The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-03-10


 who he is .'
 Sladbraw then sed somethin' puuy seryigesous. and as didn't kere about bein mixed up in fight, started to go over to the mex grocery. Just as l go' outen the door, hearn linn Smith holler out i" Rip shirt. who's afraid of hre !. When hearn that. knowed the very ole Nick was to pay and no pitch hot. 90 lay low and kept shady. then went into I.,nkin's grocery, and ser l, Link, what's the price of coon skins, ole hoss! While VIC was lawin' bout coon skins and sich we hearn an awful rumpus over whar had left Jim Smith and them, and sez l. Link, there's the very ole boy to pay over wonder, as sure as you are a foot high.
 Ser he, believe so too and ser he, wherever that everlastin' linn Smith is, you better look out. Sez l, Link, you better mind what you say about Inn smith or he mout hyst you. Well. we wen, on Jawin' in this way for about a quarter of an hour, when in cum linn Smith, blowin' like belluss, and told Llnkin to hand him out couple of drinks. By golly. SCI he. had the durn-
 
 Shadbraw that ever was.
 Sez l, the thunder you say.
 Sez he, yes, by Jingo. But this is dry talkin', sez he won you Jine me in A snifter! No. thankee, sez l. Well, he went on mnin' his ticker, an sez he, 1t was about the darndest row you ever see
 Sez l, Jim do tell me, for want to hear so bad I'm amost froze.
 Well, says he. pullin' out somethin from between his shoulders bout as long as scythc blade you see this here butcher knife:
 Ser 1, yes but goodness gracious, sez 1 l, Jim, hope you ain't killed nobody, IS you.
 Ser he-lookin' at me as kantankerous as d wild cat-do you sec this here butch CT knife. Ser he, if that knife could speak, It could l tale unfold that would freeze thy young blood. and make each particklcr har stand on end like guilis stand upon the forkful fretuhne, Ser 1. Jim, don't grip my shirt collar so tight. or you'll choke me. Ser he, that's from Spakeshove. sir, or Spokeshave. Didn't you never read Spokeshave Ser l. no, an l never want to, if it makes people go on that way.
 When he let go his holt, sez l Jim, do tell Us about the muss you had over yon- der Jist now.
 Sex he, do you see that ar butcher knife?
 Sez l, does
 Well sez he, you know that ar linn Shadbraw, don you, which the most ever knowed him to do was to raise the tune at Wesley Chapel an hunt coons :, Do you know him says he. Sez l, bleeve does. Well, sez he, he was talkin' poli,ix to- day, an hearn that he should have sed that white man was as good as a nig ger, if he behaved himself-an' that's what raised the row. Me an him had some words about 1t, an sez l to him Jim Shadbraw, you better not give me none of your sass, for if you do, me an ] you might run agin one another. or words to that effect. We'll, he kept Jowerln' an d )abberin' away at such a thundcrin' rate, that at last got mad. an l walks up to him-l had this here butcher knife with me an ketchin' him by the coat collar, he ketohin me by the same-l jlst commenced punchin hlm in the short ribs.
 My gracious, sex 1, you must have killed him, an if that's the case you jist jump on your hoss an cut for tall timber hke d shot out of swivil, or I'll be dang goned if they don't put you in jail as sure as you are foot high. Ser he, you hold on. dang gone you, till I'm done tellin' l you bout that fight.
 l We'll, ser he. as was sayin', sez |, Shadbraw, you sed white nan was as 1 does you! Arter we had some words about 1t, sez i'm Shadbraw, if you give me any more slack, you better not, and arter few more words, by golly, we clinched, an commenced d,gsin' 1t into him right under the short ribs, like hail Columbia! My goodness, sez l, Jim Smith, you hadn't orter gone an killed up Shadbraw that way, for he is a good fellow if he does hunt coons. Killed the thunder, ser Jim, who's gene an killed enny body.
 As was a sayin'. sez he, we got to law in bout what he had sed concernin' of the nigger, and Mad this here butcher knife on. As soon as we clinehed, com menced d,ggin' t into him under the short ribs with my two fists, an we fout an tit. and ht an fout, SO ,ha, the fellers thought we was never gwine 10 quit Jim, ser l, when you talked bout your butcher knife. made sure you had killed him, an that we would never hear your mellojious voice agin-soundin' like a band-saw rippin' board-missin' the tune at Wesley Chapel, an that the coons would have some rest
 No, ser Jim Smith, he ain't killed by a jug full-but as was sayin', we fout an it an fit an fout, from one end of Bob | Wilson's warehouse to the other. We'll sir. he was shovin' me purty close. an l kept backin'-lust to get good chance so as could hit hlm ]" diff" and floor him-when, I'm blowed, if didn't back plum up agin barrel of whisky that was layin' on the floor. when down l cum kerwhop. right plum fiat on my back An, hah! SCI Jim Shadbraw, allers thought it took barrel to throw you That made all the fellers laif like smoke | an hv uOIfy thay x,a arta1 ne Ay~-. ts,-