The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-01
A BAD, BAD MAN.


whisky were sold in about equal proper
tions; blacksmith shop. two houses
bridge-and that was all. When got up
In the morning 1t was raining, ana 'he
sky that leaden hue Which means drlz-
zling day. Jeffers would not hear OF my
going on. and observed that 1t would be
good day for the mountVneers to come IN
and reveal their leading traits OF char
acter.
We had scarcely finished breakfast
when they began to come in, each man
mounted on mule, and each man wear
any rubber coat. BY 10 o'clock there
were dozen. All seemed TO have a little
money. but the only purchases made out
side of whisky were q pound OF wet,
brown sugar and some plugs OF tobacco.
Ono man had a mule With three shoes on
and the fourth one gathering. AS he dis
mounted at the blacksmith shop he SAID
TO the smith:
"Bill, Iwant yer to look at that ere
mewl."
'Im a.lookin', Tom" was the COM
placent reply.
..Do YOU reckon she'll pull through the
winter
Bill picked up each foot, squinted at it
like Judge sizing up witness and pull
ing off the loose shoe with twist he spat
three times in the direction OF his anvil
cooked his hat anew, and gravely re-
marked:
TON, she can't possibly do it-no how
cant"
"Shool Bill"
Cant do it. for shore. Nevis is nevis.
II she was q elephant she might, but she's
mewl. an afore spring them feet VIII
wear of cl'ar up to the jints Got to hev
shoes on. Tom"
"Shoo That's what | reckoned. Is
shoes cheaper"
"Skeercely."
"Shoo / heard they was. Kin ye make
IL 70 bits, Billf'
"Wuth that for iron, Tom. Six bits
ar the lowest"
"Wall. dod rot her ole yaller hide, III
see about it afore night If We hev
niger, he wants clothes, an If We hev
mewl, he wants shoes, an he'll take ticu-
lar pains to kick agin every rock he comes
to. It's all wrong, boys, an sometimes !
feel like lettin' myself loose and lickin
sumbody.
There were ten Of us in the store, and
was listening to the story OF Union man
who guided party of refugees over the
mountains into Kentucky, when a great
clatter was heard out doors, and some
body said that old Dick Trasker had
''arriv.' Next moment he came in. He
was a man 5S years old, six feet high,
weighed 200 pounds, and was the speci-
men bad man of the four counties. He
didn't look il. He had a smile on his face,
large blue ewes, and a child would have
gone to him in preference to any other
man in the store. But, if he didn't look
it. he acted it. His first movement was
to drink common tumbler even full Of
moonshine whisky As he sat the glass
down he wiped his mouth on the back Of
his hand, surveyed each one of us in turn,
and finally growled:
"a cursed mean day..
One or two replied, but all others were
silent Old Dick was in ugly mood,
armed with knife and revolver, and was
evidently looking for victim. Not an
other man was armed, and there was the
display of nerve which those mountain
men are celebrated for Not a man at
tempted to fatter or conclliatc Not q
man attempted to sneak out doors They
Ntit HtipitS0, ~ N'iNe@ NAtNA.t h"e
were as cool as icicles.
Old DiclI.called for and put down two
more drinks, and each one Of them large
enough TO befuddle weak man in five
minutes. While he had his back to the
crowd Jeffers whispered to me.
"Look out for him. Ar We heeled!'
Eyes, have my revolver.
"Thcn git the drop OH him Plug him
right through the head or heart -
"But, heavens. man, can't shoot q per
son down that way. lie hash even spoken
to me yet"
"Wall, keep your eye on him, and if he
makes move lei linn have it,
began to figure. | began to add up
the wealth of the Astors, Vanderbilts,
Goulds and Knickerbockers, and feel that
would give every dollar of it to be ten
miles away. had just added the wealth
of California, and reduced the ten miles
to FIVE, when old Dick pulled his gun and
fired six shots around the store at various
objects, at the same time uttering six
blood curdling war whoops. Not man
moved. He Slowly reloaded the revolver,
and singled me out ard came forward
with extended paw.
"Howdys" he growled.
'Im cribbins, thank you"
sim Old Dick-bad man"
eyes"
"Bad, very bad"
eyes"
"Kin yc fout!"
ono"
chats bad. Bad kentry fur Quaker.
I'll learn ye"
"Say. Dick" remarked one of the men.
''he'un hain't one of us. He'un's stran-
ger from the moth.
Jim. you shetl" replied the bad man.
"Im going to learn heun how TO fout.
He haxl't no good if he can't"
Three OF four men winked at me to hui
NOR the old man, and when he asked if
was armed | showed him my revolver.
"Nuthin but squibl' lie grunted in
contempt THAT there couldn't send a
ball through my hide. Come out doors"
All Of us went out. The bad man WAS
unsteady Of hand, leg and voice. but his
brain was still fairly clear
"Now then, lie said to me, 'you 60
over by your shop, an' III stop yere by
the platNm. When opens fire You
must send it back as fast AS yc kin, but
keep one shot in case charge ye"
I looked nj tho crowd and all nodded