The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-02-23

stepped into the room. lie bowed with awkward
humility to the colonel grinned at me, and, as he
stood wadding his cotton hat between his dirt
begrimed hands, said that he thought he would
"drap over" 81 had little round in town last
night, colonel-this gen'l'man yere ken tell you all
about it, an"
81 don't know anything about it," | exclaimed
"All know about you is that overlook you on
the turnpike, and regretted having done it,"
THAT'S all right, podner. Vas addressing the
colonel), had little round in town with the old
major last night an all right till awhile ago
an then got shaky; so | lowed that eff was to
come over yere you mout give me a mild snort as
the Teller said at the log -rollin to brace me up
little"
Jack Gap, wouldn't give you drop of ticker
to save your life. You are disgrace to any civil
lied community, and especially so To your family.
Go on you can't get any thing to drink here"
didn't want much" Gap continued, still wad-
ding his hat. "Jest wanted enough to brace me
up agin that clover sod"
mot drop" the colonel thundered.
"Wouldn'ter been so trimbly in the knees eff |
hadn'ter run across the field an elm up on the
fence to Lark Moss an Pert Sawyer racin' down
the pike. That little bay mar NV Lark's picks
herself up like deer, l tell you. When he traded
fur her thought he got bit, but he didn't"
Lets see" the colonel said, musingly, "who did
he trade with?"
"W'y, with Boyd Savely"
That's Boyd's not as careful as he should
be. But which horse beat?"
"W'y, Larks elm right away"
"Did, eh2" how far did they rum"
"Frum beyant the mile post way up to the
ellum tree"
alum. And Lark beat him?"
"Yes, an wouder been all right eff hadn'ter
run across the field"
"There's whisky in that black bottle" said the
colonel.
"Thankee."
He poured out a tumbler nearly full, drank down
the liquor at gulp, wiped his mouth on his hat
and turned toward the door, but stopped before
reaching il, and then said
"BOut as putty | ever seen, but eff |
hadn'ter run so | woulder been too late Tires a
man out nightly, tell you. That's good Ticker"
He took another drink and stalked out.
"Now," said the colonel, "let us get down to
business. You are, | see by your recommends
tions, son of the late Jasper Burwood, of North
Carolina Good family. You are willing to
undertake the great task of writing, partly from
my dictation, and partly with your own ingenuity,
history of Shellcut county. are you?"
ayes, sir"
"What will such a piece of work be WORTH" he
asked.
al have no idea. don't know how large book
it may make"
"Hum. Tell you what | think will be best
You may draw, go along, what money you
need-provlded it's not too much-and then when
the work is finished we can decide upon what it is
worth. Satisfactory"
Perfectly" | answered. Indeed, almost any
arrangement would have been satisfactory to me.
dog barked, a horse Weighed, and sounds OF
voices came from without.
"The folks are coming" said the colonel "Oi
course, they do not know but that have been ex
pecting you for several days, and that have had
correspondence with you. Women folks, you
know, are peculiar-devilish peculiar at times"
did not at that time catch the full meaning OF
his precaution, but afterward l saw that the
women folks" were disposed to make sport of the
old gentleman's easily gulled simplicity.
There were noises in the hallway, rapid talking
and fastening footsteps, but above all caught the
enhancing music of joyous laugh. A few mo-
ments later, and sitting in the family circle
Let me recall the scene-let me bring back with the
eye of recollection the faces and forms of that
household. There was Mrs Osbury, the colonies