The Osceola times., 1884-02-23
BLUKE STOVALL.
oPIE r. READ

With Its fertile points Ol rCA eolI' 'HS
,uryes Of the stream. His wife had
peeu dead fer years, but he lived in
happy retirement with his boy, bright
,hild Of ten years reach into human ex-
stence. Stovall was man Of some ed
lca,ion at least, Of some reading. for
the old boo Ks in his house we're marked /
bv the fingers of honest search.
One day, while Stovall and his son .
were standing at the rude gate in front |
Of the house, shelllng corn to lot Of
young pigs, Dick Spillers, aR old fellow
who lived in the neighborhood, rode up
and nodded.
Wont you light, old mani"
"Wal. ef | do, yerle wish ! hadn't
"Hoy's that p" balancing an ear Of
corn on the fence. and regarding the old
fellow curiously.
"Yer know / amt a man o much
grammar, Bluke.'
"Well, you are not thinking Of looking
up a school, are YOU ?'
Wait till l get through. | amt a
man o. much grammar, and ] got no fine
way O. gettiu' at a pint, so what I've got
teI say, I'll halter say it right ont. How
long have you been liyin' on this place
why, my father lived here before
me. You ought to know that
"Yas. Wall. and did it ever strike you
that the ole man didn't hey no title ter
it?"
"What do you mean?
IN tell yer. luther day when went
ter town. ! dropped in at the state Land
Office. Lookin' roun' over the books
diskiyered that this farm was public Ian
so | entered it. Don't wanter cause yer
no oneasiness, Bluke, but yer'n halter
move Off
Great God. man My father, mother,
and wife died here. You certainly don't
mean to say that / must leave herc?'
That's the law
d such a law. | won't 20; and
let me tell you, if you bring any Of your
pre-emption papers around, I'll hurt
YOU"
Now. look here" said old Spllers,
dismountinr. thar amt no use'E yer
talkin' tha. way. Fl yer father before
yer. and yer after him didn't have no
more sense than ter neGleck this proper
". wy the consequences must be took,
that's all
You miserable dog
Never mind yer grammar. | know
yer air a smart man, but I've got the law
on yer
DO You mean 10 say that you would
rob me Of my home? l didn't know that
there was anything wrong with the title
If YOU had felt the rromptines Of a man
You would have come and told Inc. SO
that could have remedied the neglect
Of 50 many years
"Yasr but yer see I'm not tclliu' pep.
pla bout their own business Thought
IA come over an give yer waruin'
though. Here, brat, hole this hoss TIL
show the dicimints.'
Like the average man Of fondost atIcC
ti0ns. Stoyall was also a man OF violcn
teuper. Occasionally he would seem tl
be losing all control Of himself and the %
with mighty effort he would appear o
swallow bis wrath with series pi gulr
like a patient who ], determined q.
swallow the most u5u-cating pills; bu
wlen Spillers threw, with an imperatly,
gesture. which ignorance and ITS twill
brother cruelty, can so readily assume
the bride reins tp the boy tlrusun-
insult on while r0bhin- his father
~toyall could no longer swallow LIS
wrath lie sprang over the fence suc
seized ~piliers by the throat lie showed
him against a pile OF wood. The stom
ach Of -rea. f1rbearanCe has lost It's owl
control, and vas thrU Ning up the now
DISCUS ed morselS Oi insult and injury.
Hole en- gasprd >pillers; stop
voull crp-chC-
stovalI showed him over the wood
They both fell The old mans eve;
were staring with horrible stare, from
his head.
Don't pa, cried the little boy.
~toyall was s'ranglius a shosuy It'll,
to real estate. which, choul-f1rmed anl
mercenary. seemed 10 be within hi
grasp. The old mans tongue came out
and its blue veins, swollen into shock
ing relief, looked like the bisterini
tracks Of a deadly serpent.
There exclaimed Stoyall arising
The next land office he goes into, tn,
devil will show him the books. He
dead Dead-as the wolf that the buZ
yards leave m disgust. But great God,
turning g. bis terrified son, they vii
hang me. will not let them take me
Run over % J0hnsCn'- stay there til
J come flr You
The tragedy created an indignant sen
sation. 4 sherii's posse secured th,
country. once thev drove Stovall int,
a mountain niche. hu. be shot TIVE mel
and escaped. His sous aim was nov
TO see his boy again. One night wnel
the moon lit up the leafless woods, b,
made his way toward Johnson's house
he had passed biz own house, and wa
nearing Johnson's place, when some on'
net him.
"Hell-"
Hello"
That YOU Stovall7'
Yes. that You. johnson.
Yes
Il am Va nv way to your house to Sc
my boy
"Come here" said Johnston. takini
is arm. He led him a short distance
stopped, pointed. and whispered:
-Nfuyall there's your bow