. Smith hopes you will be quick, for there is a heavy squall coming, and he does not wish his watch to get wet." How sleepy, yet how active, the mind! Sleepy, for the strong resolve not to hear the summons, glued my body to the bed; active, for the half-awakened mind in a second of time turned over every means of croaking the irksome, sleep-dispelling call. Sudden sickness, a cough even, (what complaint is there that would meet the occasion?) any disease would be welcome, so it were sufficient excuse: the cure, the same mind did not include in the wish,-that was left to doctors and daylight. Head-ache, violent, irresistible, and a kind messmate-the request was half out to call old James, but the possibility of a sad reverse appeared, of old James calling me. Mutiny, but mutineers must be active and stirring; drunk, and appeal to the hearts of my messmates,—but then the morning! So, by the time he had lighted the candle, the spell was broken-the pay seemed very small, and I sat up.-Par parenthesis, I may mention, that the Americans are said to be allowed to elude a watch for a deduction in their pay, which is handed over to some more laborious, money-liking officer; hence the term "stop a dollar," as expressive among them of a lazy fellow. How short now seemed the hours devoted to rest! Why had I sat up listening to that prosy, improbable story of the purser's, of the girl who broke her heart because her lover went to sea,-had he middle watches she was well revenged. And Master Smith's kind request, that I may hurry up to get wet,-the worst relief, himself too, that ever trod. I don't believe it is twelve; the sentry cheats the time. However, necessitas, &c., so the clothes are heaped on; scarce is one arm in the sleeve of the overall coat, than the bell strikes one. In most wellregulated men-of-war, it is an order for each lieutenant to be present at the mustering of his watch; this is done at the ten minutes, and the bell is struck one, to hurry the sluggards to be in readiness for the pipe of the boatswain's mate, which calls the watch to muster directly afterwards. And now with rapid haste the toilette is complete, and the candle extinguished, the buffet of the gun-room is sought for a tumbler of water; one is filled, and half the contents down, before the fact is detected that it is the night-glass of some creature-comfortlover, whose secret hiding place you have thus disturbed. The deck is gained, and the impatient Smith bridles his passion as you ask him the orders. He had probably meditated a remonstrance on my tardiness, but an attack in his hurry drove him to the necessity of a defence. "Well, there are no particular orders, here is the book. The squalls come down very sharply, we had a heavy one at six bells: the rain is worth experiencing once. And," added he, as he backed jauntily down the ladder, "it came up very much like that one now rising on our bow, only not so black. Good night! What selfish beings we are!-there he goes, and now has forgotten all he said in one absorbing wish to sleep. And now the order book in my hand is all that remains of him. "Watch to muster!" and after piping and calling, the deep voice of the boatswain's mate echoes the words to every part of the ship; the men flock aft, and one after another their names are called over. Each, as his name is called, or as near an attempt at it as the midshipman chooses (Jack is not particular), passes round, repeating his number and station, as he touches his hat the absent are accounted for by the non-commissioned officer of their part of the watch and ship, and if one is absent without due cause, he is found and punished. When mustered, and all are reported present, or satisfactorily disposed of, those not actually wanted lie down along the decks, under the boats, or wherever they choose, save they must not go below. "Sentry, a light!" and the small red volume is referred to for directions as to course and other orders. A turn or two of the deck to digest the matter. How authoritative naval people are! here is-" Keep her WNW.-blow high, blow low, blow where it will, keep her WNW." England is a great nation, her captains are the true Rajah Loots, or water kings, the bell strikes one. Well done, half an hour since-but that is passed; half an hour sooner, how sweet, how soundly sweet I slept! Three hours are nothing come, when once up, a middle watch is not so bad,-the smell of coffee justifies the remark, the servant boy who makes it knows by sad experience how sleepless his night is, if it is not good. It is done-like all pleasures, soon passed. But why waste time in vain regrets; can they recall one second of the past. The walk is resumed, one rapid glance to windward, and the mind is far, far away. Castles, no, homes; how rapid the building, how quickly pile on pile is reared; but then how rapid the consummation of the fancied