The Portland daily press., 1881-08-22
ItJE, PRESS.
LHarpers Monthly.l
The Various Languages OF
Billy Moon.
CHAPTER I.

Not all, and not majority, of personal
combats in the far South forty years ago,
at court grounds and muster fields, sprang
from personal hostilities, previous or sud-
den. They were resorted to often as a trial
of superior strength, agility or endurance.
In such encounters, one who would seek for
a pistol, knife, or even walking stick,
was considered unmanly. Not thus, how
ever, at least commonly, he who, when over
come and PROSTATE, cried, Enough"
Such conduct was understood merely as an
admission technically termed "word," that
the defeated yielded for the present only,
and with the reserve of right and intention
TO renew the combat in other circumstances
which might occur, whether on that same
or some subsequent day. The victor was
expected to suspend his blows at this admis-
sion. Sometimes. when the bottom man
refused to yield, and seemed to prefer being
beaten into jelly, bystanders, somewhat
befaze such result, would drag of the top
man. Then both combatants, though with
blackened eyes and bruised faces, painting
and hobbling, would repair to the grocery,
take social grog, and, with mutual COM
pliments, have a cordial understanding to
repeat the fight at some convenient time af-
ter.
This preface was due to Mr.. Oglethorpe,
Josh Green, whose conduct upon a certain
occasion might otherwise be somewhat
misunderstood.
One other item-as a postscript, as it
were, to the above-I should mention. In
those times, many country people of the
humber and less cultivated sort, when
mention was made of person afflicted with
a native incurable infirmity, bodily or men
tai, usually spoke of him or her as of the
neuter gender. employing the pronoun it.
Mr.. (0glethorpe) Josh Green, so styled to
distinguish him from his cousin of that
name in Ebert, had whipped out everything
IN his section and in search of other con-
quests he once came some miles, southwark.
1t was muster-day for the Dukesborough
battalion. A few from the upper borders of
the country had heard of his exploits, and
one or two had seen him heretofore. A
man like him. however, needed not to have
friends, or even acquaintance, as, when
fight was to be made up, an entire stranger
could easily obtain hackers who would see
to the maintenance of fair play.
When the muster was over, and O. j. G.
las he sometimes called himself, and was
called by others, for short) had looked calm
ly upon several fights, he seemed to be dis
;gusted.
"You people down here don't pear to
know how to fight,' said he. SIT pears
like you want to have somebody that do
know how for to come down here and larn
you.''
1t was a voice loud, harsh, powerful.
People looked at him. Indeed, he had al
ready attracted much attention. About 80
or IS years of age, 5 feet IL, weighing 100,
or maybe more, dark skinned, his black hair
cut short, without an ounce of surplus flesh,
from his head to his feet he seemed as if he
had been wrought out of iron. As he
walked up and down, composedly uttering
challenges, there did not seem to be likeli-
hood that he could find one to encounter
him. ea
Bob Hatchett did say that but for his IA
tigue (having just now had turn with Bill
Giles, and got Bills word) he would give
him a trial, and take few-jes' a few-of
his lessons.
The warrior had money, and he exhibited
skin purse, he said, after beginning with
dollar, and gradually ascending:
Gentlemen, in this here money puss is
four dollars, lacking sevenpence. Two dol
lars and half % that money it would be
my desires to PUT into the money-puss of the
man that can git my word in a fight here
to-day. The dollar one and nine that would
be left would be enough to take me back
home, and which, in SIGH a case, arfter SIGH
fghtin' as l seen here, 1 shouldn't desire to
leave it no more, leastways to come this
way.'
Such as that looked like shame. Finally
Jack Hall, who lived on Shoulderbone, said
he couldn't stand it. Jack himself was a
man of much power, though he might not
have encountered o. j. G. without appre-
hension.
Stranger" said Jack, "you pear like
you-you jes' a-spilin' for fight"
4'That's Exactly what am, sir" answered
the stranger. ''Tm a-spilin, bad. l hain't
fit in so long that Pm gittin' badly spilled.
You hit what's jes' the matter with me, the
same as eff you wasa DOCTOR"
"Jes' so; and you would wish to lay down
them two dollars and half, sure enough,
would your"
''Here they are, sir, ready for you to git;
and when SIGH lookin' man as you do git
'em, my calkilation will be to move clean
away-to some disolate island"
%Jes' So" Jack looked at him and re-
fected. 81 amt Exactly in a fix to-day my
self; but"-he paused, took out his purse
and counted his money! hain't but dol
lar, half and sevenpence. Eff the boys will
here that ll-that'n go to school to you for a
while. 1 won't be gone more'n ten or fiji
teen minutes"
Certainly, the balance can be made up;
there it is already. Good graciousl the idea
of a whole battalion, as it were, being run
off its own battlefield by one man, and he a
stranger!
n CHAPTER II.
Inside of the time demanded, Jack was
seen coming up the street. Slightly ahead
of him, looking back earnestly at Jacks
earnest gestictulations, walked youth.
''Wby, eff it amt Billy Moon" said Bob
Hatchet. and others. ''Why, Jack Hall,
Billy's too young to cope with that man."
1'Jes' so, boys; never mind"
They, came up, and Billy looked in9uir-
ingly at Jack and the rest. He was full six
feet high, but would have weighed not more
than 140 pounds. He was straight as an
arrow-straighter in fact, for his back was
slightly swayed. 1.-the, sinuous, tense with
out constraint, his long arms seemed well
capable of striking and graphing. His
broad-brimmed hat sat jauntily on side Of
his head. His light hair hung in curls even
below bis neck, and his blue eyes fairly
danced with fiery glee. He did not seem to
be over one-and-twenty years old:
curiously contemplating him.
"Thaf him." answered Jack.
swell, my young friend, you don't want
your nanny to know when you 60 home
tonight, Ell? Your desires is to git to the
old lady unbeknownst-like this evenin',
Billy said not word, but after signs from
Jack smiled and nodded his head gayly.
SLOW do you fght?
Billy, after looking at Jack for few mo-
ments, made several mock strokes with his
fists, imaginary igrapplings with his arms,
kickings with his legs, and then seized his
oyh throat with one hand, and placed the
thumb of the other into the corner of one
of his eyes.
Oglethorpe Josh looked at these actions
piereingly. Turning angrily upon Jack, he
Said: "Who's this you fotch here? What is
he?''
"It's Billy Moon," answered bystander
Lone of those chosen as a stakeholder
7Hes as respectable man, sir: as any i'll
this countysor anywhere else, 6xceptin' that
he's def and dumb"
"Deef and dumb!' said Ogethorpe.
CAN'T he an egiot?"
"Egiot! No, sir; no egiot; got as much
sense as you, or any other man on this
ground, and as much of gentleman
"Jes' So" said Jack Hall.
Dglethorpe scanned Billy over and over
carefully. Scratching his head he scanned
him again. He looked down and reflected.
After reflection he raised his head, but did
not seem as if, even when he began to talk,
he had reached definite conclusion.
"Gentlemen-I shall-that is, shall-not
-yes-no-in case, yes--that is-gentlemen