Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-05-12

moment, anu tncn SLOWLY, utmost
sluggishly, got up from the barrel on
which he was sitting and without no.
ticing Dave Milligan took step toward
the door.
Then the jeers and hootings were re-
doubled rs the crowd saw its victim
making an attempt to escape, and two
or three of the noisicst of the men sup
plcmented their taunts with such mis-
siles of n material character--onions
ears of corn, etc.-as happened to be
near at hand. One of them struck the
rctreating teamster in the middle of
the back and another knocked his hat
of. He stopped to pick 1t up and as
he rose faced his prosecutors.
There was nothing particularly
striking in his appearance. For all
the world he looked like any other
teamstcr save for the expression OF
utter despair that was on his face. As
he stood up and looked around the
room as though in search of friendly
countenance tears started to his eyes
and ran down his cheeks. He brushed
them away with his hand and then
something seemed to prompt him to
speak, for he raised his arms as II to
ance with this gesture and repeated
requests to q like effect from several of
the leaders of the crowd the jeers and
laughter ceased he spoke as follows:
II didn't think as Jack Davis would
be agin me, the man as jerked him out
of the Smoky Hill Fork when the flood
was on us last April and comm near
on to losin' his own life a-doin' it. l
don't mind Dave MilGgan. Every man
here knows as l amt afraid o. him, and
l guess he Amt forgot the lickin' l give
him couple of months ago. And as
to the rest O. you, guess if l war my
self thar amt any two of all you howl
in cusses rs l couldn't handle.
''But you see, gentlemen, looking
down at the floor as he spoke and
shifting his feet uneasily, 1.-The spirits
clean took out o. me. When I'm my
self amt no coward, and fur half the
words as has been spoke this day to
blazes out o. the men as spoke 'em, no
later ago nor yesterday, My names
William T. Bush. MY family is all
for fightin', from old Sandy Bush, who
died more'n hundred years ago,
down to my youngest brother, Tim
othy, who war a eatin' spoon vittles
when l left Pike. Yesterday I'd a
fought the whole crowd o. you, let
alone Dave Milligan and Jack Davis,
as l could sling into kingdom come
with one hand tied behind my back,
but to-day, gentlemen, as l said afore,
the spirits Knocked clean out me, and,
gentlemen, afore God, Bill Hedden's
gals done the work"
While he was speaking the utmost
attention was given to him, and even
now as he stopped the rough men APP
pearcd to be spcllbound in expectation
of the revelation that was evidently
abont to be made in regard to the sur
prising change that had ensued in the
personal characteristics of one of their
companions.
As for the teamster, he appeared for
few moments to be overcome by the
force of the announcement he had lust
made, but he soon recovered enough
composure to 60 on with his explana-
tiou, though his voice had lost most of
the little strength that it had had in
the beginning
Eyes, gentlemen" he resumed "Bill
Heddcn's gals done fur me. You see,
i never knowed what war in me or
guess I'd kept clear o. her and all the
rest o the gals. | jist thought as how
I'd have good time courtin' her
nights when I'd put up my team an
she war a-roamin' over the perarie,
lookin' like some pink rosebush as had
got loose from its roots and war lookin'
fur new place to plant itself. May be
did think now an then that I'd ask
her to be my wife, but, Lord love you,
gentlemen, no more knowed what
racket she'd kick up in my heart than
L knowed who stole my of leader
spoke civil to. her one evenin' list
as the sun war a-goin down behind
the limestone bluffs, and she answered
kindly-oh, gentlemen, so kindly-that
felt my heart jump up in my throat
like as if there was a bullfroga climbin'
out o. my chist. We walked along the
road down to the Fork and then went
home with her and / didn't need no
persuasion to go in and to stay till Bill
ENHden come home, and then thought
it war time to go. Gentlemen, loved
that gal from that night in way as
was strange to me. 1t kinder seemed
as IT the whole world were full o. me
and Bits ga!-not another livin' crea-
ture but jist us two. l amt no scholar.
as you all knows. | Amt had but six
months schoolin' in all my life, but I
knowed enough to write her a letter
when | conldn't git away to see her
onst week or oftener, and l didn't
have no more trouble a-writn' them
letters than if / war the editor o. the
Kansas Register The words list
seemed to come out o. the end o. nv
pen like the water out o. Sand Hill
Gulch after a weeks rain, And she
liked EN-, gentlemen! She told me so
with her own lips and knowed from
the look in her eyes that she war
a-speakin' the truth.
at amt fur me to tell how made
love to her and how she mado back.
Them's things, gentlemen, that l don't
care to talk about. Not as I'm ashamed.
but you see thar's sort o. feelin' in
me as tells me it wouldn't be a white
mans work to tell what war said and
done between us. But, gen tlcmen, /
will say that no man ever loved a gal
as loved her. She jst walked into
my heart and sot herself down thar.
and then she crawlcd down into its
deep places-lower down than any one
had ever bin afore, and thar 1 held her
so tight that thought the world would
have to come to an end afore she could
git out HH
"Shc war very good to me, gentle
men. Her eyes war always full o. the
looks that knowcd were looks o. low
whenever come to Bits house to see
her, and she always had lots of the
sweetest kind o. words fur me. Further
than this. gentlemen, as said afore.
1t don't seem right for me to go, but i
will say that knowcd she loved me
jist about as strong as loved her, andc
that war SO ALFRED much that thej
world amt seen the like of 10 in our
time, gentlemen, nor Is it likely to, y
guess. IL =
ssWell. Won see she knovo,y nc T Io,ssa