Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-09-11
Blew the Chunk.
opie p. Read, in Home and Farm.


ritory pOmpous, overbearing
Frenchman, Count Frederick No
treble. He was greatly enraged at
the purchase, and, although he own
ed many thousands of the best acres
of land in the Territory, yet he swore
that he would abandon them rather
than live under what he called a gov
eminent of internal patchwork.
One day, at Arkansas Post, the
count, as some additional evidences
of the depravity of the American
government had just been made
known to him, began to curse the
country. Among the bystanders was
man named Alex Walker. This
man, brave and amusing gentle
man, stepped forward and, address
ing the Frenchman, said:
"Excuse me, but who are you?
Hold on now; don't swell up like
toad"
81 am Count Frederick Notrebe."
"Well, / am Alexander Walker.
am Deputy United States Mar
SHALL"
"But what right have you to inter-
rupt me?"
"The right of an American citizen.
And just want to tell you that you
shall not curse this country"
The count raved. Walker contin-
ued:
81 mean what say. You may be
a pretty good sort of a fellow, but l
want you to understand that when
am in the neighborhood people who
are opposed to the glorious American
eagle must take a back seat"
The count, struggling desperately
with himself, said: "My friend will
call on YOU"
GAN right, Frederick"
Don't you dare be so familiar"
"All right, old Buck, won't"
"You infernal-but this is no time
for imprecation. My friend will see
YOU"
The count walked away, and short
ly. afterward a gentlemanly fellow
presented Walker with formal chal-
lenge.
"Say, young fellow" Walker re-
marked, when he had read the chal-
lenge, 81 am not acquainted in this
neighborhood, and, consequently,
have no friend to take an acceptance
of this thing, butjust tell the old Buck
I'll meet him down on the sandbar at
sunrise"
Walker had an old horse-pistol
the flint lock of which was tied on
with leather string. AS he was
looking at the weapon, he accidental
ly let it fall on the floor, and when
he took it up he found that the ham
mer was broken off; however, hi
carefully loaded it and went to bed
The next morning before daylight HI
was on the sandbar awaiting thu
arrival ofthe count. Just as the SUI
was rising the count, accompanied b.
his friend and several negroes, came
in boat. Walker, noticing that thu
negroes had brought spades will
them, said:
"Why, look here, Monsieur LIE
Compile Notrebe, why did you brinI
the agricultural Implements"
81 will show you. 1 don't mine
being shot and killed, butt don't wan
to be shot in the legs. My men viii
throw up earth mounds about as higl
as my knees. BY the way, why hav
you made fire upon such warn
morning at this?"
To get chunk of fire when tn
time comes"
"What in the world do you wan
with chunk of fire?"
"Well," drawing his horse pisto
''as my artillery is out of shape, T.
have to touch her off,"
81 have two excellent pistols, tax
one of Them"
"No, l never could have any flu
with strange pistol. Say, oil
Buck"
"Don't call me old Buck again"
"All right, but say, as haven'tgC
"A second, suppose we throw up wet {
dry for the first shot,"
"All right
The count won the first shot. Wa
ker, without sign of emotion, toe
his position.
The count fired and missed. "That
number one" said Walker. ga
we've got to do is to keep on and OF
of us will have some fun before v
quit. Now, get behind your rar
,,oVf., - IL L.