The Opelousas courier., 1895-11-02
A Blood and Death Question.

A Blood and Death Question.
The sun was nov on the greasy side,
you understand, and slippin down fast
behind the western slopes. 1t was if-
teen miles, or maybe a little better, to
the c~lostest railroad station, and the
road was takin me through the toughest
and widest and most lo%nesomest coun-
try on the broad bosom Of the earth
perhaps. Down in Texas they have got
4 whole lot of devilment stacked up
agin the great and CROWN State of
Arkansas, and somehow ! couldn't turn
loose and forget the bloody and thrillin
stories that had come to me in regards
to robbers and murders and hold-ups,
and the like Of that. So 1 had figgered
it out that there would be plenty of
horses for other people to ride after |
was dead and gone, and l was headed
for the station, aud ridin for blood, as it
were.
Presently a student turn in the road
brought me to a log cabin settlement.
Two long, tall, ganglin boys, with red
hair and freckly faces, come up out of
the clearin, and stopped and stood me
up in the middle of the road. l didn't
know for certain what was comm next,
but l didn't have so very long to lay low
and say nothin and wait.
From your general trappins and the
%critter you ride, l reckon as how you
must of come from Texas said the
biggest ono of the boys, and blamed if
it didn't seem to me like he was standin
sever feet high in his bare feet. They
had me spotted right, the truth was
more safer than a lie, 80 l owned up to
it that 1 was fresh from Texas.
"In that case, stranger, you are the
very man we are lookin for" the boy
went on to say. Me and my brother
Bill have got tangled up together in a
terrible disputation, and you will have
to settle the pints between us as to
which is which and who is who. Old
Buck, our steer, took mighty sick last
night. l lowed it was the boiler horn,
whilst Bill he lowed it was the bolts,
ard so we had it, up and down, and over
and under. You can see the steer layin
out there in the ~clearin, and if it amt
a clear case of the boiler horn then l
have told the lie and will sign the pa
pers to that extent"
"Spose you bore some holes in his
horns and split his tail open," says I.
That's the way they stop the hollow
horn in Texas"
Exactly, precisely to a mats heel
what l said from the jump" replied the
boy, "but Bill he swore 1t want the hol-
Ter horn, and theEsteer was as much
hisin as mine. seyhere We was argifyin
and disputin, whilst old Buck was suf-
ferin death"
"Spose you drench him with sweet
milk and sperits of ~turpentine," says I.
t'That is a dead shot for the bolts in
Texas"
Didn't l tell you So" says Bill as he
bristled up to his bigger brother.
Didn't I go and git the milk and sper-
its of turpentine and bring a bottle to
do the drenchin with? And didn't you
rip and snort and swear by seventeen
devils that it was the holler horn and
not the bolts, and old Buck should never
be drenched to death with SIGH a mess?
Didn't I tell you so?"
might is comm on, boys, and l have
got a long ride ahead" says /. 'sMy
horse is leg weary, but we must make it
to the station in time to catch the first
train goin south. You will have to set
tie this question amongst yourselves
and let me 60"
sit will never do, stranger" says the
biggest boy-'it will never do in the
round created world. If you don't tell
us which is which and who is who me
and my brother Bill will have to pitch
iHsand fight it out. We do hate to spill
family blood, but one is right aid one is
wrong, and the pint must be settled. I
amt in no ways hankerin after a chance
to stain the soil of Arkansas with a
brothers. blood, and neither is Bill, but
last night old Buck took the boiler
horn, or he took the bolts. Somethin
must be done, or blood will have to
flow."
By this time the sur had went down, |
and that long and lonesome road still
stretched out between me and the rail-
road station. Naturally of course / was
nervous and restless and in a monstrous
hurry to move ON. !;
"From the way you boys give in the
facts, / reckon your steer must of took
the hollow horn and the bolts both at
the same time" says /.
"Mebbe he did, /" says the biggest boy.
"Mebbe he did" says Bill.
.And in that case you mought bore
his horns and split his tail and drench
Elm with sweet milk and sperits tur-
pentine." says /. you will be more
than probable to hit it right one way
.. the other. But I must hurry on,
boys, and I reckon the sooner you git
your fxments and go to work the better
1t will be for the steer"
1--WE are much obleeged to you,
stranger" says the biggest boy. "but it
amt no use now. Old Buck died this
mornin."
And as / rode on over that long and
lonesome road / had some tremendous
thoughts in regard to them boys
and their old steer, Buck. But / didn't |
write out the things that / thought, and
/ never will. At any rates, the train had
went by twenty minutes before / got to
the station.
The Gold and silver Issue.
IN 80 &&@ #&MEH&EA@