Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-26

and seated himself on a bank, and
commenced beating and patting
time with his left foot at a fearful
rate. The peddler tore round in
the dirt for about five minutes
without stopping, when he finally
paused to wipe the perspiration of
his face. "Don't stop; keep at it
you old tallewheel buzzard, or I'll
knock out your eye-tooth with a
cold slug"
The circus finally began to grow
monotonous to Uncle Epp; his
bands dropped listlessly by his side;
his head nodded to and fro, side
ways and back again, with now and
then spasmodic jerk as if the YER
tebrae Of his neck were suddenly
coming loose, and only the steady
pat, pat, pat of his left foot indi-
Gated that he was not quite asleep.
The peddler stopped and began to
think and scratch his head. "Git
at it, git at it, you old"-
"Say, boss, I've got pair O
pump-sole boots in thet ere wag-
gin; jest let me git 'em and I'll
show you a peeler of a pigeon
wing"
"Hull 'em out, then, and get at it,
you old lizard. hide, Or you'll be a
dead community fore you can say
scriwinkle."
The peddler climbed slowly into
his wagon and began to tumble
around among his luggage, keeping
one eyeball peoled on Uncle Epp,
who by this time was fast asleep.
He hauled forth from an cid chest
II horse-pistol about q foot and a
half long, with a musket cap shin
ing on the tube. Then carefully
and silently as the falling of a snow
flake he got out on the front wheel,
seated himself on the rim, with his
legs and feet set akimbo on the
hub, leyeled his gun at Uncle Eph's
eye, then grinning from ear to ear
he halloed out in d screeching voice,
" Wake up, old hoss; I've got 'em. .
Uncle Epp opened his eyes as if
waking from an Elysian dream, and
it was sometime before he could re-
alize the change which affairs had
taken, but when he did, he began
to dodge and wink as il whole
shower Of brickbats were being
thrown at him. He was always
known as a "fghting man." and it
was said Of him that he'd fight at
the drop Of a hat. So recovering
himself somewhat, his first impulse
was to take hold of that peddler by
the hind legs and wallop him
around against the wagon-wheels,
but when he looked into the barre
Of that horse-pistol and imagined
he saw a bullet crawling out right
towards him at a rate Of two thou.
sand miles per second, at which rate
it would soon come in unhealthy
proximity to his left eye, he dropped
his feathers, took in his horns a few
and concluded that the fun would
be too much all on one side. So
says he:
" Now, pard, let's quit this 'erC
foolishnsss. l know my old 'oman's
lookin' for me; and, besides, I'm
awful sick at the stomach"
Il" ! amt in no hurry" said the
peddler, holding his gun on dead
bee-line with one hand and wiping
his red face with the other. CHOW
you old scaly-hide yallergator, just
light out there, and gimme the fan.
dango, or I'll tear the top sculp
offern your nasty carcass p
"Now, pard, just let down the
lock of yer shootin'-iron (winking
and blinking), and I'll show you d
little double-shuflle, and then wen
shake hands and go home, and
won't say nuthin' bout this"
"All right" and the peddler let
down the lock of his pistol with a
snap and carelessness that mad,
Uncle Epp shiver all over and his
hair stand on end,
"Now, pard, do be a leetle more
keerful! That guns Unhealthy,
and it makes me feel uncomfortable
like, and l can't waggle my feet
good with you pintin' it this way" "
"Git at it, you old son-oi-a-gun
of a tadpole, or I'll rip out the bot.
tom of your cerebellum !"
Uncle Epp began to shuttle
around ana across ana back again
in a style that would have tickled
any one else but that mad peddler.
He finally paused to blow his nose
and wipe off the sweat which. was
running down and filling up hi;
boots. Click, click, click, went
back the pistol lock.
"Go it again, you old whisky.
sucker, or TT jest knock out one Of
your peppers for the fun of the
thing"
Uncle Epp suddenly lit into the
dust again like a house a-hre, anc
tore round a circle in the manner O
a turbine water-wheel. He put il
down right and left, up in the mid
!