Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-07-30
1HURMONT frederick County, Maryland, Thursday July 3d. 1896

for the purpose of keeping himself dis
creetly in the background. This dip
lomatic ambassador had his final inter-
view with the Bynums on the day fol-
lowing Ringbrand's excursion with the
colonel; and when, late in the after
noon, he drove back to the hotel in
Dunbar, the deed to the Bynum acres
was safely buttoned up in the inside
pocket of his coat.
If the shrewd agent congratulated
himself little on the success of his
mission, it was certainly pardonable,
for there had been difficulties. julie
Bynum was obstinately opposed to the
sale from the first, because it involved
the uprootng of the family from the
soil of Tennessee and a migration to
the unfamiliar regions of the Texas
frontier; and her reluctance was shared
in less degree by her brother Jed. On
the other side, however, jeff, in whom
the seed of restlessness had been i'm
planted on his former journey, was
anxious to be gone again; and his sto-
ries of the unrestrained life on the
border had gained him q partisan in
the person of his other brother. With
this equal division in numbers, the
plans hinging upon the sale OF the farm
hung in the balance until Jules opposi-
ton was finally overcome by the arrival
of a letter from her Uncle Jed, who
described, in such glowing terms as his
limited vocabulary could furnish, the
prosperity which awaited them in the
west. This letter had opportunely
reached the cove or the day preceding
the emissary's final visit, and its urg-
ing, together with substantial in
crease in price offered by the ambas-
sador had procured the reluctant con-
sent of the two obstructionists.
Having thus arrived at the threshold
of the proposed migration, the details
of its accomplishment were arranged
in the evening of the same day, when
the family was gathered in the kitchen
of the farmhouse. JEFF and julie did
most of the talking; Jed set back in
the chimney-corner, saying little; and
Bud had taken the stock from his rifle
and was swabbing the barrel in pan
of water before the wide fireplace.
"D' ye low we can get ready for to
light out by to-morrer night, Jule"'
asked jeff
"Oh, l reckon so," replied his sister,
with dissatisfied air; "y'all amt
gwine to rest now tell we's done ton
up an gone. But how d. We reckon
we-all can 60 in the night? They amt
no cvars n-runnin' then"
jeff rose from his seat on the bed
and broke off leaf from the bunch
of tobacco hanging over the fireplace.
"We-all didn't low to take the cyars
at the settlement he explained. II
been sort O. fgurin' on gettin' squar'
with that dern crowd up on the
mounting fore we-all done lef' Tennes-
see for good, an 'tain't gwine be
healthy for none O. we-all to be seen
round here afterwards. Come to think
OF it, though, they AIM no use O maxim
YOU ride over the mounting in the
night; yc can go jest as we'll the mex
day an wait for we-all at McNairville.'
What on top O the yeth does y'-all
want to start from McNairville for"
she asked, in surprise.
"'Cause the cyars done leave thar
bout three o'clock in the mo'nin', an
veal can get th'oo yere an make hit
'crost the mounting fore that time
"An' We was 'lowin' to do that to-mor.
rer night?"
"No; that d be too soon for what
we's a-fgurin' on; to-morrer's Thurs
day-ye can take the mar an ride over
Friday, an we-nll III jine ye Friday
night. How'll that thar do?"
"Oh, reckon can 60 one times we'll
rs another. What did y'-all do with
the city fcller las night?"
Bud chuckled Scared him plum to
death an drappcd him in the hole in
'Possum holler."
"Didn't tote him up nothin' to eat,
did YEP"
mo. Lowed to let him go hoDgry
for spell, so t he could sort O. see what
hit was like"
"What y'-all gwine do with him?"
asked Jed, speaking for the first time.
"Reckon we'll turn him loose after
he's done scared up enough to min his
own business" responded jeff, leisure
ly filling his pipe with the crushed leaf
of tobacco. "'Tain't gwine hurt him
none to stay thar day or So"
julie went to the cupboard in the cor
ner, and few minutes later left the
room Jed broke the silence which fol-
lowed her departure. II done heard
that Tom Ludlow d put gang to work
in in the McNabb ag'in to-day" he
said.
II know hit" replied JEFF. "We-all
IL give 'em s'prise party bout to-mor-
rer night. / reckon they'll keep gyard
up thar, but that amt gwine do no
good"
Bud shook his head. mo, theyall
don't know nothin' about the crevice.
Wonder if the city feller can hear 'em
a-workin'?"
81 reckon so," replied JEFF. "Mos'
likely he's been a-hollerin' the top o.
his haid off all day, a-tryin' to make
out to raise somebody. believe he
was bout the worst scared-up feller
I ever did see."'
Bud laughed. HE shore was. He
trem'led jest like a gal when was q
tyin' his arms"
jeff tilted his chair against the wall
and smoked meditatively until his pipe
went out. "D'ye know, Buddy. cayn't
get shet O. the idee that I've done see
that thar feller afore"-he knocked
the ashes out of the pipe and dropped
it into his pocket--"an' I jest cayn't
ric'ict whar-By Hick'ry! l do ric'-
lict, now!" The speaker brought his
chair down with crash, and the others
1ooJrol Scxo ~, + -, !,