The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-04-21
HIS COURAGE WON.
BY OPIE P. READ.

Grande," said Ali TabscOtt. "l r1colleck one day when a passul uv us wuz settin' an wallerin' around on the banks O the bayou, waitin' fur ole Kinkade's flutter- wheel steamboat, ter shove her way through the bresh an take our cotton out ter the steamboat landin' Flower Johnson wuz maxim marks in the sand, like a lawyer drawin' up crap mortgage; some wuz doin' one thing an some anuther, an all the time Hiram Parks he wuz layin' on plank squirtin' uv ter packer juice twixt his teeth. The question uv marriage hit came up an Flower Johnson, he says ter me, says he, 'Tabscott, don't you think that Hiram had aughter git married?' l flowed that he oughter, an Flower then flowed that Hiram wuz afeerd ter ax a woman, an the boys laughed powerful, they did.
 Hiram, he wallered on his plank, squirted mouthful uv ambier at a spider that wuZ crawlin' on the sand, an said he want a. feered ter ax no woman that had ever trod shoe luther. Then the boys hollered. Pll bet you,' says Hiram, that l ain't ateered ter ax the fust woman that comes in sight, Flower flowed he'd take the bet, an 1 don't want ter give the gran jury no holt on 'em, but l think they put up money. Now, ricolleck, Hiram,' said Flower, that you've got ter ax the fust one, no matter whuther she's old UT young, an whut's mon that, you've got ter take her eff she says yes.' Hiram swore that he'd stand up to his fod- der, an the boys chawed ther ter packer an spit lively. Putty soon here come canoe with two wimin in it,an' ez it got up pretty close we seed that one wuZ young an pretty an the other one old an pretty tough lookin'
 "'They both come in sight at onct,' said Hiram. I kaint ax lem both.'
 "Then the boys flowed that he must ax the fust one that stepped ashore, an we waited an chewed our ter packer. The canoe showed her nose up on the bank, an the young woman stepped out fust. Then we all looked at Hiram, an he squirted out some terbacker juice an sorter wilted, 1 thought, fur the gal wuz powerful pretty. Hiram, he got up, he did, sorter struck hisse'f, showed his cot ton hat back on his head devilish- like, walked up to the young woman an says:
 "'Ahem.'
 "The young gal shot black eye at him am turned away toward the old woman.
 "'Ricolleck, Flower,' he yelled, an we chawed our terbacker monstrous.
 "Hiram, he then stepped up an sorter rakin' up the spider webs outer his throat, says, Miss, I want you ter be my wife,
 "She looked at him, an' I'll sw'ar I thought a swarm uv ho'nets had gunter fly around. Her black eyes snapped, am Flower, punchin' uv me, flowed she wuz the prettiest wuman he ever seed.
 "'Miss,' Hiram agin sot out, q want you ter marry me-
 "She flirted her dress, an then her an the ole woman tuck out through tho woods, an', although Hiram had won the bet, we grabbed him, we did, an' rolled him in the sand, an haw- hawed an while we wuz still a laughin', somebody says, Hook yon- derp We looked, an dinged eff thar didn't come the gal with the toughest lookin' ole man I ever seed. We hushed up, we did, fur thar wuz suthin' about the old feller that jest nachully put clamp on feller's mouth. We chawed with weak jaws, I ken tell you, fur the ole feller had dog -fennel am strong 'erbs bloomin' in his eye. They marched up clost, an as the gal sorter hung back-an' do know she wuz the prettyest creeter ever seed-the man said:
 "Whar is the man that axed this gal uv mine ter have him?'
 "Wesorter chawed with open mouths, we did, an we looked at Hiram. I am stranger in this here neighbor- hood,' says the man, 'an' bein' sich, I hope somebody will pint out the man.
 "Hiram, he got up, he did, an flowed that he wuz the man.
 "tThen,' said the ole feller, q reckon you've got me ter whup.'
 "We all thought Hiram wuz goin' ter cave, but he spit out his terbacker, showed his hat back sorter devilish, an pranced in front uv the ole man. They commenced. Hiram has alters been peart. I never seed a pearter man than Hiram. They flung sand. Hiram got on tho no'th side, and then on the west. He logged the ole man in the ribs, am then hit him whar his con bread had lodged, am the fust we knowed, Hiram he had dun 'gunter