The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-02-12
Then they smiled,

b-i>i-i-1 IuSu' cJdCulateu the Ola
settler, as he came into the barroom at
Honesdale, Pa, recently, rubbing his hands
together and giving himself shake.
Looks like as we was goin' TO have spell
O bracin' weather for court week, Hullo,
Squire! How de do, Jedge2 bod blame
it, Bill, whar ye been 30 longG An cut
off my rations Of here amt Uncle Eb! BE
yc all on the jury, boysY or be ye wit
ncsses Or did ye jest come In to see the
fun? Or are yc-why, durn it, certainly!
Rum an niggcr toc."
The old settler had encountered some
friends that he had known for half cen
tury or more. stranger witnessing his
greeting of them would have supposed that
he had not seen them for years, but they
had met every three months for forty years
at least, US regular as ''court weck" " came
round.
"Knocked over any deer this fall,
'Squirc?" asked the old settler, after the
party had drawn up around the stove
'Um-m-m, yas; think hev, Major"
said the Squire, as If he wasn't just corr
tain whether ho had or had not. "Yas, %
hev. Killed three down in the Bloomln'
Grove woods. Killed three, think, Ma
jor; yas, killed three. But It's hard gittln'
deer now, Major. 'Taint like twas when
we usety sweep the ridges with the ole
smoothborcs; 'talu't like twas. It's hard
to git 'cm; hard to git 'em, Major. But
killed three nice ones this fall three
nice ones Vas killed three"
WAS it three, 'Squiro7 Who was 1t
tel.in' o me that you d hung up four this
fall2 2" said Uncle Eb. trying to think who
it was. "Oh, Tom Gilpin. Tom Gilpiu
said you'd hung up four"
$50 did, Eb. Vas, so did. l hung
up four. -Four. But didn't kill folx.
killed three-thrce nice ones. Yas, hung
up four. Tom Gilpin didn't toll you moth
In rs don't hit the mark. l hung up
four"
''lIow wns thnt?" asked the old settler.
"Was 1t somebody as was huntin' with
you that put the slugs inter the number
four 2"
"Waal, scarcely, Major waal, scarcely.
l Want a huntin' with nobody, an nobody
WANT a huntiH' with me. 'Ccpt the dogs,
o course, Major; 'cept the days. l was
standin' In the old bark road as leads from
the Knob road down toards Bright Brook,
rcadln' one O. them Bloomin' Grove Park
signs one. O. them signs that's nailed on to
trees, and snys, No trcspassin' No
trcspassin' here, or we'll take the law on
-
one O them signs and wishin' some O. snc>
Park fellcrs would find bizness over thar
to put one oif'n them precincts. Vas;
was wishin' some of 'om would come, an
| think / waited while fur fear they
mowt come jest arter Id gone. was Il
waitin' and all to once heercd yell that
made ono think O. the days when we uscty
rassel with painters. l had to think O.
,liciil uays, EuL hnUwcl What they was.
Vas. l knowed what 1t was. Twas O
catamount, you know, Major. Twas u
catamount an legged 1t over in the
direction the yell was histcd from. Hadn't
gone III ,rc'n twenty rod fore come ONO
the catamount, Come right onto him with
his teeth socked plumb in the throat of
doc he had brought down; sockcd plumb
inter her throat. put q hole through his
heart that looked as IL some one hal bored
it with an inch auger. The doe was dead.
Dcadern n pizencd dog. But she want
hurt. The catamount hadn't scarcely
started the blood on her. cut her throat
an hung her up, So you sec hung up
four, but only killed three. Y-a.a-s three
nice ones"
"rhat was the hcft of it, ell 2" said the
old settler. tSccms TO me, Squire that
OTTO kind O. claimed number four, and got
in on the cntamount, too. It's drawin' 1t
Il lcetlc fine to be 80 durn scrupleous rs to
let catamount spile your record for the
season. amt no ways up to stretchin' a
pint to make good yarn, but durn mo If
think couldn't lie a little to get the best
of wildcat"
"Waal, Major" said tho Squire, as If
excusng himself for his over. conscientious
ness, twas only doc, an the saddles
was very light"
"Didn't / hear Tom Gilpin say that you
didn't fetch the doe home with you,
'Squlre3 An it's funny Tom didn't tell
me anything about the catamount," said
Uncle Eb.
"Didn't you hear him say didn't fetch
the doe hum 2" replied the Squire, rather
snappishly. "Didn't you hear him say so 2
Yas, proDerly you did. Tom Gilpin's
allus slickin' his nose whar 'tain't got no
bizncss. They's no doubt you heered him
say didn't fetch the doc hum. I'll bate
you didn't hear no one else say 80. How
could he tell you anythiu' 'hout tho catu-
mount when ne didn't know nothin' about
it2"
"Did you sell the doe, Squire ~ the old
settler wanted to know.
"Waul, no, didn't sell the doe,' re-
turned the SURE, mad rs hurt snake.
"No. didn't. 1t was this way. forgot
to mention. when was telliu' bout hang
in the doc up, that jest as I got her u
hangin' a couple o fcllers that was q hunt
in in the same woods come up. They
come up jest as got her hangin'. Tho
woods was full O hunters. They was moro
hunters than deer. Yas a durn sight.
These two fclcrs come up an said they
guessed I'd dressed their deer. Guessed
I'd dressed their dcor, and they wanted 1t.
| said | guessed not. Said jest saved the
deer's carcass by sluggg' a catamount.
Said guessed I'd keep tho deer. One O.
the fellcrs SAID he'd shot the deer. He'd
shot the deer, and said he didn't want any
more fooln' bout it. laughed, an said
| l guessed wa'n'G born in the woods to bo
skccrt by al owl. The felcrs said that
they guessed they didn't caro- whether
couldn't be skeert by owls, or hawks, or
crows They didn't care cuss. That
was their deer all the same said II they
could find place on the doc whar they
was ball hole thoy could shoulder hof