Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-11-24
CHAPTER XVIII.
ODns AND ENDS.

| sometimes, 10y q curious perVerSlty,
called, 1.-THE rock-in-sprirg," was a
| spring running out of a cave-like fis-
sure in a high limestone cliff. Here
| the old man sheltered himself on that
| dreaTy Christmas evening, until Bud
| brought his roam colt to the top of the
cliff above, and he and Ralph helped
the old man up the cliff and into the
saddle. Ralph went back TO bed, but
| Bud, who was only too eager TO put in
| his best licks. walked 10y the side of
| old John Pearson the six miles over to
Buckeye Run, and at last, after eleven
O'Clock. he deposited him in hollow
| sycamore by tie road, there to wait
| the coming of the maiI-wagon that
would carry him into Jackson Coun
ty.
| Good by, 'rsad the basket-nlaker.
as Bud mounted the colt TO, return.
"Ef I'm wanted jest send me Yead ),
and I'll makea foriard movement any
| time. | don't Ike tins ere thing of
running off in the nighttime. But l
reckon General Winfield Scott would
"a ordered retreat eff he'd a been in
my shoes. I'm lots Obleeged tn you.
Akurdim' TO my tell. we're all of US
selfish in everything; but I'll be dog
on'd ef l don't believe you and one ar
two more is exceptions"
Whether ii WIS that the fact that
Pete Jones had got colisii able shuCk
UP dem0raliZedh his followers, or wheth
er it was that the Old mans flight Was
sue ep.cted, the mob did not turI. out iu
very great force, and the tarriug WA:
postponed indefinitely, for by the time
they came together il became known
somehow that ihe man with a wooden
leg had outruH them all. But The es-
cape of one devoted victim did not
mnllify the feelings Of the people TO-
ward the next one.
BY the time Bud returned his arm
was very painful, and the next day he
went under DR.. Smali's treatment to
reduce the fracture. Whatever suspi-
ciOms Bud might have OF Pete Jones,
he was not afflicted with Ralph's dread
of the silent young doctor. And if
there was anything Small admiItd, it
was physical strength and courage
Small wanted Bud on his side, and
least of all did he want him to be
Raiph's champion. SO that the silent
cool, and skiilful doctor went to work
To make an impression on Bud Means.
him also. Mrs. Means vOlleyed and
thundered in her usual style about his
takin' up with one-legged thief,
and runnin' arter that master that was
a mighty suspicious kind of a cus.o-
mrr, akordin' to her tell. She'd alters
said so. Eff she'd been consulted lie
wouldn't a been hired. He warn't lit
company fer nobody"
And old Jack Means lowed Bud
must want to have their barns burnt
like some other folks had been. Fer
his part, he had sense enough ta know
they was some people as it wouldn't
do TO set a body's self agin. And as
fer him, he. didn't butt mis- brains out
agin buckeye tree. Not when he
was sober. And so they managed, du-
ring Buds confinement TO the house.
to keep him well supplied with all the
ordinary dIscnmforts of life.
But one visit from Martha Hawkins,
ten words of kindly inquiry from her,
and the remark that his broken arm
reminded Eer of something she had
seen at the East and something some
body said the time she was TO BoSting,
were enough t''Tepay the champion
th0usand-fold for all that he suffered.
Indeed, that visit, and the recollection
of Ralph's saying that Jesus Christ
was a sort of a Flat Crs eker himself,
were mamma in the wilderness to Bud.
Poor Shocky was sick The excite
meut had been too much for him, and
though his fever was very slight it was
enough to produce just little deliri-
UNI. Either Ralph or Miss Martha
was generally at the cabin.
They're coming" said Shocky to
Ralph, they're coming. Pete Jones
is agOing TO bind me out for hundred
years. / wish Hammer would hold
me SOS he couldn't. Gods forgot all
about US here in Fiat Greek, and
there's nobody to help it."
Aud he shuddered at every sound.
He was never free from this delirious
fright except when the master held
him tight in his arms. He staggered
around the floor, the very shadow of
Shorky, and was so terrified by the APP
proach of night that Ralph staid in
Ihe cabin on "Wednesday night and
Miss Hawkins staid on Thursday
night. On Friday, Bud sent a note to
Ralph, asking him to come and see
him.
Yol sA, Mr.. Bartsook, I ha'n't
forgot what we said about putin in
our best licks for Jesus Christ. I've
been a trying to read some about him
while L set here And | read where
he said something about doing fer the
least of his brethren being all the same
like as il it wa4- done fer Jesus Christ
n sscf Now, there's Shocky. /
re, i, II pa 'als, ef anybody is a little
hrutler Of Jesus Christ, il is that
Shdcky Pete Juhya and his BROTHER
Bill IL detai mined to have him back
there to-iHorry. BeliaSe, you see,
Pcte's one of the County COminission-
ers. and io-morry's the day that they
hind out. He wants To bind our that
BOY jes' to spite ole Pearson and you
and7me. You see. the ole woman's
been helped by lhe neighbors, and
he'll claim Shocky 10 he Il pauper. aud
they a'n'tuO. humansoul here as dares
to do a ihing contrary 10 Pete
Couldn't you git him over to Lewis
burg? Tii lend you my roam colt"
Ralph though i minute. He dare
not take Shocky to the uncle's where
he found his only home. But there
was Miss Nancy Sawyer, the old maid
Y ho was everybody's blessing. lie
could ask her to keep him. And at
any rate, he would save Shocf y some
how
AS he wentout in the dusk. he met
Hannah in the lane
10 BE CoNTISUED.l