Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-18
Warned Away.



He stood in front OF the post-oilce in
the mountain hamlet. holding letter in
his hand. the first and only one he had
ever received II was for him, because
| the postmaster said So There was writ
| ing on the envelope but he could not read
II. The man carried the letter across the
street to the village backsmith, and
| said:
Jim. make II out fur me
The blacksmith drew the heating iron
| from the fire, wiped his hands on MS
| leather apron, and slowly and hesitatlngly
| tore open the envelope. There was sheet
| of wrting-paper enclosed. In the centre
| of IL a rude hand had sketched skull
| and crossbones nothing more. The black
! smith held II Up TO view. and for half
| a minute nothing was said. Then he
| queried:
"Yo' know what 1t is. Tom?"
| "ReckOn So"
"It's the warnn' 10 60
"Reckon Ills"
'arhey'n put the next on the doah of
| yo'r cabin"
IL know"
Then they'll kill yo."
"Sartin to-"
The blacksmith handed him back the
| letter without another word. and turned
| 10 his forge. He did not even look mp
| as Tom passed out TO mount his mule
and ride homeward. 40 words were
necessary. ff Tom moved away, he would
escape death. If he remained. he would
| be Killed II had been so In twenty other
cases. and why shouldn't II b. in his?
An hour after he had reached home and
when he and his wife were seated on the
doorstep with pipes alight. Tom broke
| a long interval of silence by saying:
Hcot tho ,varuin' tO-iay.'
"Hu?" she replied. without raising her
eyes
First varnin'.'
"iIu?"
"The next will be nailed on the doah.
Reckon wen find ii Friday mawnin'.'
And them
Il hain't gwine 70 So.
"IIu?"
Il wont be driv.''
They'll Kill
shore To: but 30 will L.
Not another word was said for I'VE min
uies. Thcn she turned. with look OF
pride IN her eyes, and whispered:
tom, you is Grit.
81 low It, Judy"
They'll XIII 90. Tom, but 20 Is grit
ana cverybody'n say So
Reckon they Will"
That ended the conversation on that
subject. She did not ask how he had
been warned and he did not show her
thu letter. IEcir doors he'd never been
locked at night. Why lock them now?
They went TO bed - sleep as sOundly and
peacefully as ever. and they rose In the
morning to cat their bacon and corn
bread and 20 about their TOutin- abors
as usual. Not a word Of the warming was
said to travellers or ncighbors. There
LOT ~
not invoked.
Found it on the doah." said Tom, FRI
day morning, as he held a piece Of paper
out to his wife.
"IIu! Skull and bones
But they can't drive
Reckon they'll come to-night?'
Likely. You'd best 50 over 10 Joes
"Of cO'sc."
Not a word was said during the day.
When the sun went down, she put on her
n-bonnet. and said:
Reckon I'll go now"
Yes"
She took the path through the woods.
and he reached down his double-barrelied
shotgun, and went out and took cover
behind a great stump. lie was there at
10 o'clock at midnight. AT sunrise, and
when his wife appeared and said:
Tom. yO' is grit. crar grit.
When shutdown came again. II was the
same thing over. At 10 O'Clock all was
uuiet but the notes of the frogs ana
cricke;s At midnight Tom heard the
trampinc Of horses and the mutterinss
of men. Thirty horsemen dismounted a
few rods away; twenty men in disguise
APPROACHED the cabin. There was double
report and two Of the marauderS TEL
in their tracks. There was a blaze OF
fire. a volley. a hurrah, and the men had
accomplished their errand. At sunrise
Toms wife came again. She saw him
lying there, saw that he was ccld IN
death. but there was no weeping ana
wailing. She simply stood and gazed
down upon his white face and she said:
"Hu, I'd best go and tell Joe. Tom
said they couldn't drive, and Tom was
grit"