Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-04-05

ON HIS KNEES BEGGED AND PRAYED. |
get down.. His own life is Of no conse-
quence. but he must and will take
yours!" Upon hearing which the young |
man had a total collapse, and on his
knees begged and prayed me to pacify |
the mar waiting for him below.
My mind was made up that nothing |
short of blood would wind up the affair, |
and l had no desire to see again, much
less try to conciliate the wrath of the
old mountaineer.
But my frequent passing to and fro,
and the excitement of the fresh young
man. had attracted the attention of
the night manager, who had just come
on duty. He volunteered to go down
and have a look at the fire eater, and
reported: He is the toughest of bis
gang. I know him by sight. Dead
shot! Grown up with the country. Its
customs are his laws. He will have
your blood, Greene. if he has to ravel
a thousand miles to get it! And there
is no jury out here that will convict
him II he kills you"
don't. know which was more terri
BILE to witness, the deep wrath of the
mountaineer or the covering fright of
the young man. He chung to us and
implored us to go down and get terms
OF c~apitulation; and as a last argument
bade us tell the old fellow that he had
a mother and sister.
We thought him of no use to either
relative, but his craven cowardice
awakened a sort of contemptuous pity
thai urged us on our errand of mercy.
We collected a few of the night clerks,
explained matters to them, and went
| down tO the old man in a hHdu
Now" said the night manager, put
ting on a bold front, II know you, and
I know what you are here for. But l
am boss, and will not allow a fight in
the operating-room."
"All right" said the man, quietly;
"In wait here for him, if he stays
above till he's ninety"
"Have a go at him, Luke" whispered
Will Kerner, aside. IF you can't get
Greene off none of us can"
Above, the fresh young man from the
east was trying to give flavor to his
case by rolling on the floor in misery
and uttering frequent groans indicative
of his last hour. The mountain man
listened and his eyes blazed with scorn
when I went up to him.
"Come, now, stranger" / began,
family enough, I'VE know the young
man gave you a great deal of talk, but
it was only in fun, and he has not lived
as long as you. Besides, he sinned il
complete ignorance of the customs OF
| this country, and has never handled 9
l frearm in his life. If you kill him il
| will be nothing short of willful murder.
: Then, too, he mas a nother and siste,
in the east. 1t is not such as you wht
: war against women. Let 1t pass H
regrets his part in the affair"
said much more, and then severa
of the night operators Joined me ant
e put in a plea. Well, sir, we did al
!. but go on our knees for that green
l horns life. In the meantime tn,
tunblings and ~despairing groans from
above made us blush to voice his cause
Atlast the mar from the mountain
turned round and spat on the floor
That was our answer It said as p1ai1
as words could: THAT for such! He i
not worth killing"
He made over to us the youn.
mans life on certain conditions. TIL
= next morning the terms of the treat,
were complied with. At nine o'clocl
Greene sent over by wire the most al
ject apology man ever framed, an,
every station ON the line was rung u
to get the message.
am east again. 1t seems to me tina
a towards short memory must be
peculiar dispensation of providence t
help him tread the earth again wit
some degree OF confidence. For I say
young Greene in Boston, and while tn
sight of him recalled to me the awfr
threat of that old mountain man, b
was talking to a friend on W~ashingto
N street thus:
Ip 1.-THE west? All, yesl 1 did try
for awhile. Couldn't stand it though
j. you know. The earthquakes bothere