They might look upon it as a good joke, while to me it was a serious
matter.
Had there been anything to do in Washington County, it was my
intention to go to work. The dredging company had departed for newer
fields, there was no other work in sight, and I was compelled to fold
my hands and bide my time. My crony and I blotted out the days by
hunting deer and turkeys, using hounds for the former and shooting the
animals at game crossings. By using a turkey-call we could entice the
gobblers within rifle-shot, and in several instances we were able to
locate their roosts. The wild turkey of Texas was a wary bird, and
although I have seen flocks of hundreds, it takes a crafty hunter to
bag one. I have always loved a gun and been fond of hunting, yet the
time hung heavy on my hands, and I counted the days like a prisoner
until I could go to work. But my sentence finally expired, and
preparations were made for my start to Austin. My friends offered
their best wishes,--about all they had,--and my old comrade went so
far as to take me one day on horseback to where he had an acquaintance
living. There we stayed over night, which was more than half way to my
destination, and the next morning we parted, he to his home with the
horses, while I traveled on foot or trusted to country wagons. I
arrived in Austin on the appointed day, with less than five dollars in
my pocket, and registered at the best hotel in the capital.
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