The record-union., 1893-01-11
" Big jim" LEE.
How 250-Pound Terror Met His
Match.
a "Moonshineo Woman Scares the
Terror and Makes Him as
Gentle rs a Lamb.

Weighs AOO pOuuuS. all OF WLlcn Is me
muscle, sinew and ligaments. Not a
pound of fat turks about his immense
anatomy, He is among other things, a
politician, and as he has demonstrated
time and again that he is able to whip any
two men in the county, it will readily be
surmised that he is an Influence" He
not only has pull" but has jerk,
shove and ''knock-down" whenever he
is in the proper mood for such things.
If, on election days, his party is buying
votes, he laughs and says that, while he
does not approve of such things gener-
ally, "he guesses all is fair in love, war
and politics." If, ON the other hand, his
party is little short of money, and the
other side is ''1ush," he declares in tones
of rumbling thunder that selling votes is
crime that is more far-reaching in dis
astrous results than any other known to
the law; that such a practice IS an open
road to government decay; that it blasts
love OF country, bids for future disinte-
grafton and breathes into the body OF
treason a living soul. Accordingly, he
feels it duty he owes to his country to
prevent such fellows from voting. He
knows every mans politics, and II one
whom he knows belongs to his party at
tempts to vote the opposite ticket, he is
sure the fellow sold his vote, and he
promptly prevents with his fist deliV-
cry OF the goods. Often he takes a club,
and thus preserves the purity of the bal
lot with the billet. Two years ago, at an
selection, he learned that an old man and
four of his sons had knocked Oft their
votes to the highest bidder, which bidder
happened to be on the opposite side of
their political fence. "Big Jim" hastened
TO them Immediately, sprang in among
them like a wolf among sheep, and
q l, hot IsaA 70
pay out all the money they'd got for votes
10 settle doctors bills.
But If he is a terror among men ne is
not always so among the opposite sex, as
a late experience of his in Letcher Coun-
ty will abundantly demonstrate.
Two or three weeks ago he left for
Letcher County with the view of pur-
chasing a drove of young cattle. He had
wandered from the main highways one
day, and found himself riding along a
slender byway, that chased ZigZag little
stream that wriggled itself between two
pricipitiOus mountains. Near the head of
the stream, in deep, shadowy cove, he
espied q little cabin, about eight feet
high and twelve long, surmounted by a
broken back ed roof. He rode up in front
OF it and yelled "Bellsr'
4 minute or two later the clapboard
door began TO scrape the puncheons A
minute or two more and an old woman's
head was cautiously prOtruded.
What ye want, stranger?" she asked
SIS the man OF the house about?"
Nah, sur, not now; wat ye want wifi
him ?"
Ppm hunting cattle to buy. Has he
got any?"
. ''Yas; got ole Muley, ole Spec an their
calfs."
"Would he sell 'em?"
''Yas; he'd sell anything, 'thout it WIZ
me, an l wouldn't put hit much past him
81 wouldn't, either. When will he be
in?''
Pm looking for him all the time"
81 guess I'd better get down and wait
for him."
'Guess ye had, eff you want ter see him."
Big jim" got down, hitched his horse
to the limb of atree and entered the cabin
The day was rather cold, but only hand
tul OF tire was in the fireplace. a heap
OF straw lay in corner at the rear of the
house, covered by greasy quilt. This
was the bed, and the only one Long
strings of dried pumpkins testooned the
walls on all sides and swung from the
rough joiSts overhead. Two broken chairs
and badly crippled board table consti-
tuted the furniture. Soon after Big Jim
had seated himself in fl ont of the pre-
tense of a fire the old woman took a seat
in the corner. She took a cob pipe from
the iam-rock, filled it full of ho1nespun
tobacco, dipped it in the ashes and then
brought ii TO her mouth. Her lips began
To pun vigorously at the stem, making a
noise similar to that produced by cooking
mush. She had an old, dirty red hand
kerchief wound about her head, from
which her unkempt iron-gray hair strag-
gled wherever it could find an opening
The outlines of her face resembled a
rough triangular framework overspread
with wet rawhide. Her eyes We're set
Oeep in caVern-Iike sockets and when
at
minded him, he said, of venomous
snakes heads peeping from knot-holesi
''Whar are ye from, stranger ?'' she
finally asked, in voice that almost made
him bleed at the ears.
Lewis County," was the reply.
''Uh hugh! How kim ye ter git way
out hur huntin' cattle?"
''Oh, l just thought I'd come out, So
many cattle-buyers have been in the
county they are getting scarce along the
main roads"
"Uh hughr'
The old woman looked at him with
furtive increduIity. Finally she got up
and went out. When she returned she
had rifle with her and had it cooked /!
She seated herself in the doorway. the
gun across her lap. AT this exhibition
Big Jim found out, for the first time. that
he was coward. The uncanny sight of
the old woman. in this out of the way.
tOmb-like locality, and dallving with a
cooked gun, ali united in a conspiracy
against his courage. Little sensations.
like cold finger tips, began to play up
and down mis- spinal column. Then his
lower jaw got loose and began to play
against the upper one rapidly and auto
matically. AT last he said
"Old lady, | fear your husband will
not be IN anyway soon. l guess I'll be
goin'."
4 guess We won't, stranger; not;in a
hurry, nohow."
What do you want to keep me here
for?'
You'll find out when the old man
comes in. l guess we has bin a-lookin'
Tor you a long tiIne.'
''LoOkin' for me? Why, my dear old
lady, you never even heard Of me be-
Iore''
Il guess I have. We've been longin'
ter see yer, and now We'll look at you for
some time TO cOme.'
"OId lady" spoke Big jim, now terri
bly, frightened, IN give you $40 to let
me go"
with grin OF beastIy JOY.
Big Jim knew now, of course, that the
old woman intended to guard him until
the arrival of her husband, after which
he would be murdered and his money
taken.
Again, in a despairing plea, he said:
'pll give You $50"
Not much. You're wuth a heap more
than that to the people of this kentry
No, sur, jist hush. Weg got We in the trap,
an dig an paw all We want to. We won't
git out 3"
Big Jim now felt his time was up, and
he tried 10 remember a prayer he had
once learned when a child. He was
fumbling over the debris of memory in