Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-09-25
"LlrTLE RLEyINS."
1lY FRED. w. LOKING.

Ut away !IoM Mm m,accOfdin8 to their personal
taste and opinion. For about M. English
opinion was divided in the camp That he
told good story or bad one vitha man
ner all his own was acknowledged but
some objected to that manner. For nav
part did object to Mr.. English. I suspect
ed him OF stealing some triaing articles O
my property, to be sure; and on one occa
saon, indeed, I had q slight disaRreemen,
with him about his profanity. Nf:.Enelisl
was severely simple in his style Of swear
ing, using only the elementary oath, b,
Cd" This expression, repeated with in
tervals OF few words, as Il it were a sor
OF csesura, becomes unpleasant after a littl,
while, especially if the unwilling saditor j,
trying to write down his ideas at The time
30 that, on my requesting Mr.. English t.
be quiet, he muttered something to himself
and afterward con6ded TO- his oompanionl
his intention of killing M h soma asecluded
mountain pass upon the first opportunity,
Mr.. English's fondness for 1lfauor wa,
not objectionable to me, as in the Wild can
yons of the Little Muddy, which our expe
dition was then exploring, liquor could with
difficulty be obtained. So Frequently be
came an auditor Of Mr.: English's oamn.firt
rccitals; always ss if aocidentallv. beta,,sf
! feared what the effect Of Familiarity witl
him might possibly be. On this occasion. as
Mr.. English began his customary formula
l strolled near, and said carelcssfv:
lish ?" e
4" / was just going to relate, cir. 4 triflina
circumstance about Little Blevils,,' replied
MIR. English gravely. a7,e
"Go ahead" said I, carelessly. throwing
myself ON the ground near him.
1T WAS when first came out, sir.n said
Mr.. English, "that met little Blevins.
Blevins, sir, was a specimen of class Won
often sees in these parts as we'll as else.
where. They may be a-dwelling in aristo.
cratic mansions, or camping with q
blanket on the face of Natur' but they are
biovinses all the same. Little Blevins wa,
bright-eyed little chap-quite as pretty az
any girl, sir. with blue eyes and red cheek,
and brown hair. sir, which curled lightly
over his head: He was always smiling and
laughing, and almost every one that come
nigh him would putout his hand and nat
him ON the shoulder, or squeeze hold Of
him, or something of that sort. Only when
Blevins had any work to do it was quite
astonishing how many would sec him look
discouraged and offer to help him. and
how much help he'd get out of them They
always called him Little Blevins then,
and kind Of regarded him as baby. Our
shoulders grew bent and STOPPING with lift
ing and toiling: but Blevins' was neat and
soft Oh he was great chap, that Blevins
was-poor little mean rascal They told
mighty queer stories about Blevins when.
ever bis back was turned, but the moment
they sec him they become very devoted. I
don't know how it was, sir, but it seems
to me took a sort of satisfaction in hear.
ing them say what a liar he was. The great
advantage OF Blevins lay in two things
first, the prepossessiugness of his personal
appearance, and, second, that he never got
rlled. The man who gets riled in camp is
sure to come to an untimcly end if he can't
lay over his adversary. But when vou'd
say to Little Blevins, 'Blevins that's a
lie, he'd just kind of laugh and saw. .Wall.
knew it was; but couldn't helm it,, oi.
words to that effect, aud the answered seem
80 mighty soft thst whar was our wrath ?
And many and many's tho time I've said to
him, 'Blevins, I'll burst your eve for that.
and he would reply: Burst, if yer want
to, Bill English; but what's the use Of it )
And, being naturally fond of argument.
them words would set me to thinking. and
Blevins would always get off easy. Well.
You SEQ Blevins done a little too much for his
own good, and the Vigilantes hunted him
out OF Sarah's Fetch. Sarah's Fetch was
quite town then, though it's busted now.
They cotched Blevins, and all his pretty
ways wouldn't have saved him. Twas theer.
and all on 'om looked up to me. knowin~ I
was q bene6cent kind of person. and g.
ing Blevins in the midst of the crowd 7
says: What does tl.is mean?' saws I.
IT means hanging says one Of tho BOYS.
What, says l., hang Little Blevins3'
You bot,' says the chairman.
We'll, now look here, boys says I, let's
look at this question ar9umentatiye. we'll,
that interested them, for they all knew nv
ability in that ine, aud t proceeded to
continue:
Blevins, you say is raskle and a liar
them two propositions I will not here con.
trovert. But tho point which mostly cali
your attention is this: What are Won
going to hang Blevins for? To Get rid o1
him, amt it3 Of course it ia. But vhv
don't You send him to another town in thai
case. Because, and tho reason is obvious,
there amt no settlement near, Well. ri
take him along with me. md now how are
your
We'll, the long and short of it was TIM,
they concluded to give him another show
Well, they used to tell mo stories to the
discountenancing Of Little Blevins. and
though it always tickled mo wonderful tG
hear them, still was mighty fond Of him
I'd give in to him, and know was \ foo1
for doing it, and was sure that he'd 90 bacl
on on mo eventually, end yot I'd give III
i'll
never denied (thongh of course. it wouldn't
have mado no difference to me- If he had
abouta Now York girl who oamo ont r.
Frisco years ago, all for love Of him. .ra;rst
the will Of her father, and when eho aot mi
there Blevins wouldn't have her. Hasa;d
ho didn't 30 much on disobedient daugh
tors, "a they warn't no account % wives
However it didn't matter much to tho,
girl; for several of Blevins' friends. hearing
how she WAS disengagcd, applied to her nj
once, and she married fortunate. Well. n
me and Blcvins had petered out on about
everything he'd undertook, and nv friendl
demonstrated to mo good deal; but gcner
osity was always my pervading fault, be
sides which knew they'd all on 'om be o
their tempery wrath, for he was just a
pretty in his ways as any girl you eve
zee, and that's the truth So me ant
Blevins was together, with lots of cattle
and Blevins was protesting his gratitude t,
mo daily, when we como on an emigrau
train.
Bievins was a-saying to mo, with tha
loving expression of countenance, how
had saved his lifo,and how ho'd always sticl
by mo; ; and l was replying, though I neve
took much stock in what he said, az how h
was welcome to what I'd done for him. ant
while had crust he should share it, whe,
we see that emigrant train coming. Well
l always had an eye to business, and pro
posed to Blovins to divide the stock ant
como upon 'em as two distinct concerns
whereby we might make more of our sales