white hair at first reminded you of Andrew Jackson. He was curious to
know my calling. I told him. �Oh you be an Artist? ah! I under-
stand! Draws teeth? Adzactly!� Another traveller shortly afterwards
arrived, who was addressed as �the Doctor�, and seemed well known to the
family. Old Warren told some queer stories, very suggestive of Alabama
life. He & the Doctor spoke much of one �Rube�, a lawyer, in a
town adjacent. How he addressed the Judge with �You think yourself
mighty big, settin� up thar�, but jest you come down and I�ll pound your
head good!� �Ah!� said the Doctor �Rube�s a horse!� �Ah!� said old
Warren �and he�s hosses to deal with!� The old man got talking of himself.
How he�d �fout� cawding-duels in his boy days. How, latterly, they�d
�run him� for Justice of the Peace. How he�d ordered unlimited whiskey
�red eye�, made a speech, and got elected. But the voters getting drunk, had
got to fighting, whereupon our Justice of the Peace felt the
carnal man stir within him, in emalation. Said he �I couldn�t stand
it, it was a free fight � so I took off old Baptist� (I suppose his coat,)
went in, and knocked down six of �em!� He talked much too of
rattlesnakes, and of a root which was an antidote to them, and believed
that if held over one, it would kill him! He was a great democrat,
in politics, talked about �Mr Clay� being �our enemy�, and believed Van Buren
to be worse than the Devil. With his quaint, hard way and talk, he was
a Character.
17. Monday. Joined, before breakfast by Keene Richards. He had
negociated about the horse Peytona, and telegraphed on to New Orleans,
agreeing to give $2000 for the mare. But telegraph didn�t work, so he came
on without ratifying the bargain. He had on returning to Tuscumbria found
a great state of excitement in that little town. Certain citizens had slandered
one another about a house of ill fame, one had got a challenge sent him, got
frightened and left the place; six fisty-cuff fights had come off; a gambler
