Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-06-05

M}INZ/INSSS0 shanty, the out
1 ~ 000V W. lines OF the Oasi.
Saloon, and those of the combined
postof1ice and grocery, seemed tc
waver and dance in the furnace cur
rent rising to the glaring, brazsn sky.
Hot as it was outdoors, it was still
more like an oven in Pete'S little one
room hut, for the fire was blazing,
and Pete, coatless and vestless, was
overseeing frying-pan of bacon and
mess OF boiling potatoes.
The appetizing odor hoated ont Of
the doorway and spread over the
neighborhood. 1t was distinctly no
ticenble as far off as the row Of Topped
eucalypti beyond the saloon. At the
foot Of one of these trees lay what at
first sight seemed only bundle OF
rags; but closer inspection revealed
o shock of black hair and glimpses oi
brown parchment skin thatindicated
human being. Gradually, as the
welcome aroma penetrated the crea-
ture's befoggled brain, the heap OF
rags stirred and tossed, and finally,
uplifting bodily, resolved itself into G
very dirty and torn blanket, sur
mounted by o hideous, blear-eyed
countenance. The old hag-for it was
o woman-snifed OF the wandering
fragrance. trying to catch It's direc'
tion, and then staggered unsteadilJ
across the road to Pete's cabin,
"Hello there, Wawaga! Gettin
over.yer spree?" greeted that gentle
man, easily.
"Umph! No drunk! Injun hun,
gryl" remarked the visitor.
Pete, laughing good-naturedly, re-
piled: you wait; I'll give you G
bite pretty quick now."
The old woman squatted on her
heels by the stove and greedily eyed
the preparations for the feast, while
Pete kept his own optics steadily on
his cooking to forestall any possible
burning. The squaw's restless gaze
royed around the room, finally paus,
ing at the shelf behind the stove,
upon which stood cheap alarm-clock
and o big black bottle; hero it re-
NAMED fixed until Pete looked OF her
once more, whereupon she announced
in her quavering croak:
"Op I6jun heap thirsty"
Pete laughed again. $50 along
out ter ther pump, then," he said.
But Wawaga's eye was still glued to
the interesting object before here.
Soon Pete himself went 3ut to the
pump, pail in hand; Immediately the
bundle of rags by the wall stretched
up o lean arm, with the quick and
stealthy motion OF pouncing cat,
and, seizing the bottle, poured the
fiery contents down through the
brown, parchment throat
- Such an unearthly bowling and yell
ing as followed this successful thieve-
ry! Pete dropped his pail and came
running in, to find his guest doubled
up in agony and rolling around on the
floor screeching like mad.
"What struck her?" he cried; but
Just then catching sight of the black
bottle still clutched in tho Indians
skinny claw. his blank look turned to
wide grin. He dropped on the near
est box, chuckling: "My eyel ef the
old fool ain't drunk that ther quart O.
kesosene!" The terror-stricken
screaming redoubled, while the
man watched the poor wretch's
antics in ecstasy. "Guess it'll
teach her to quit meddlin'," he
muitered,.. gleefully; but as the mo-
ments passed, he began to realize that
the matter was serious, for the crea-
ture's contortions grew awful and her
anguish too great for amusement.
Pete's grin faded insensibly; he
scratched his head thoughtfully,
grumbling: ."Don't know as I want
the old gal kickin' the bucket right
here end now, but what in tarnal Gre
atoms feller goin' ter do fer her
Oh, gosh know!" He boltcd across
the road, sending up choking cloud
of powdry soil, and burst into the
store. ''Say, Ike, yer got any mus
tard2" he demanded; "old Wagaga's
done drunk all my coal oil, an guess
it's goin' ter kill her! Don't yer
hear chat screechin'?" Ike Demp.
sey, reused from his midday nap,
rubbed his eyes and stretched him
self, then rising deliberately from the
cracker-barrel, and thrusting his quid
into one cheek, drawled, lazily: ::
"Wal, now, where's the hurt ef the
Of sot do gin US the shaker Oh, doan't
be in er rush naow! I guess theirs a
can er mustard rnound somewhere. :"
Reaching long, lazy arm under the
counter, he clattared among his pos
sessions and brought up a fistful OF
yelIow-brown dust. "rhis here nuff?
Never mind payin'!" In two minutes
more Pete Oberin laid violent hands
on the rolling heap of agony in his
cabin, and sternly commanded,
"Drink this here" She drank it.
Then the frotiersman dragged her bod
lily outside the shanty, and left her
alone with her misery.
After some time Pete returned to
his patient, bearing tin plate with q
generous share of his dinner. He pre-
sented this with flourish, and grinned
sympathctically as the morsels of food
disappeared.
When the shadows Of the blue-gums
stretched long and gaunt to the east
ward, md q mellow pink flushed the
tops Of the grand, distant mountains,
tipsy and squalid old squaw, in tat
tered blanket, truiled slowly up the
dusty road through the foothills; and
for six months neither Ike Dempsey
nor Pete, nor even Pat Grogau at the
saloon, saw auy more of Wawasa.
When Pete Oberlin reached up to
the shelf behind the stove that night,
and, after feeling vainly around in the
darkness, struck a match and examined
the surface, lie let forth volley OF
oaths that would have shocked the
ears of mule-driver, finishing up
prothfu11v with. HWisht I'd let the