Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-13

COuJC SCI mere al tell We ydxI6 Ill uA&sus
bout Sile Reeves" continued the Old Settler,
sadly, IAN any oneon 'em d be better n any
story book We ever read; but hain't got the
heart t. do it. T. think Of a man th't started
out like him turnin' of his toes up hunrin'
coonsI Pm burned f it don't make me feel
like buttsn' my OF brains out egin that stovel
II he hedn't he'd so many fus' class chances o
peggin' out t'h't d. ha' ben q comfort and
consolation t his friends, twouldS set on me
go durn bard, but ez it is Pm cut up wusn q
hog in kiIlin' time"
The Old Settler fell into a mournfui re-
verie. Suddenly he jumped up andshouted-
"Iin a thumpin son Of a roebuck ct it
hain't my fault th't OF Sae went back ON his
self an went a cooninT'
The Old Settler had never been seen in such
state Of mind before. He had suddenly re.
called some incident that seemed to I'LL him
with renorse. He strobe to and fro across
the 1oor swung his cane until it buzzed, and
at every step resigned himself to regions en-
tirely remote from the happy hunting ground
where all good hunters are supposed to go
eventually. The coincidence Of tho boys and
the soothing influence Of two glasses of hot
rum and molasses finally brought him back
to bis equilibrium
"Now, mind We, boys" he said, 9Th may
be seoh thing ez tn Sile didn't git killed tn
way we heerd he did; an, mind ye, ef be did,
] c'nsider th't he were crazier thin loon.
But il 1t is true, an no matter eff he were
crazy, 'twere my fault th't he went coo1in',
fer / split his chance O. gettin' ohawed UP in
a way tint d ha done him credit till tn J1dg-
ment day comes roIlin' round But stepped
in an saved his life An now y see what
comes of it 'Twere forty year ago up In
Sugar Swamp DeestTic'. We wus out lookin'
fer a stray deer or bar e. might be hangin
round tn woods SHE bad bar trap
couple o miles I'm tn cabin, an one mornin'
he went out t see eff tn was any sign o fur
bout th diggms WANT quite ready to go
wien he started, but foilered long nasbbe
half an hour afterwards. Tn trap were Bet on
tn edge of little swamp. WhenI got thar
tn want no trap, no bar, nor no Sile t. be
seen Jest then [ herd shot over n tn
swamp, an struck bee line fur tn spot.
Fore | got quarter of a mile Ia tn swamp
I heerd terrible snappin' an snaxhn' an
growlin' an a tearin' bout in the brush right
on ahead o me. I crawfed through, an
comm suddfns onter an cpentn' see sight
th't made me prick up my ears an no mis-
take. The snow were tore up fer ten rod
around, an tn were quite a sprinktin' o
blood an hair distribyut'd bout tn patch
On one side o. til open laid Sile, an standin'
over efn, with one paw ON SHE'S right arm,e "a
hoidin' IL down 50 ez he couldn't use bis hunt
IN knife, were big bar with his jaws wide
open, ready with his other paw t rip tn Gfa
cuten Sile Layin' on Siles sids. With the trap
On one forepaw, were another bar, but he
were dead n he'd bed enough y fiN tub. ]
knowed by that th't Sile had ben with him
an he'd slid his knife inter tn bars Wtais
Tother bar, though, hsd got Sic fouIer
thin tn whale bad joiner, an his Ifs wa'h,t
with gun wad Icoukn't help but think,
eZ see thu OF black cuss q standin' over
Sile, th't it were most sin agin natalr' T.
interfere with an animal th't d tuck th'
chances o gettin' th' best O. Sile Reeves an
hid got it, But O. course / pulled up an
druv ball inter tn tough bars heart, an
Sile Reeves were saved I'm sartin' death. It'd
ben big thing fer Sile ef he'd a-ben ripped
open by th't bar, arter tn fight he'd made
agin' two on 'em. An / split that chance
fer him, an here he goes an gifts killed
a-coonin'. It's all my fault, an it'll ha'nt me-
to my dyin' dayl
''Say, sonny" exclaimed the Old Settler,
seized with new thought "When y go
back to Sugar Swamp, kinder inquire round
bout this matter. Fm' out Of tn WANT
bar track somewhar' roun' whar OF Sile got
killed Send me back word t want a coon
huntin' an WI take heap o trouble Off my
mind"
The Ola Settler rose to go home. He stop
ped at the door, and raising his CAKE above
his head, said with emphasis:
''Consarn it, sonnyi Sem me- back word
th't Sile gin up the ghost any other way but
huntin' coons, an FL die a rejoicipll don't
keer wat other way it were-not even If it
were bein' kicked to death by tan'ry mule,
bgosht 1mightyf"
Then the cane came down and made the
bar room ring, and the Old Settler went
home 10 supper.-Ed Mott in The Chicago
Herald.