SMALL | MEDIUM
was yet sufficiently master of myself to see that any ebullition of
rage on my part, would only confirm the impressions which they
had received of my insanity. I said little therefore, and that lit-
tle was confined to an attempt to explain the chase of yesterday,
which Jake Sturgis had made the subject of such a mischievous
"affidavy." But as I could not do this without laughter, I in-
curred the danger of the whip. My laugh was ominous. -- Jake
edged off once more to the roadside; the man beside me, got his
bludgeon in readiness, and the potent wagon whip of the leader
of the party, was uplifted in threatening significance. Laughter
was clearly out of the question, and it naturally ceased on my
part, as I got in sight of the "pen" in which I was to be kept se-
cure. This structure is one well known to the less civilized re-
gions of the country. It is a common place of safe keeping in
the absence of gaols and proper officers. It is called technically
a "bull pen," and consists of huge logs, roughly put together,
crossing at right angles, forming a hollow square, -- the logs too
massy to be removed, and the structure too high to be climbed,
particularly if the prisoner should happen to be, like myself, fair-
ly tied up hand and foot together. I relucted terribly at being
put into this place. I pleaded urgently, struggled fiercely, and
was thrust in neck and heels without remorse; and, in sheer hope-
lessness and vexation, I lay with my face prone to the earth, and
half buried among the leaves, weeping, I shame to confess it, the
bitter tears of impotence and mortification.
Meantime, the news of my capture went through the country;
-- not my capture, mark me, but that of the famous madman,
Archy Dargan, who had broke Hamilton jail. This was an
event, and visitors began to collect. My captors, who kept watch
on the outside of my den, had their hands full in answering ques-
tions. Man, woman and child, Squire and ploughboy, and, finally,
"I can't see his face," said one.
"Stir him with a long pole!" -- and I was greatly in danger of
being treated as a surly bear, refusing to dance for his keeper;
since one of mine seemed very much disposed to gratify the spec-
tator, and had actually begun sharpening the end of a ten foot
hickory, for the purpose of pricking me into more sociableness.
He was prevented from carrying his generous design into effect
by the suggestion of one of his companions.
"Better don't, Bosh; if ever he should git out agen, he'd put
his ear mark upon you."
"Reckon you're right," was the reply of the other, as he laid
his rod out of sight.
Meanwhile, the people came and went, each departing visitor
sending others. A couple of hours might have elapsed leaving
me in this humiliating situation, chained to the stake, the beast of
a bear garden, with fifty greedy and still dissatisfied eyes upon me.
Of these, fully one fourth were of the tender gender; some pitied
me, some laughed, and all congratulated themselves that I was
safely laid by the heels, incapable of farther mischief. It was not
the most agreeable part of their remarks, to find that they all uni-
versally agreed that I was a most frightful looking object. Wheth-
er they saw my face or not, they all discovered that I glared
frightfully upon them, and I heard one or two of them ask in un-
der tones, "did you see his teeth -- how sharp!" I gnashed them
with a vengeance all the while, you may be sure.