San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-05-19

by step KEEP edgin' the leetle Teller
nearer the canal. jest lay trenholm,
Twas tibet frightened, fer ] was but a
lad in them days. know'd ought to
run out an stopped ct, but was unde-
cided, an fore l got my couritch mp
hear the soft notesof the fiddle. There
was old Hiram, with his withered han
holdin' the instermen', his long fin
gers runnin' over the strings, the bow
slidin' slowlike up an down, his black
eyes fastened hard on the big Teller.
"'Swing yer corners, john he
yelled. Then the notes come quick an
short. / scerce drawed breath, ex-
pectin' to see the big stick go crashing
through his white hat. Instead John
stopped sudden. His arm fell limp
like. He passed his hand confused
over his forehead. Then he bowed.
They was a queer CLEAN in Gums eyes;
an the notes come faster. In another
minute John was swingin' corners,
with his arms graspin' the air. The
dead sticks cracked under his feet as he
flung around. An as old Hi called the
fggers he followed him, yellin' 'em
louder an kickin' like mad. 1t was
the widest dancin' ever / seen. He
bowed and twisted, backward an for
ad, an chassayd an chained, his feet
seemin' all the time to be movin' faster
and faster, as the notes come quicker,
an the long bow slid to an fro like
hghtnin'. Cautious old Hiram moved
around, never tazin' his eyes off his
emmy tell he was on the riverside, an
John skippin' around on the beaten
towpath.
'Them was awful minutes for Inc.
could do nothing, fer the playin' kind
of spelled me like. Once 1 tried to get
up, but kicked out with both feet and
fell sprawlin' to the groun'. Slow old
Hiram begin to move toward the canal
all the time the mad dancin' Teller
baclkin' nearer an nearer the bank.
Back ter yer corner. Johnl' called
the fiddler.
"'Corners nextp yelled John, kiclin'
up his heels and THROWN out his arms
like he was grabbin' somethin'. Then
come the awfullest cry / ever heard.
1t went right through me like knife
There was splash. He'd gone over
the bank.
II jumped out, fer the fddlin' he'd
stopped, an started toward the spot.
But before 1 got there Hiram throwed
away his fiddle, run to the bank and
was down on his knees starin' inter the
water, with wild look in his eyes. A
head came above the surface, then an
arm reached wildly out Old Hiram
leaned over and grasped the hand.
81 stopped, / was so excited, and
calls: You've got him. Hill You've
got him! HoP fastr
But it wasn't no use, fer he'd nothin'
to support him with. He grasped the
bank with his withered hand, but the
arm gave way and he toppled over.
Then fer a minute all was still. I
leaned over the water an waited. They
was ripple toward the middle an
two heads come up seen Hiram
Gums long black hair and beard, an
his drawn face as he looked up at the
sky overhead. Then they disappeared
agin. l watched minute, but the
surface Of the canal became quiet and
still, like nothin' had happened. Then
turned an ran.
''Them was awful moments for boy
like me. / few along the tow path,
across the clearin', inter the woods
ag'in, and then down toward the river
where the boats lay hid among the
willer bushes An as went crashin'
through the willer branches / heard
girls voice CALM:
Hiram she says, Is that you2 I
thot you was never comm. Why were
You fddlin'?
SIN another second I was through
the willers and on the bank. There,
settin' in the boat, her hams on the
oars ready to pull away, was Susan
Billings"
The old man stopped his story and
beat his cane softly on the porch, and
hummed snatch of a tune.
There came short putting, as the
Chronic Loafer drew on his pipe until
the bright Goals shone in the darkness. F
''But Sam Washin' ton"
The old man arose slowly.
81 don't keer bout Sam Washin'ton.
1 must be goin'. I'll git rheumatism
on sech a night with no horsechestnut
in me pocket"- IN Y, Sun