Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-05-17
i, You We raised nae Out, pard. "

"Tve got it now, SOS you savvy,'
said he. What we want is gospe
sharp. SeeY
" A what"
Gospel sharp--parson."
"Ohl Why didn't you say so before
| am clergyman-a parson."
Now you talk You see my blind
and straddle it like a man. Put il
therel Extending brawny paw
which closed over the minister's small
hand and gave it shake indicative oi
fraternal sympathy and fervent gratif-
cation. Now we're all right, pard. Let's
start fresh. Don'tyou mind me snuffing
a little, becauz we are in a power Of
trouble. You see one of the boys has
gone up the fume-"
Gone where2"
Up the aume-throw'd up the sponge,
you know
Thrown up the sponge?"
Yes--kicked the bucket
Ali has departed to that mysterious
country from whose bourne no traveller
returns"
Return2 Well, reckon not. Why,
pard, he's dead"
Yes, | understand"
oh, you do2 Well, thought maybe
you might be getting tangled once more
Yes, you see he's dead again"
Again Why, has he ever been dead
before2"
dead before? No. Do you under
stand man has got as many lives as
cat? But you bet he's awful dead ROW,
poor old boy, and / wish I'd never seen
this day. don't know no better friend
than Buck Fanshaw. / know'd him by
the back, and when know a man like
him-you hear me. Take him all around,
pard, there never was a bulier man in
the mines. No man ever knowed Buck
Fanshaw 90 back on friend. But it's
all up, yo1 know; it's all up. 1t amt no
use. They've scooped him"
"Scooped him2'
"Yes-death has. Well, we'll, well,
we've got to give him up. Yes, indeed.
It's a kind of hard world, after all, amt
it2 But, pard, he was a rustler. You
ought to see him get started once. He
was bully boy with glass eyel Just
spit in his face and give him room ac-
cording to his strength, and it was Just
beautiful to see him peel and go in. He
was the worst son of thief that ever
draw'd breath. Pard, he was on it. He
was it bigger than Injunl'
"On it? On what2'
"On the shoot On the shoulder. On
the fight. Understand? He didn't give
a continental-for anybody. Beg your
pardon, friend, for coming so near say
ing cuss word-but you see L m on an
awful strain in this palaver, on account
ofhaving to cram down and draw every
thing so mild. But we've got to give
him up. There amt any getting around
that | don't reckon. Now, if we can't
get you to help plant him"
" Preach the funeral discourse? Assist
at the obsequies?'
"0bs'q quies is good. Yes. That's it;
that's our little game, We are going to
get up the thing regardless, you know.
He was always nifty himself, and SO you
bet you his funeral aint goin' to be no
slouch; solid silver door-plate on his
coffin, six plumes on the hearse, and a
niger on the box with billed shirt and
a plug hat-how that for high2 And
we'll take care of you, pard. Wen fix
you all right There will be kerridge
for you; and whatever you want you just
scape out and we'll tend to it. We've
got shebang fixed up for you to stand
behind in No. Is house. and don't you be
afraid. Just go in and toot your horn,
if you don't sell claim. Put Buck |
through as bully as you can, pard, for
anybody that know'd him will tell you
that he was one of the whitest men that |
was ever in the mines. You can't draw
it too strong He never could stand it |
to see things going wrong. He's done
more to make this town peaceable than |
any man in it. I've see him lick four
Greasers in eleven minutes myself. If |
a thing wanted regulating, he warn't the
man to 60 browsing around after some
body to do it; he would prance in and
regulate it himself. He warn't Cath
olic; but it didn't make no difference
about that when it came down to what a
mans right was-and so, when some
roughs jumped the Catholic boneyard
and started in to stake out town lots in
it, he went for 'em And he cleaned
EN-, tool | was there and see it, my
sell" ...........
That was very well, indeed-at least
The impulse was-whether the act was
strictly defensible or not. Had deceased
any religious convictions2 That is to
'ay, did he feel a dependence upon, or
acknowledge allegiance to a higher
Dower2"
More reflection.
reckon you've stumped me again,
'ard. Could you say it over once more,
md say it slow?"
Well, to simplify It somewhat, was
le, or rather had he ever been connected !
With any organization sequestered from
ocular concerns and devoted to self |
acrifiee in the interest of morality?"
All down but one-sct EN- up on the
ther alley, pardl"
What did / understand you to say2" {
Why, you're most too many for me,
on know. When you get in with your {
sft, | hunt grass every time" S
How2 Begin again2" G
That's it. I
Very well. Was he a good man, and c
There-see that; don't put up an q
ther chip till look at my hand. A t
oOd man, says your Pard, it amt no \
anne for 1t. He was the best man that I
you would have dotted on +
lat man. He could lam any galoot Of t
is inches in America Il was him that h
ut down the riot last election before it B
NJ n start. and ovarvhodr caid that he G.