The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-16
\ supERsTIrIous OLD MAN
Texas Siftings.

"Old Pete Dempsey" as he is famil- iarly called, as queer looking old man with frost-bitten expression of countenance, who enjoys considerable popularity in Austin, Texas, on &C., count of his skill in predicting bad weather and in doctoring horses. Sam Randle is comparative stranger in Austin, being new arrival, who is skeptical about religious matters, and is noted for the insulting candor with which he expresses his opinions. These two, with several others, were seated in the shade in front of a livery stable discussing such matters of national importance as the dusty condition of the Austin boulevards, how the ne- groes were going to vote next elec- tion, etc., etc. Finally, the conversa- tion drifted to Bob Ingersoll, spirit ualism and kindred topics.
 "Some folks" says old Pete, "believes in omens comin' true, and when think of the many miraculous things Tve seen I don't wonder they believes in 'em."
 The stranger smiled scornfully and observed that there was one coinci- dence about omens which was very remarkable. Uncle Pete asked what particular coincidence that was.
 "When l hear an ugly old man with a wart on his chin say that he believes in ghosts and the like, it is always remarkable coincidence that 1t ain't long before he lands in the lunatic asylum. Believin' in omens is sure sign that softening of the brain has done set in."
 AS the stranger looked straight at old Pete, and as the latter had wart about as big as thimble on his chin, the remark savored of personality. However, old Pete did not resent 1t. He was as quiet as bowl of clabber.
 "Well," said the old man, "I don't suppose one omen amounts to much, but when there Is confederation of two omens-I mean when one omen comes at peryhellion with another omen, as we astronomers say; that is one omen charges man in front and simultaneous 8 second omen charges him ct the rear-then he is a gone coon."
 "What sort of drivel is that, any how?" asked the stranger, with a sheer.
 "Wall, I'll give yer an instance About twenty years ago there was a man named Smackers stoppin' with me. He was as healthy man as you ever see. He was eatin' his breakfast one Friday mornin'. He happened to knock over the salt-cellar. That's two omens in peryhellion. They concaternate, you see, and before night that man was dead"
 The listeners had become interested.
 "Drop dead of heart disease?" asked one.
 "No."
 "What killed him, then?"
 "The omen was the cause of it, but he fell off scaffold and broke his neck"
 "Couldn't that have happened on any other day?"
 "No; that was the day set by the judge"
 "What judge?"
 "You see the unfortunate man was under sentence of death when he knocked over the salt. He was eatin' his last breakfast. I was the sheriff, and the day before I saw a rabbit run across the road and I knew -"
 "You are fraud," said the stranger, jumping to his feet.
 In less than five minutes old Pete had mauled that stranger 80 that his own mother might have passed him on the street in the broad glare of the monday sun and not recognized him.
 "Yes," observed old Pete, calmly, as they removed the injured man to the nearest drug store, "I was afeared somethin' unpleasant was goin' to happen, for last night dreamt about snakes, and that always means trouble"