Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-03-04

WIFI a. lSDDlSJ lucLl7 stepping DtiSlN, IN
hurled it into the air, saying: 'Dea
square, Yank!"
The tobacco fell at Alden's feet. He
picked it up, measured it carefully with
his clasp knife, and called out: Three
and three-quarters, Craig. What dc
you want, bareback or coffee"
Tack" replied Craig; don't stint"
Alden laid out two biscuits. AS ne
was about to hack quarter from the
third he happened to glance over the
creek at his enemy. There was no mis-
taking the expression on his face. Star
walton was stamped on every feature.
When Craig caught Alden's eye, he
spat with elaborate care, whistled bar
of the "Bonny Blue Flag" and pre-
tended to yawn.
Alden hesitated, glanced at Conner,
then placed three whole biscuits in the
cornhusk, added q pinch of coffee, and
tossed the parcel over to Craig.
That Craig longed to fling himself
upon the food and devouT it was plain
TO Alden, who was watching his face.
But he didn't; he strolled leisurcly
down the bank, picked up the parcel,
weighed it critically before opening It,,
and finally sat down to examine the con-
tents. When he saw that the third
cracker was whole, and that pinch Of
coffee had been added, he paused In
his examination, and remained motion
less on the bank, head bent. Presently
he looked up and asked Alden If he had
made mistake. The young fellow
shook his head and drew long puff of
smoke from his pipe, watching it curl
out of his nose with interest.
"Then I'm obliged to yew, Alden"
said Craig; GLOW I'll eat snack to sec
it amt pizcned."
He filed his lean jaws with the dry
biscuit, then scooped up q tincupful
of water from the muddy river, and set
the rest of the cracker to soak.
"Good?" queried Alden.
'Fair," drawled Craig, boiling an un-
chewed segment and choking q little.
Flows the twist?"
Fine" said Alden; "tastcs like stable
sweepings."
They smiled at each other across the
stream.
SAY" drowlod Craig, with his
mouth full, when yew're out of twist,
jest yew sing out, sonny"
"All right" replied Alden. He
stretched back in the shadow of syca-
more and watched Craig with pleasant
eyes.
Presently Conner had bite and
ierked his line into the air.
Look yere," said Craig, chat amt
no way for to ketch 'red-horse.' Yew
want cartridge on for asinker, sonny"
whats that?" inquired Conner, sus-
piciously.
"Put on q sinller,"
GO on, Connor," said Alden.
Conner saw him smoking, and shifted
anxiously. Alden tossed him the twist,
telling him to fill his pipe.
Presently Conner found 4 small pcb-
bic and improvised o sinller. He swung
his line again into the muddy current,
with a mechanical sidelong glance to
see what Craig was doing, and settled
down again on his launches, smoking
and grunting.
emmy news, Alden?" qucricd Craig
after silence.
Nothing much, except that Rich
mond has fallen" grinned Alden.
"Quit fooling," urged the southerner;
"ain't there no news?"
''No. Some of our men down at Mud
Pond got sick eating catfish. They
caught them in the pond. 1t appears
you Johnnies used the pond as a cemc-
terry, and our men got sick eating the
fish"
"That 500" drawled Craig; 900 bad.
Lots of yewr men was in Long Pond,
too, 1 reckon"
In the silence that followed two rifle
shots sounded faint ard dull from dis
tant forest.
"'Nother great union victory"
drawled Craig. "EXtry! EXtry! Rich
mond is tooll!"
Alden laughed and pulled at his pipe.
eve licked the boots of of the Thir-
tieth Texas last Monday" he said.
"Sho!" drawlcd Craig; what did you
go a-licllin' their boots for-blacliin'? p
80, shut up!" said Conner from the
bank; q can't letch no fish if you two
fools don't quit jawin'."
The sun was dipping below the pine
clad ridge, flooding river and wood with
fierce radiance. The spruce needle;
glittered, edged with gokl; every broad
green leaf wore u heart of gildcd splen-
dor, and the muddy waters Of the river
rolled onward like a flood of precious
metal, heavy, FURNISHED, noseless.
From a balsam bough o thrush Mt
tered three timid notes; great gauzy-
winged grasshoppcr drifted into q
clump Of subscribed weeds-click!
click! err!
"Purty, amt it?" said Craig, looking
at the thrush. Then he swallowed the
last morsel of muddy hardtack, wiped
his beard on his cuff, hitched up his
trousers, took off his green glasses, and
rubbed his eyes. "a he-catbird sings
purifier, though" he said.
Alden drew out his watch, pulled once
or twice, and stood up, stretching lis
arms in the air.
OTIS tour O'clock" he began, but was
cut shcrt by shout from Conner.
Gee whiz!" he yelled; what have
sol On this here pole?"
The ramrod was bending, the line
swaying heavily in the current.
Its four o'clock, Connor," said Al
den, keeping q wary eye on Craig.
That's all right" called Craig, "thc
times extended till yewr friend lands
that there fish"
'ePulls like a porpoise," gruntcd Con
nor. 81 bet it busts my ralnrod!"
Docs it pulp" grinned Craig.
eyes, dead weight"
Don't it Jerk kinder this way and