St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-05-30

Ihat nXeS the matter all right. j
will come back in three days and pay
the rest of the money and take pos.
session of the claim"
He was about to retrace his steps
to his wagon when Buck stopped him
with wave of his hand.
"As war jist sayin'," he said, ''this
yere is no common claim; but thar aire
fellers that would try ter meek out
like this-they wouldn't have the claim
as a gift
''Why, what do they say is the matter
with it," asked Billings, growing in
terested.
"'Tain't hardly worth cepeatin',"
went on Buck, in careless tone. II
puts it that it is jealousy NV them. see
in I've got the best claim in the set
Element. II you seed one uv them fel-
lers it's likely he'd say that thar can't
be no water got on this yere claim.
He'd say that the well-borer war hyar
an bored about 600 feet an got no wa
ter. That would be a lie. cause he only
bored 400 feet. but I'll allus believe
he'd "a got water if he'd "a bored deep
enough. Then some object ter the
claim cause they says I've settled on
a school section. which amt open for
settlement, an that I'll haf ter git Of
soon Us a school board is organized.
But how the Sam Hill do they know
who the school boards goin' ter be,
an how can they tell what they're
goin' ter do fore they're elected
Some people does meek me have that
tired feelin'!"
''Why. il that is the case." broke in
Billings. II don't know as"
II amt through yit," put in Buck.
"Let me tell We all the onery skunks
aire doin' ter ruin the repertashun Nv
this yere claim. Some puts ii that it
is too close ter the line nv the Injun
territory, an that the road agents an
robbers would kill felier OF as fast
as he could come hyar, an that sick
vishus invirunments would be the
sp'ilin' NV the society NV the neigh
borhood; but thar hain't been but two
men killed on this we're claim since ]
come here, which is full six months
ago, an them war both strangers who
war campin' in the road hyar, an never
a-standin' gard none. Whatever else
could sich chumps expect?'
THAT is horrible!" said Billings,
with shiver. "As 1 were going to say,
in that case"
81 amt through yit, !" continued Buck
IT'S an honest man, an b'lieves in tell
in the whole story which them SLAM
derers aire SO fond NV exaggeratin'
Some puts it that the snaiks ON this
yere claim is its greatest drawback
an ter hear 'em talk ye'd think tina:
q feller couldn't stay hyar Is minnets
without bein' swallered by them; but
wait till tells We the true facts. Now
these yere snaiks aire perty bad, less
We know how ter take 'em. A feller
must wear high boots an keep his eyes
peeled. Then / wears er buskskin suit
under my other clothes, which has saved
my life more AN once. Now, thar was
Ruggy Jones. who lived over thar Oh
the next claim. He comes over ter see
me one day, lowin he amt afeared
of no snaik livin'. He warn't the man
ter listen ter no reason; he Gomez
a-wearin' Of them low dude CATERS
an the first thing he knows he's BIT
with one Nv them snaiks. Well, ht
slobbers round q little, takes a fit, try
in ter kill everybody, then curls up an
dies deader an Moses. Twarn't my
fault, seein' as how he had been warned
but some folks will be fools. Nv course
accidents will sometimes happen. ever
with the most keerful. Thar's my wife
Mandy. now. You couldn't find ,
keerfuler woman an her, but it IL
happened like this: One night one u,
them dad blamed snaiks gifts an hide
itself in the bed, an the first thing
we knows Mandy is bit. 1t warn't hel
fault, fer who'd think Nv wearin' snail
pertecters in the bed? Well, she pump.
q gallun NV my best whisky down hel
throat, an it kinder newteralizes tha
yere pizen. SO instead NV dyin' she only
has some fits. Mandy amt no slouct
in a skirmosh, an when them fits come.
on ye'd be safe in lowin' that I hat
my hands full. She gifts the corn-knife
'lowin' that everybody is after her. an
out she goes, slashin' at everything
dangerus like. It's about daylight by
this time, an she meets Sol Miller, whs
is out early lookin' fer his mules. Sh'
mecks fer him, an fore he gifts on tel
what she's drivin' at, she has sliced of
one ov his years, an he only 'scapes b!
bein' one ov the best runners in tn
settlement. She next slashes the he0t
NV my best dog of, an after she hat
sliced the tail on one NV my hosses.
finally ropes her. She gets quiet lik'
after awhile, but them fits will come
back on her
THAT is enough" interrupted tn
stranger. II wouldn't live on this claim
for all the land in the county. Give mn
back my money, and we will call tn
trade OF"
NO, we don't, replied Buck. "Ireck
on the contract don't say nothin' abon
givin' the money back. II We want tn
claim, paw the rest an it's yourn; bu
il not. the 25 is mine. That's the con
tract"
He was interrupted by shrek which
issued from the cabin, and the next mo
ment the figure of woman emerges
from the door and came running wildl!
across the prairie, fiourishing corr
knife about her head.
"Blame my cats. that's Mandy havln
one NV them fits!" cried Buck. "LooI
out fer yerself an team, stranger. whil'
1 runs fer a rope!"
But Billings did not wait to listen
With one bound he was in his wagon
and a moment later had lashed TIN
mules into a gallop and was disappear
ing down the trail in a cloud of dust.
Buck darted around the cabin, tn
woman in hot pursuit. and this wa
kept up till the stranger was well ON
, Of sight. Then the two went into tn
house.
II reckon he's gone for good" salt
Mandy, laying the corn knife on tn