Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-04-24

uuuci VI uofs. 4io buu Was 3ust sluhlus
to rest and hung like red ball of fire
beyond the murky mountains I turned
for last look at him to find myself
staring straight down the barrel of
rifle.
'Didn' calk late on this jest. did ye,
stranger?" asked the old man at the
end Of the gun as he came out from the
underbush. He was a long, lean, lank,
tough old customer, with determine.
tion written in box car letters all over
his hard old face. and / began to feel a
little shaky in my bones with that hun
cry looking rifle filling up the space be-
tween Us.
Nv ell. believe you are right, old
man." began, circulating through all
the gray matter of my brain to produce
an appropriate answer
Il lowed not, ye dad blasted valley
man, ye, the old man interrupted me.
81 could give ye the same as ye sont,
mebbe, with ole meat in the pot here,
bpt shootin's too good fur ye. / guess
yen keep handy enough. SO ye'll com
modate me by leadin the way up that
trail thar whilst me an ole meat in the
pot brings up the rear -
''No use talking over matters before
we get up, is there, old fellow" asked,
breathing easier at the chance of res
pite. at least, and finding that the
trail was the one pointed out by Thom-
as McTair. / put two and two together
and concluded that my captor was the
father of my whilom friend. and that
perhaps matters might not prove as dis
astrous as they looked.
A half hours steady pull brought US
to the clearing which Thomas MoTair
had described, and, sure enough, nam
was at the pen milking. The old man
directed my way up to the rickety rail
fence and called his wife to him. speak
ing to her in husky whispers which l
could not understand. By and by he
made me dismount and lead the way
into the cabin "Onload. stranger,
he said, motioning me to seat in the
chimney corner by the fire. gave him
my pistol and empty flask, which were
all l had transferred from my pockets
to Thomas McTair's when we changed
clothes Through the open window I
saw the old woman leading away my
tired nag. and hoped she would give
him good supper. Presently she came
in.
Bets" said the old man. giving her
the rifle, ''ye set thar by the table an
keep the gun p'inted plumb Eff the
skunk winks his eye unnecessary. why,
let her 60. Gallagher. I'd like to keep
him till the boys kin soc the fun, but
blaze away Of he shows his teeth. I'll
g'long down now"
Bets was ''survigrous" old woman,
as Tho o. McTair had said, and she
gazed at me with fire in her eye and her
finger on the trigger. calculated upon
the chances Of Thomas McTair's prob
able return TO the parental roof and con-
cluded that. for the sake of my health
and the welfare of humanity at large,
it would be unwise to put off eating
and drinking until that time. looked
the old lady straight in her fiery eye
and said with the deliberation of a seed
tick grabbing for keeps and in the sane
timonious tone of q newly appointed
circuit rider:
Madam, if l should by chance die
of starvation before my friend Thomas
McTair returns from the wedding, kind
ly tell him that it broke my heart to go
without seeing him once more in this
life, and that shall hope to meet him
in heaven" The old woman's hand
shook, and l feared the trigger would
fall, but it didn't, and l kept on. "Tell
my friend Thomas McTair that / will
and bequeath to him and his heirs for
ever my plug horse. my saddlebags and
all that in them is, my six shooter and
my empty flask, and this I do in return
for the favor he showed me in so nobly
exchanging this excellent and altogeth-
or lovely suit of brown jeans for my old
garments, which moth and dust doth
corrupt and thieves break through and
steal. Amen
By this time the old woman was in
tears. She laid the gun on the table,
grabbed pumpkin pie from the shelf
behind her with one hand and about
yard of fried smoked sausage links with
the other.
STRANGER, she said. shaking tear
about the size Of marrowfat pea from
the end of her thin nose Stranger,
set to. -
She laid plate upon the table as she
spoke, fanked it with bowl Of apple
sauce, corn pone and about two dozen
hard boiled eggs. "The cabin s yourn,
stranger, she said as drew my chair
to the board
''And the jug behind the doorf" in
quired.
can the jug benin the door" she
said, producing fat brown demijohn
and cracked glass.
By and hy she took the gun, set 1t
over in the corner with thump. "Ole
Tom Lane allus was born'd fool" she
said emphatioally as she fished her
snuffbox and brush from her pocket and
sat down to ruminate. I had about clear
ed up everything in sight and was feel
ing wonderfully comfortable inside,
when heard yell like stray Co
manche's, and old Lane burst in upon us.
'tThank Gawd," he said, grabbing
my hand and almost crushing it in his
own. '"Thank Gawd. ye air live an
kickin. Blamed-ef l didn't think ye'd
killed my son Thomas McTair fur the
clothes on his back, blarst my ole fool
hide"
Thomas McTair came in soon after
and Nancy
''By gum, stranger, said the big fell
low, "but you missed q close call FUN
the old mans gun. didn't you? But it's
all right now. You're safe, an I've got
Nancy" Thomas McTair stuck to his
bargain of giving me comfortable bed.
and staid with them until the sun
was high in the heavens next day. Ny
empty flask was filled and in its right
place when we changed clothes again.
"You've been a gawdsen to me,
stranger, he said at parting, "fur you
got me Nancy. :"
The distant tree tops blazed in the
glory of the MONDAY sun as turned
from the little trail into the rocky
mountain road; the gray squirrels
warmed themselves amid the branches
overhead, rattling down chestnut hulls
upon the fallen leaves, and away back
in the underbrush heard the high
pitched, happy voice Of Thomas MoTair,