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Article SCENES IN AMERICA. Page 1 of 7 →
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Scenes In America.
SCENES IN AMERICA .
BY A NATIVE . Continued from page 82 . THERE , stretched upon the earth , were the two combatants , Hinkle in death , and Ball in its semblance ; whilst the wounded lad had his gaze so riveted upon the slain enemy of his father , that he was totally unobservant of the state in ivhich that father lay . The scene had changed in tin instant
from the heat of murderous strife , to the most awful stillness ; and , by the sudden reaction , my senses became so benumbed , that I had to struggle through a moment of bewilderment before I could command myself to make the exertions which circumstances required of me . " Jack , " said I , " your father has fainted ; where is the nearest water ?" The poor boy now turned his eyes upon his parent , and stared on him with an expression almost of derangement . " Do not be alarmed ; your father has only fainted , " I repeated ; " tell where find water ?
me I can tjuickest some " tie jirked off his hat , gave it to me , and more by signs than words , directed me to a little branch ivhich poured itself into the stream we had lately crossed . I ran as rapidly as the impediments of occasional brushwood and trunks of fallen trees would permit me , and was soon back with the hat full of water . As I returned , I perceived Jack pulling at his father ' s hands and calling to him distractedly , being in the greatest terror lest he should be dead as well as his antagonist . " Did he stick him with his knife ? " inquired Jack . " No , he did' not . Be assured , Jack , your father is not hurt , and will soon be revived . "
AVe threw some water in his face and on his wrists ; chafed his temples ; slapped the palm of one hand , for the other was excessively gushed ; and with all our best , though rude appliances , promoted returning animation . The old man at length drew a slow , convulsive respiration , and threw outwards his arms . AVe then dragged him to a tree , propped him with his buck against it , and succeeded in getting him to swallow some water from the hat . By degrees he fully recovered his consciousness , and uttered a few syllables ; but I insisted upon his remaining perfectly silent for some
minutes . Presently he asked for more water , and I brought him another hat full , of ivhich he drank copiously , to the great satisfaction of Jack , who , with the instinct of filial fondness , had crouched himself close to his father . At length the old man , resting one hand upon the ground , raised himself to his feet ; aud stood with far more firmness and vigour than I supposed it
was possible for him to possess , so soon after his extreme exhaustion . He walked slowly up to the dead body of Hinkle and looked upon it , calmly , for a minute ; then turning to me , his eyes starting from beneath his fiercely knitted brows , he said : — " Stranger , was I right or wrong ?" " Right , " I replied , with emphasis . " I've spilt blood ever sence I was a boy ; but—this , here , is the firs ' drop of human blood I ever shed . " As he uttered these words , his shaggy brows knit more intensely , and his whole visage assumed a hard and fixed expression of horror . Anxious to lessen , in some degree , the painfulncss of his reflections , I
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scenes In America.
SCENES IN AMERICA .
BY A NATIVE . Continued from page 82 . THERE , stretched upon the earth , were the two combatants , Hinkle in death , and Ball in its semblance ; whilst the wounded lad had his gaze so riveted upon the slain enemy of his father , that he was totally unobservant of the state in ivhich that father lay . The scene had changed in tin instant
from the heat of murderous strife , to the most awful stillness ; and , by the sudden reaction , my senses became so benumbed , that I had to struggle through a moment of bewilderment before I could command myself to make the exertions which circumstances required of me . " Jack , " said I , " your father has fainted ; where is the nearest water ?" The poor boy now turned his eyes upon his parent , and stared on him with an expression almost of derangement . " Do not be alarmed ; your father has only fainted , " I repeated ; " tell where find water ?
me I can tjuickest some " tie jirked off his hat , gave it to me , and more by signs than words , directed me to a little branch ivhich poured itself into the stream we had lately crossed . I ran as rapidly as the impediments of occasional brushwood and trunks of fallen trees would permit me , and was soon back with the hat full of water . As I returned , I perceived Jack pulling at his father ' s hands and calling to him distractedly , being in the greatest terror lest he should be dead as well as his antagonist . " Did he stick him with his knife ? " inquired Jack . " No , he did' not . Be assured , Jack , your father is not hurt , and will soon be revived . "
AVe threw some water in his face and on his wrists ; chafed his temples ; slapped the palm of one hand , for the other was excessively gushed ; and with all our best , though rude appliances , promoted returning animation . The old man at length drew a slow , convulsive respiration , and threw outwards his arms . AVe then dragged him to a tree , propped him with his buck against it , and succeeded in getting him to swallow some water from the hat . By degrees he fully recovered his consciousness , and uttered a few syllables ; but I insisted upon his remaining perfectly silent for some
minutes . Presently he asked for more water , and I brought him another hat full , of ivhich he drank copiously , to the great satisfaction of Jack , who , with the instinct of filial fondness , had crouched himself close to his father . At length the old man , resting one hand upon the ground , raised himself to his feet ; aud stood with far more firmness and vigour than I supposed it
was possible for him to possess , so soon after his extreme exhaustion . He walked slowly up to the dead body of Hinkle and looked upon it , calmly , for a minute ; then turning to me , his eyes starting from beneath his fiercely knitted brows , he said : — " Stranger , was I right or wrong ?" " Right , " I replied , with emphasis . " I've spilt blood ever sence I was a boy ; but—this , here , is the firs ' drop of human blood I ever shed . " As he uttered these words , his shaggy brows knit more intensely , and his whole visage assumed a hard and fixed expression of horror . Anxious to lessen , in some degree , the painfulncss of his reflections , I