The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-09
OLD PETE.
CHAPTER I.

NhhA GN At
 "Mr. Lawkins," said the internal reve- nue collector, addressing me, "you will at once proceed to the northern part of the state, and see why certain people in the upper part of Acton county think tha, they should make living by cutting cedar timber that belongs to the govern ment."
 "Yes, sir" replied.
 "l don't think that you will have any trouble with the men. They are undoubt- edly thieves, but otherwise they are harmless. Perhaps they do not know that they are infringing on the rights of the government. Take your time, MT. Hawkins. You have been faithfully en- gagged during the entire winter and spring, and now that summer has come, rest will do you good"
 Ithanked the colonel. That was much worn by excessive work. any one could see. had been in the revenue service during several years, and had done more work than any of my co-laborers, but this was the first time that any one had even hinted that "lay off" was due me.
 Boarding steamboat at DeVall's Bluff, l proceeded up White river, the most attractive stream of navig able water have ever found. The water is so clear that it seems to be but little more dense than the atmosphere itself. A chip floating on the surface looked as though it was being waited through the air. Grass and graceful trees grew on each side, down to the clearly cut edges of the stream, while here and there. islands arose, like great ships with green sails. l thought to myself that did not care how long the journey continued. A man may be very honest he may be painfully conscientious, but when he travels at the expense ofthe government, he has not that anxiety which would oc- casionally enter his mind were he travel ing At his own or a. an individuals ex. pense. If this be not recognized as a piece of universal human nature, it is so close to it that the boundary line can not be well defined.
 "Goin' fur, cap'n?" asked man, ap. preaching me as sat on the lower deck. He was grizzly little old fellow, with a smile oozy with tobacco "juice." He wore blue flannel shirt, a woolen hat, which repeated pulls had rendered bell shaped.
 "Don't exactly knew how far am go- ing" replied.
 "Air yeu out airter land ?"
 rNo.n
 ecattle 2"
 ."Naa
 Marketin', mebbe?'
 "No,"
 "" Don't want to buy Aothin', reckon ?" "Your idea is about correct"
 "Whar do you live?"
 "Oh, most any place."
 |" Not thinkin' about buildin' fences r' looked at him and wondered if he were crazy. He smiled in his oozy way, but bore no facial evidences of insanity. "Tell you why asked" he continued |: "Ef you want to build fences, plank fences, ken furnish you with the finest lot O cedar posts you ever seen."
 How many have you2"
 Just oceans O them. The woods up my way is full O them"
 @Do you own the land ?"
 No, oh, no. Don't nobody own il" :" It must belong to the government, then"
 "Yes, reckon it does, but the gov er'ment don't want no posts"
 How far do you live from here ?''
 "Wall, l reckon it's nigh onto hun dred an seventS-6ve miles"
 "What is your name?"
 "Plummer. Old Pete, they calls mel "Mr. Hummer, am an over-worked man and"
 "Over-workedp' he iaughingly ex- claimed. "W'y, podner, you aint been doin' no work. You aint sunburnt, an don't reckon you've got any Jumps in your hands"
 lexplained that my work had been mainly done in an office.
 Tn the shade all the time, want you ?" @Of course"
 SWall, that want no work. Lemme tell you: Ell didn't halter do nothin' but set in the shade l wouldn't think that ! had been doin' work a tall"