Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-01-24

interesting, and before five miles
had been travelled he became con-
fidential. In the meantime his
passenger had become familiar and
was calling him by his first name.
by the way, Sam" he inquired,
how did you lose that fore
finger?'
The driver looked down at the
place where only half a finger re-
NAMED and smiled.
Shot off," he said sententiously.
In mountain fight ~
Kinder sorter that away"
How did the other fellow come
out of it?"
Thar wuzn't no other feller,"
he grinned.
NO? Did you do it yourself?"
"Skeercely."
he stopped, but he showed such
an inclination to 60 on with the ex-
PLANTATION that the Star man asked
him for it.
We'll, yer see, it wuz this away:
Bout twenty ye'rs ago, that is,
when | wuz twenty-five, I reckon
I wuz the orneriest cuss in these
parts. 1 wuz drunk most Nv the
time, and when I wuzn't l wuz
huntin' round fer liquor to git
drunk on. Fightin' too, an raisin'
Cain gener'lly; disturbin' public
worship on Sundays when thar
wuz any, and Dustin up the school
in the church house on week days.
Nobody couldn't do nothin' with
me, an I got ter thinkin' 1 owned
the whole neck Nv woods.
II reckon it must have been
goin' on fer FIVE er six ye'rs that
away, an wuz gittin' wuss, when
one winter little slip Nv red.
headed gal come to town frum
Pennsylvany. Some said she come
from Pennsylvany, an some said
she come from old Virginny, but
that didn't make no difference to
me, and when she'd been thar
about two weeks it come round
time fer me to 60 on a spree, an l
went, an the fust place I struck
fer wuz the school house.
Il knownd the little gal wuz
powerful sassy, an she knowed /
wuz powerful ornery, but l wuz
jist drunk enough to fergit all the
sense 1 ever did have, includin' Nv
a knowledge that the little school.
marin wuz mighty handy with a
pop-gun sort Nv rifle she useter
to tote to school with her and bang
away at squirrels up in the woods
after school.
when a man gifts fool drunk
thar amt no bigger kind Nv fool,'
and Sam sighed and laughed lit
tie. We'll, l struck the school
hous' long in the afternoon, jist as
the children were goin' home, and
when they seed me, they fairly
went whoopin' leavin' the school
marin all by herself. 1 wasn't
lookin' fer that egzactly, but I
thought I'd tackle her anyhow, an
in I bolted an commenced yellin'
like an Injin an tryin' to pen her
up in corner, jist to skeer her,
yer understand"
"Yes, l understand" and the
passenger felt like knocking the
driver out into the road. H.:
"But, reckon, l didn't; that is
not very much" he went on, fer
afore l knowed what was comm,
she grabbed that dern little pop.
gun Nv hern and had it p'inted
straight at me. She didn't look
purity that away, an her red head
looked like ball Nv fire, an some.
how I stopped right in the middle
Nv the floor.
You better STOP says she,
coldern ice an hardern iron. Now
hold up both hands, says she, an
somehow I put 'em up almighty
sudden like. Drop that left one
across your breast an keep it thar
says she, an somehow 1 done that,
too. an l stood before her with nv
right hand up, an feelin like I'd
ruther be in Jail dern sight than
whar l WIZ. Then she made me
take solemn oath never to come
inside that school house ag'in, an l
wuz glad enough to do it, an
thought l wuz gittin' off mighty
easy.
"'Hold on says she, ez I made
a move like ez eff I wuz goin', an
kinder GRIMM at her; hold on, l
amt through with you yet. You've
swore to keep out of this school.
house an not disturb me no more,
but jist to give you somethin' to