Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-04-17
WORTHLESS NICK.
An Arkansas Story.
By p p. READ.

"Uh huh! yer KANT tell me tina,
way, said Sanders. NEARLY ever
young Teller in Their neighborhood is 9,
cuttin' Their eyes at yer.
"Wall. they nee'n' ter.
Gentleman" said Old lobe, "ei
yer've had breakfuss yer'd better come
on, fur 1 her Their other folks comm.
1 did wanter git all Their logs up ter
day SOS I ken kiver Their ruff at my
lezhur.
Hearty collaboration makes hard
work easy, otherwise the building OF
an old-fashioned barn would be q tedi-
Gus achievement. The men went to
work with good humored badinage.
Any man who had a joke on any one
else told it. Chips few from the cor
ner where skilled axmen made the logs
Join, and stroug arms, with handspikes
and ''skids," showed enormous tim
bers into position.
"Wall, dog my cats! exclaimed San
ders, standing erect on his corner and
shading his eyes with his hand; yam
der comes Wuthless Nick. Whut biz
ness has he got her yer reckenp Didn't
think he wanted ter hang roun' any
pace whar work "a goin' on.
she hain't got no bizness here. let
me tell yer. said old lobe. elmer
gre's mind ter take a saplin' an larrup
him often Their place.
Don't tech him, some one rejoined,
'for we don't want no howlin' round
here.
Nick came up and lazily seated him
self on a stump, pressed his lips with
divided fingers and spat through his
teeth.
"Whar've you been, NickP Sanders
asked, as he took up his ak and began
Co trim the shoulder of a log.
"No wh'ars.
"Wh'ar yer goinP
"No wh'ars.
"Ssy, Nick, before I forgit it'll wan
ter tell yer sumthing. Airter this
when one of my daugs follers yer 1
want yer to drive him back.
when did any n ov 'em start ter
foller mep
ether yuther day, an morn that
yer let him feller yer, an morn that
he follered you out in the woods, whar
a Teller wuz chopin. an or tree fell
on him an killed him.
"'Twant my fault.
"Yas it wuz, for Of yer hadn'ter
been SO fetchtaked lazy yor'd drive
him back.
"Oh, 60 on, yer talk like a fool.
''Jes as well to talk like one as ter
ack like one.
Sanders with a vigorous blow, stuck
his AK into a log. Strengthened up and
said: Look here. Nick Page, don't
'sinuate that / ack like or fool or I'll
hop down thar an slam the daylights
,outen yer.
ISLAM me an yer'll never Sian no.
body else, Nick carelessly replied.
Hold on Nose, somebody shouted.
Sanders had jumped down from his
corner and with ungentle mutterings,
was "making for" Nick. ''Jes stop
right thar, fur we don't want no row
here.
Nose stopped and Old lobe said
'Don't tech Their trifing thing, Nose
He amt with or good beatin'.
.'rl let him off fur the present."
Sanders replied, "but say" fiercely
turning to Nick, "ther very fust time
ketch yer out yer'll get it. I've had
or whippin' laid up fur yer fer some
time an ther very next time | ketch
yer out where nobody won't hear yer
holler I'll give it to yer.
A white rag luttered in the yard, a
signal which everybody understood.
Come. men, dinners ready" said
old lobe. "Say, Nick Page" the old
man added as Nick got off the stump
and began to stretch himself, IL don't
mind feedin' any pusson that's hungry
but / don't want you ter come ter my
house. Err yer hear meP
"Aint deaf, Nick replied.
wall, then, cl'ar ont from here,
now. l don't want yer round here.
an in the presence of these here gen.
tlemen l want ter give you far a
MIN. Ell yer ever put yer foot in my
yard, mind yer, eff yer ever put yer
foot
(Which footp" Nick broke in before
the old man could finish the sentence.
"H:. acn's make no difunce which
one. Hull put from here, ntw. Come,
gentlemen, an less eat somethin'.
That night just after the family had
eaten supper, Sis, who during the day
had appeared nervous, arose from a
seat where she had been buried in
meditation, drew a shawl around hor
in an agitsted manner, turned to old
lobe and said: