The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1883-07-07
ON ACCOUNT OF A CARD.

Z
forget, but an affair Of horror rem ain
with US: The memory of pleasant
dream soon passes away, but the re-
collection of nightmare becomes a
! mental landmark. Some time ago |
was instructed by my employers to repair
at once TO the White Oak mountains and
buy all the cattle that a reasonable sum
of money would induce to leave the
rugged trails. | boarded railway train,
and was soon rushing toward my desiin-
alton. Sociability is prominent feature
of my nature. which | suppose is an heir
loom left by long experience as news
paper reporter and had not been long
on the train until had formed the
acquaintance of several gentlemen.
among them a United States deputy
marshal who gave me his card with
an evident air of pride in being con-
nected with so prominent an institution
as our government. AT small station.
long-haired man, genuine native of
Arkansaw, surmised, boarded the train
and took sea, opposite me. was de-
slrous of hearing him talk in his quaint
dialect, and moved over, addressed him
and handed him my card. He looked
at the card Significantly and carefully
placed it in an old black pocket-book.
He eyed me neryously for a moment and
asked
"'Whar mout ye, be goin
White Oak mountains," replied. E"
get OF i, rdtsey station.
He looked at me asain with an
earnes,ness, an uneasiness OF gaze tina, |
could not understand. and said
i reckln you'll find /, rite pleasant,
up thar. lest 10, o ielers thar yer ever
seed an they amt afeerd, lemme tell
you
could not divine why ,heir physieal
courage should in the least add to the
pleasure of my visit, but supposing the
remark grew out of his own admiration
for men who are not ateerd, and that
such information would tighten. in charm
ing anticipation, the fatigues of the Jour-
ney, did not ask him to explain. He
did not seem TO cotton to me, as the
planters sometimes say in expressing pre-
objection. and he left his seat and stood
near the door. approached him again,
feeling more than ever an interest in him,
and asked if he had ever been among the
White Oak mountains.
=" Have | got fingers and toesl he re-
piled.
- | can answer assuredly concerning
your fingers. and can speculate with
chances in my favor IN regard to your
toes, said III iaoetious attempt.
wall. then, I've been thar
- Many cattle in tha, country
- Yes. an yer'll find some OF them
putty hard to han'le, lemme tell yer
- My friend. must confess tina, you
puzzle me-. | have asked you several
very civil questions, expecting civil an
swers. but you are so evasive that can
get no satisfaction
You're gone to school, hahn, YER:
"'Yes'
Talk Latin. reckin''
=" My knowledge of Latin is limited
=" lis wha, they cali dead talk. amt
IT.
Yes, it is dead language.
"'Then yer mout need it ar'ter while
- | don't understand you. Your mean
ingis as dead to me as the language in
question is to the unlettered world
$50 much the worst fer yer. reckn'
yer air sor,er proud o yer larnin' an it
may be all right to fling on, yer book
business At every man yer see, bu, it
don't speak o very SCUM sense. lemmc
tell yer. In my country when man gets
to speuting like yer've been doin'. we pu,
him down as grinnel an don't have
nothing more to do with him
BY this time the train was Stacking I'D
at station. The brakeman shouted
: ratsc.. and in moment more was
standing ON the platform. The next
business to be transacted was to hire
horse, which | did after considerable
trouble. ust AS mounted and started
across the rugged country. saw my
long haired acquaintance on a mule,
riding rapidly in the direction | was to
take. called to him, but he made no
reply.
My instructions were to first call on
gentleman named Harvey. learned
that he lived about fifteen miles from the
station, and when night came on had
considerable trouble in pursuing the
right course. HurYing clouds obscured
the moon, and l could only get an
occasional glimpse Of the narrow and de-