Всадник без головы

Chapter 1

           Thetravellingcarriage,whichisa"carriole"—asortofcrossbetweenaJerseywaggonandabarouche—hastwooccupants.Oneisayoungladyofthewhitestskin;theotheragirloftheblackest.TheformeristhedaughterofWoodleyPoindexter—hisonlydaughter.Sheofthesablecomplexionistheyounglady’shandmaid.

           Theemigratingpartyisfromthe"coast"oftheMississippi—fromLouisiana.TheplanterisnothimselfanativeofthisState—inotherwordsaCreole;butthetypeisexhibitedinthecountenanceofhisson—stillmoreinthatfairface,seenoccasionallythroughthecurtainsofthecarriole,andwhosedelicatefeaturesdeclaredescentfromoneofthoseendorseddamsels—fillesàlacasette—who,morethanahundredyearsago,cameacrosstheAtlanticprovidedwithproofsoftheirvirtue—inthecasket!

           AgrandsugarplanteroftheSouthisWoodleyPoindexter;oneofthehighestandhaughtiestofhisclass;oneofthemostprofuseinaristocratichospitalities:hencethenecessityofforsakinghisMississippianhome,andtransferringhimselfandhis"penates,"—withonlyaremnantofhis"niggers,"—tothewildsofsouth-westernTexas.

           Thesunisuponthemeridianline,andalmostinthezenith.Thetravellerstreadupontheirownshadows.Enervatedbytheexcessiveheat,thewhitehorsemensitsilentlyintheirsaddles.Eventheduskypedestrians,lesssensibletoitsinfluence,haveceasedtheirgarrulous"gumbo;"and,instragglinggroups,shamblelistlesslyalongintherearofthewaggons.

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