The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-06-23

| son.
! Mltchellville was the objective point
OF the expedition, and it was about five
| miles off. Tho boys got Joes arms from
INN to protect his girl, and prevailed on
nm to rush ahead, pay the toll-gatc fees,
| proceed on to Mitchellville and have the
license ready, SO as to have no delay
Accordingly, Joe went off at lopc, paid
the toll for us, and gave strict orders not
to let Martha Jones father through: but
when the old man came to the gate he
Just Jumped his old sway-back over it.
and on he came, his hounds in full cry
The way he "got up and got" along that
pike was scene not to be forgotten.
Inc fuss he made aroused everybody en-
route.
Our crowd consisted of five, besides
Joe, and we arrived ut Mitchellville about
lO p. M Joe was there, and as soon as
had dlsmounted, he was at my side and
led me up to the door and ratified it so
that tho startled Justice opened it at
once, but, 94pon, seeing, as he supposed,
female, closed it to arrange his toilet.
Meantime, the old man and his hounds
could be heard nearing rapidly. I whis.
pered to Joe [ wanted to retire around
the corner Of the house to arrange nv
dress, and he said, eXcitcdly, "Be in a
hurry, the old man will soon be here"
did make haste, for no sooner had got
around the corner than dartcd through
gate, ran down the side of n fence.
crept through IN opening into back.
yard, and hid behind M ash-hoppor.
When the Justice had got clothes on.
he opened the door to tell us to come in.
but, of course, I wasn't there and Joe
was running frantically round the house
looking for his girl, while the old man
and his dogs were coming nearer every
minute. The Justice came out and Joe
yelled for his Martha Jane, but she came
not, Then the Justice callcdout: "Don'
DC alarmed, madam, come in; you shant
he hurt, and essayed to assist Joe tc
find her.
by this time the old man, his son and
the hounds had charged into town and
were almost at the door. According tC
previous arrangement sham row ut once
began between our boys and the Dursu-
ers, and so well was tho thing done that
the citizens for every man, woman and
child in the village was up) pitched in to
prevent what they thought would be
sanguinary affray.
The burly Justice, seeing the turn af.
fairs seemed to be taking, and excited
beyond measure, mounted the horse
block and commanded the peace so vo-
clterously as almost to be heard in the
adjoining counties of this State and
Kentucky. This restored quiet, our
boys protesting to be law-abiding citi-
zens. The old man also simmered down,
though he insisted that he had the right
to be little out of humor ut the bows
Tor robbing him of his gal, and kept lin.
genng round and "cussin'" O. LITTLE on
the outside. 'n
After the row had been squelched, the
women Of the village organized
search for the lost maiden, with Wow
of shielding her from the wrath of the
irate old man.
1t was not long before I was discov-
cred by one of them, and she, with
another, made dash at me. L scuttled
OFT as fast rs [ could, but hung my
boot in my lawn calico and made per-
feet ''shuckin' of it in my haste. It tore
nearly off at the waist and split in two,
and by the time l got to the next fence
had trail two yards long. I had great
trouble in climbing that fence N can't
see how woman can climb fence, no
way); in fact, I half climbed and half
rolled over, burst the strings round my
waist, ran out of all the balance of my
io"Ol lSlilulC blilS" NY bIlluCJ
back On my head, raised the yell, and
almost ran over some more women who
were looking for me, and heard one of
them say,l rs I passed-"Lordy, Kate,
what 10as that?" didn't stop to ex-
plain, but made good my escape.
Joe was not to be thus outdone. He
persevered, and in a short time succeeded
in getting away with the right Martha
Jane, and the two were made one. But
Mrs Joe would never speak to me after
wards, for the reason, [ suppose, that
came so nigh beating her out of hus-
band.
1t was the nearest I ever came to being
married, and though Joe-doubtless in
stigatcd by his wife-gave me terrible
thrashing some eighteen months after
the escapade, never recall it without
hearty laugh.