Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-11-24
THE HOOSIER
SchooTHMaE&Gr.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE CHURCH MILITANT.
BY EDWARD EGGLEsToN.

I
TO him, now. But / am afraid |
shall have to acknowledge that there
was "A second motive that moved Bud
| to this championship. The good heart
Of Martha Hawkins having espOuscd
| the cause of the basket-masker, the
| heart of Bud Means could not help
feeling warmly on the same side.
Blessed is that man in whose life the
driving of duty and the drawing OF
love impel the same way! But why
speak of the driving of duty? For al
ready Bud was learning the better
lesson of serving God for the love of
God.
The old basket-maker was the most
unpopular man in Flat Creek district.
He had two great vices. He would
go To Clifiy aud have "spree" once
in three months. And he would tell
the truth in most INSCRIPTIONS man.
ner. A man given to plain speaking
was quite as Objectionable in Fiat
Creek as he would have been in
France under the Empire, the Com
mune. or the Republic. People
who live in glass houses have Il
horror of people who throw stones.-
A nd the old basket-nIaker, having no
friends. was IL good scape-gOat. In
driving him off, Pete Jones would get
rid of dangerous HpiglIlIor aud di-
vert attention from himself. The inn
mediate crime of the basket maker
was that he had happened To see too
much
Mr.. Hartsoo'l," said Bud. when
they got out into the road, you'd
better 20 straight home to the Squire's.
BrkaSs. cf this iightHiu' strikes a sec
0nd TING i'm strike awful cl0ste to
ynu. You hadn't better he seen with
u. Which way did you come,
:-hOckyw"
" Why. | tried to come down the
hollrr, but | met Jones right 10y the
biz road, and lac Swcarrd at me and
said he'd kill me cf / didn't 20 back
and staT, And 50 I went back to the
house and then slipped out through
the graveyard. You see | was bonud
la come ef got skinned. For Mr..
PcaTSnn'S stuck tn me and L mean {"
stick Ia him. you see.
Bud led Shocky through the grave
yard But wheu they reached the
forest path from the graveyard he
thought that perhaps it was not best
to show his hand" as he expressed
it, too soOH.
Now, Shocky," he said, "do you
run ahead and. tell the ole man that ]
want to see him right off down by the
Spring-in-rock I'll keep closte be
hind YOU. aud ef Anybody offers to
trouble you, do you let off a yell and
I'll be thar in no time"
When Ralph left the schOOl-h0usP
he felt mean. There were Bud and
Shocky gone on an crrand of mercy,
and he, the tTuant member of the
Church of the Best Licks, was not
with them. The more he thought of
it the more he seemed to be a coward,
and the more he despised himself; so,
yielding as usual to the first brave inn
pulse, he leaped nimbly over the fence
aud started briskly through the forest
in "a direction intersecting the path or
which were Bud and Shocky. He
came in sight just in time TO see the
first conflict of the Church in the
Wilderness with her foes.
For Shocky's little feet went more
swiftly on their eager errand thar
Bud anticipated. He got farther cut
of Buds reach than the latter intend
ed he should, and lie did not discover
Pete Jones until Pete, with his hog
drover's whip, was right upon him.
Shocky tried to halloo for Bud. but
he was like one in nightmare. The
yell died into a whisper which could
not have been heard ten feet.
| shall not repeat Mr.. J0nes's words.
They were frightfully profane. But
he did not stop at words. He swept
his whip round and gave little Shocky
one terrible cut. Then the voice was
released, and the piercing cry of pain
brought Bud down the path flying.
You goOd-for-nothing scoundrel,
Crowled Bud, you're Il coward and a
thief 10 lie a-heaten' little creetur
like him ~ and with that Bud walked
up on Jones, who prudently changed
position in such a way rs to get the
upper side of the hill.
3" Well, I'll gin you the upper side,
but come on" cried Bud, "ef you
amt afeared to fight somebody be-
sides a poor. little, sickly baby or a
crippled soldier. Come OF ~
Pete was no insignificant antagonist.
He had been great fighter, and Ills
we'll seasoned arms were like iron.-
lie had not the splendid set of Bud,
but he had more skill and experience
iu the rude tournament of fists to
which the LackwoodS is 50 much given.
Now, being out OF sight of witnesses
and sure that he could lie about the
fight afterwards, he did not scruple to
take advantages which would have
diSgraccd him forever ii he had taken
them in public fight on election or
ID In lnsast Ia
and hp cluhbed his whip-stalk, strik-
ing Bud will all his force with the
heavy end. which coWard-like, he had
loaded with lead. Bud threw up ms
strong left arm and parrlcd the HIoW,
which. however, WAS 81 fierce that III
fractured one of the bones OF the arm.
Throwing away his whip he rushed
upun Bud furiuusly, intending To over
power hiH. bat 1iud slipped quickly
to one side and let Jones pass down
the hill. aud as Jones came up again
Means dealt him one crushing blow
that sent him full length upon tie
ground. Nothing bat the leaves saved
him from a most terrible fal. Jones
sprang To lis feet more angry than
ever at being whipped 10y one whom
lac regarded as boy, and drew a long
dirk-knife. But Pete WAS blind with
rage. and Bud lodged the knife, and
this time gave Pete blow on the nose
which marred the homeliness of that
feature. and doubled the fellow up
against tree ten feet away.
Ralph came in sight in time Ia see
the beginning of the fight, and he ar
rived on the ground just as i'eie Jones
went down under the well-dealt blow
from the only remaining fist of Bud
Meaus.
While Ralph tied up Buds disabled
left arm Pete picked himself up slow
ly, and. muttering that he felt consid'-
able shuck up lke,n crawled away
like a whipped puppy. To every one
whom he met, Pete whose intellect
seemed % have weakened in symPn-