life. The very absolute controul over events destroys the pleasure, for it is the doubt, the struggle, and the hope, that render pleasures pleasure. The want of these robs our traced future of half the pleasure it should yield; we lose all the excitement of expectation, and the wearied mind, satiated in every wish, can but finish-like the novelist with length of life and happiness ever after. Fancy, however-or, richer yet, memory-has stores not easily exhausted. Now, a word is pondered over-a word long lost amidst deeds, actions, protestations: but now, when thus submitted to scrutiny, in quiet and alone, how different its meaning! Oh! had we known this then, perhaps,well, never mind. The night grows chill. How deep are now the regrets for opportunities wasted; how cold the passions which once whiled us on. But why is the step now fast and hurried? Ah, memory shows up too much; in the dimmed mirror of the past are things that will not bear to dwell on-vices, passions, wrongs, follies. How bitter thus to look back! Oh! who would sin, could he feel the present as he feels the past, when, all the tinsel stripped from off it, it stands behind, indelible, ineffaceable, not to be forgotten. But, happy man, the last treasure in the casket, Hope-blessed Hope-yet remains, and the step grows lighter as Hope soars upwards: as they dare to breathe of better things, of a better past, in the untracked future. The watch wearies on, and, save the calls of the look-out man, nothing varies the tedium of its monotony. Vainly the eye roams in search of something to alter; the sails draw beautifully, and all swims quietly along. But, see, a speck on the ocean, far, far away on the lee-quarter. It scarce breaks the unclouded brilliancy of the night. At each turn the eye watches it, but it seems at rest, and the " very well does" of the quarter-master at the conn, alone breaks the silence; not a sound else, save the ripples of the seas, as, in mimic sport, they flam beneath the slowly-moving bow. Yet, within one hundred feet of where I stand, are collected nine hundred living souls. The midshipmen, after making too much noise, have dropped away; and clever would he be who could find them. The mate of the watch is catching straws in the lee-gangway. All is quiet and deep stillness. But now, the mind at work, the time flies on three bells seem followed by four; scarce are the calls of the looks-out for the one lost, than, like an echo, out they rise again, in varied tones, as they go round the ship. But nearer menaces the foe; like coward dastard it has crept round, gathering fresh vigour in its course, and now, in undisguised hostility, menaces on our weather-quarter. Still stronger, stronger it stalks upon the beam, and casts a deep and lurid shade on the ocean around it. In each turn, now, the eye menaces its strength to learn how much sail must be reduced; and yet not one stitch too much. The vane still holds to the old quarter, but the storm nears, and will soon be on us. No more, now, a confused mass of black clouds: it has assumed the form of a bent bow, its upper part clearly defined on the thick white background, which shows it out in high relief from the pure blue of the heavens around; its lower edge is cut and torn, as if already weary of its strife. At either end attendant clouds crowd down to the horizon; the water foams and frets below, and all now bears down upon the ship. The storm is abroad. Eolus has withdrawn his wand. "Watch, shorten sail!" The shrill pipe carries the order to the heaviest sleeper's ears; the heavy coats are cast aside, and all stand ready and alert to every call. The top-men spring aloft; the ropes rattle through the sheeves. Oh, this is sport! The sail is soon reduced. Yards after yards of canvas flutter in petulant resistance for a moment; but the rapid turns of the gasket close out the wind, and all is secure. No laziness now; each call is well obeyed; and the "Down, down from aloft! come down, lads!" is given before the squall has reached. All is yet calm; our friendly breeze has left, and fled before this mad rover of the air; the vessel shakes herself, with short rolls, as if to nerve her frame for battle boldly. There is "A silence in the heavens, the earth stands still, Now, like armies of wild horses, it rushes through the pause: each timber shakes, and deeply heels the ship before-with brave defiance she too rises to resist. Ah, search away! It yells with rage to find us thus prepared: no sail or spot is left unmasked to its fury; each rope is taut each sail, now left, is well secured, and its rage is wasted where it cannot hurt. I have tried all sources of excitement: the lover's part-the gambler's nights of toil-the wine-cup drained-the field of battle, too, but none can compete with this-the victor of the fiercest, wildest nature-the mastery of skill over maddest force. No |