The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-05-05
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moment, and then said:
You ruther hold over me, pard.
reckon can't call that hand. Ante and
pass the buck"
"How2 beg pardon. What did 1
understand you to say n"
"Well, jou've ruther got the bnlge on
me. Or maybe we've both got the
bulge, somehow. You don't smoke me
and / don't smoke you. You see one of
the boys has passed in his checks, and
we want to give him good send of. and
so the thing I'm on now is to get some
body to jerk little chin music for us
and waltz him through handsomely"
"My friend, seem to grow more and
more bewildered. Your observations
are incomprehensible to me. Cannot
you simplify them in some way2 At
first thought understood you, but
grope now. Would it not expedite mat
ters if you restricted yourself to cate
gorical statements Of fact, unencum-
bered with obstructing accumulations
of metaphor and allegory2"
Another pause, and more reflection.
Then said Scotty:
cru have to pass, Judge"
"Howf"
"You've raised me out, pard."
"I still fail to catch your meaning"
"Why, that last lead of yourn is too
many for me-that's the idea. / can't
neither trump nor follow suit"
The clergyman sank back in his chair
perplexed. Scotty leaned his head on
his hand and gave himself up TO thought.
Presently his face came up, sorrowful,
but confident.
"I've got it now, SOS you can savvy,"
he said. "What we want ia gospel
sharp. See9"
ga WHAT"
"Gospel-sharp. Parson."
"Oh!" Why did you not say so be-
forea lam clergyman-a parson.
"Now you talk You see my blind
and straddle it like a man. Put it
there Extending brawny paw,
which closed over the minister's small
hand and gave it shake indicative of
fraternal sympathy and fervent gratii-
cation.
"Now we're all right, pard. Let's
start fresh. Don't you mind my
muffling ittle-becuz we're III o
power of trouble. You see, one of the
boys has gone up the fume-"
"Gone where2"
Cup the fume-throwed up the
sponge. You understand"
"Thrown up the sponge?"
Yes-kicked the bucket"
"Ah-has departed to that mysterious
country from whose bourne no traveller
returns"
"Return reckon not. Why, pard,
he's dead !"
"Yes, understand.
"Oh, you do9 Well, / thought
maybe you might be getting tangled
some more. Yes, you see he's dead
again" -
"Again 2 Why, has he ever been
dead before2"
"Dead beforeY Mol Do you reckon
a man has as many lives as cat? But
you bet he's awful dead now, poor old
boy, and wish I'd never seen this day.
1 don't want no better friend than Buck
Fanshaw. 1 knowed him by the back
and when / know q man like him.
freeze to him-you hear me. Take him
all round, pard, there never was bullier
man in the mines. No man ever knowed
Buck Fanshaw to go back on a
friend. But it's all up, you know, it's
all up. 1t amt no use. They've seooped
him."
"Scooped him?"
"Yes-death has. Well, well, well,
we've got to give him up. Yes, indeed.
It's kind of hard world, after all, amt
it, But, pard, he was q rustler You
ought to see him get started once. He
was bully boy with glass eyei 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 a thief that ever
drawed breath. Pard, he was on it He
was on it bigger than an Injun !"
"On its On what 7"
Son the shoot. On the shoulder. On
the fight, you understand. He didn't
give continental for anybody. Beg
your pardon, friend, for coming so near
saying cuss- word-but you see I'm on
an awful strain in this palaver, on ac-
count of having to cramp down and draw
everything so mild. Bat we've got to
give him up. There ein't any g tting
around that, don't reckon. Now if we
can get You to help pant him"
"Preach the funeral DISCOURSE As
sist at the obsequiesf" fh
"Obs'quies is good. Yes. That's
it-that's our htt$c game. We are going
to get the thing up regardless, you
know. He was always nifty himself, and
so you bet yen his funeral amt going
to be no sloNch solid silver door plate
on his coffin, six plumes on the hearso,
and nigger on the box in bid shirt
and plug hat-how's that for high
And we'll take care of yot, pard. Well
Ok you ell right. There'n be a kerridge
for you and whatever you want, you
JUST 'scape out and Wen tend TO it.
We've got a shebang fixed up for you
to. stand behind in No. rs house, and
ilon't you be afraid. Just go in and
toot your horn, if you don't sell clam.
Put Buck through as bully as You can,
pard, for anybody that knowed 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 has done more to make this town
quiet and peaceable than any man in it.
I've seen him lick four Greasers in elev-
en- minutes, myself. II thing wanted