The Portland daily press., 1880-06-14
After Fourteen Years.


other day, having parted from him but
snort time previously i'll his English home;
but then, as Leonard says, she is nothing if
not sportsman and thinks little of cross
ing the Att ,ntic to have shy at our big
game on the vast hunting ground of the
West
After our first greetings | asked him,
"Well, old fellow, where do you come from,
or where are you bound just noa?'
81 came last from Florida" he answered,
''where | saw capital sport, all the way
from feathers up to men,"
CLOVIS that??" laughed. ''Ynu surely
didn't unearth any of the braves down in
that region?"
Not exactly" he replied, ''but 1 came
across curious phase of southern vendetta
that would furnish rare chapter in the
romance of everyday life-such one, in
deed, as l never experienced before
..'You rouse my curiosity to pitch that
demands satisfaction l said; $50 be good
and accept my challenge to dine with me
tonight and give me the benefit of your bit
ofromance."
So we parted for the nonce, and the story
my friend subsequently related prefer to
give in his own language.
son arriving ON this side," he said, Il
was much embarrassed by the difficulty of
choosing where to indulge my pet proclivi-
ter from our friend, General c., who
dwet with enthusiasm on the deer buffa-
loes, bears and Indians of the far West;'
but as my time did not permit, | turned
from this alluring prospect and betook my
self to the st. John river in Florida, there
engaging the services of one William Tryan
better known as Chunky Bill in alusion
to his thickset, muscular conformation-as
huntsman. boatman, guide and general fac
fOtum We SET ont one 1ay in his canaa in
quest of deer, Chunky Bill padding away at
4 great rate. l found him taciturn, sparing
of his words, except in Oaths, but prodi9al
of his thews and sinews. Under his pow
erful stroke the light craft flew like strong
winged bird over the dark stream, past the
marshy banks, wooded to the waters edge,
and l was just losing myself in the wreath
ing smoke of my pipe as it curled and floated
upward, adding to the passive languor of
forced repose, when a sudden shout from
the hunter startled me from my semi-som-
nolent condition.
Say, boss said my guide, Il reckon yer'd
best stow yerself away for a SPELL
why on earth should 1 stow myself
away? 1 see no reason for hiding
'Waal, fact is, Hefty Tom Stidgers is
comm upstream"
And what of that?' snapped out rather
iinpatiently. what have l TO do with Mr.
Stidgers% EkF - -
S'Waal, yer see, Tom and me is on shoot
in terms, and every time we meet we air
kind er bound to have crack at each other;
so L reckon, cap'n, as yer amt in this deal,
yer oughtn't ter put up any stakes This
here muss amt none of your funeral, but,
dern me, it might be if you go settin up
thar spell longer
Here was charming situation! To be
thousands of miles from home, in a semi
niuilt 1ad rtru hot,
desperadoes burning to engage in an aquatic
duel, remonstrance utterly useless and in
reference positively dangerous, with the
added agreeable prospects of our light craft
being upset in broad rapid river thickly
tenanted by aligators, coupled with the
possibility of being accidentally picked off
by Mr.. Stidgerr's rifle.
However, there was no time for reflection,
as Hefty Tom was rapidly nearing us, and,
thinking that discretion was the better part
of valor in this tight place, I followed
Chunky BiPs advice, and lay down toel-
ably well under cover, breathing many
prayer for the success of our side. Peeping
over the edge OF the canoe, saw that our
opponent was waiting, rifle in hand, for us
to come within range-a feat that Chunky
BilPs muscular strokes were accomplishing
with delectable rapidty, while his weapon,
ready cooked, lay close at hand so that at
the slightest movement of his adversary the
paddle could be dropped and the rifle seized.
Not sound broke the death-like silence
save the light plash of the paddle as we shot
nearer to the enemy. AS we came within
range the Chunky one, dropping his paddle.
seized his weapon with lightning rapidity.
The loud and almost simultaneous reports
rang out as accurately as though the COM
batants had fired at signal. The whir and
ricochet of Stidgers's bullet told me that my
guide was uninjured, and moment after,
lifting his squirrel-skin cap, Chunky Bill
said in low, solemn voice, 'Squar at last,
Tom Stidgers! Poor Lip
A canoe drifting lazily down stream was
all that remained to tell that Hefty Tom
Stidgers had ever existed. CT -
confess that the mystery deepened at the
mention of a wOman's name, and although
l respected my guides silence, which seemed
now to partake of a gloomy retrospect, l
dare say looked enquiringly enough as, af-
ter padding swiftly and silently for more
than an hour, Bill deigned to open his lips.
Yer must scuse me. Cap'n, fer Dustin up
yer days sport with my private biz, but I
reckon yer'll see 1 wasn't fur wrong when /
tell yer the story. Eff yer don't mind We'll
lay over at shanty of friend of mine,
round the creek yere, and git our supper,
when can tell you the rights of the muss
'twixt me and Tom.'
Iconsented willingly enough, for it was get.
ting toward night, and confess the 'muss-
had taken the life out of any other kind of
sport we might indulge in that day; so, pad
ding up short distance ON tributary
stream called creek here), we came upon
large and hospitable-looking homestead,
where Bills friend gave us warm welcome
and substantial supper. After doing am
pie justice to oysters, fish, game-inclu6ing
bear-meat-and the inevitable hog and hon.
my, washed down with demijoh of Santa
Crux, which our host constantly pressed up
on us, we lighted our pipes, and, seating
ourselves around a blazing wood-fire, Chun-
ky Bill pulled himself together, produced
tremendous jack-knife and good-sized log
of wood, on which he began a vigorous
whiting, and with copiouss expectoration
narrated his story:
yer see, Cap'n, and friend, Chunky BilP'
friend rejoiced in the name of LAFAYETTE p,
Poindexter, shortened to Sandy, as his hairs
whiskers, eyes and freckles Inclined that
way)-Yer see, this was a kind er old score
rubbed off to-day, and now l feel l can
take fresh deal all round. The DAYS come
back to me when Tom Stidgers and me was
pals-them good old days befo' the wah-
when we kinder stuck together like brothers,
was goin' to say, only Pve noticed broth
ers generally love each other in slack-baked'
kind O. way. Anyhow Tom and me was
friends, and allus round together, and, bar
rim a kinder snickerin' fer huntin', fishin',
playin' poker, drinkin' and fghtin', was two
as likely bhoys as yer'd find in Augustine.
l can't say we was particular heavy on work
no Southern gentleman was in them days,
when we all had niggers to do the lively for
us-but with tolerable cornpatch, dozen
of hogs, bit of cotton-land and likely Mig
ger or two, we managed to scratch along
pretty tolerable. All O. my folks bad passed
in their checks long ago except little sister
Lii and yer bet there wasn't a prettier,
smarter, perker gal than Lii to be found in
the State of Floridy.'
Here Bill seemed to suffer from an ntol-
cradle spasm of whiting and expectoration,
but, imbibing huge draught of Santa Cruz
and changing his quid from one cheek to
the other, he went on, visbly refreshed:
'Wa'al, poor Lii, she was run after pretty
lively by the boys, yer bet, but 1 KEEP a
sharp eye on EN-, l did fer, though not rich
folks, we was high-toned- higher-toneder
family lived in them parts-and my sister
was all to me-more nor anybody will ever
be ag'in. Then the wah broke out, and you
gentlemen know how we Southerners rose