Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-08-05

heaven he may not take it into his head
to add me to his museum p
s'Thar's one vantage I've got with
this weepun, pursued the Yankee, az
kin always tell at first sight O. a man
whether I'm gwyne to kill him some
day or not
SHOWS that?" asked I, not without
secret shudder and a slight anxiety as
to which way the scale had turned with
regard to myself. Il
"Wal, jest this way; whenever I
meet a man that I'm bound to rub out
some day, the hammer O this revolver's
sure to gin a sorter click-so-just to
show that he knows his duty 'spectin'
that individual; and he never makes
mistakes, he don't"
The perfect air of conviction with
which he said this was the reverse of
agreeable. and I could not help reflect
ing: GA pretty thing, if this precious
pistol should have happened to click
when he saw me first, and he should
think it necessary to vindicate its in
falibility?" My countenance probab
expressed some disquietude, for nv
companion suddenly broke my medita-
tone "Yu hain't no call to be skeared.
stranger; he didn't click at sight of VII,
and I'm kinder glad ont, for yu're
good kumpeny in yu're way, although
yu are tarnation green the way O. the
world" ..F.. ~
AS this estimate of my abilities was
too deeply rooted to admit of refuta-
ton, l let it pass, merely inquiring
whether the fatal augury had ever
proved false.
"Never, stranger" he replied en-
phatically. "Yu can't 'spect prophecy
to go wrong, and that ar weepun's a
prophet, jest as much as Danl or Eel.
[ won't say that / wouldn't hev ben glad
one time, to catch him slippin' and
reezun gud tew; but you mout as we'll
'spect Gin raj Grant to be 'fraid, as this
weepun to tell a lie.''
asked /. s..... -.
oval, seem it's you, stranger, I
don't mind tellin', though 1 amt so
precious spry at talkin' on that ar sub
Ject, [ swar. It's good fewyear now
sin [ happened Oh TELLER who hailed
from village on the|Mississippi, called
Burnt Clearin', cause a fire they had
there once on time; and we froze to-
gether powerful, and war just like all to
one. Wharever one went, tother did
and if this un had dollar, that un
war good for fifty cent ont, least thing.
We went down river to Moo Orleans,
and up to Philadelphy by the cars, and
BASTARD to Charleston on tradin' spec
and [ tell we, we fetched up the dollars
right smart. I saved him from bein'
chawed up by bar that looked plaguy
angshus to make his closer 'ouintes,
and he saved me from bein' drowned in
the food time, when my canoe got
turned over agin snag; and altogeth-
er, stranger, you must hev TUX us for
David and Jonathan cum alive agin.
But all the while thar war one thot
hangin' in my mind like risin' cloud
in summer, that spiles the look O. the
hull 81 y-and that war the recollection
that my weepun. fust time he ever seen
this teller, he'd gin click
The cold, clear tone of his voice at
these last words, slightly tinged with
sorrow, was such as a compassionate
Judge might use in pronouncing SEN
tence OF death; and to me Guessing as
l did what was to Gomez it had a sound
indescribably dreary and ominous. "I
used to try and laugh myself out O.
that air fancy by sayin': 'Whatever's
possible, that amt Why, to think o
our quarrelin' I'D be like man cuttin'
hisself in half, and fghtin' right hand
agin left. But let me talk as liked,
the thot stuck in my head like nail in
a new log, and wouldn't go away. And
at last, stranger, the time came when it
war morn thot. One year early IN
the fail, we We're down in Kansas, trad
in about in spots, and maxim q pretty
tol'able haul till one day we greed to
tote up the profits, and make fair di-
vision, 'causn next mornin' he war
startin' off to Burnt Clearin' to see his
folks, and [ were bound to make tracks
for Boston on some business of my
own. Wal, evenin' cum, and a ter lick
erin up spell, to lie up our brains fur
the ciperin, we couldn't cum to right
settlement O. our two shares, nowhow
we could fix it; and what with the ticker
we'd he'd, and the worry O. ciperin', we
both commenced to git rayther savager-
GUS. At last up he jumps and hollers
OuG, i LOU nave Ueen SO tlunQarln
keen if I'd known that my pardner were
nothin' but darned mean bint- Shawn
thief of a Yankee!' At them words a
shiver run all through me, like them
'lectric fixins that book-larned folks tell
on, and my right hand few out as if
somebody moved it, and fetched him
lick tween the eyes that brou't him
down like pine in clearin'. Gle war
a fine teller, bigger'n me some way, and
all the way out as hard; and by lingo
'twar regular pleasure knockin' him
DOWN. Up he got, lookin' mighty
wrathy; and says he, It'll take little
smell O. burnt powder to put away the
smell O. that air blow-cum out into the
forest. The sun were settin' and every
thin were dead still, as if waitin' to see
what we'd do. I follered him out
readily huff, for [ war cool as an icicle,
now know'd the job had got to cum
through; but when [ seed the dyin'
light streamin' down the shadowy
arches of the forest and the aver1a s+in,