The National tribune., 1897-10-21

L
said Bildad. Down at the mill they wnz
| talkin' bout a lot o. cattle thatd bin lost,
an their hide and horns bein found alter
ward by a lou-iire. One o Jabe Runneis's
/ hest steers strayed off that-a-way. He found
/ the karkiss two days ago by the remains o
| a fire. Font enou9l'd bin cut otfen one o
the lIindauar,ers 10 make supper an break
4 fast fur 5 or 20 men, and they uns d ieit
/ the rest
1.-The westcott boys said, {" continued keu-
| ben, " that the secesh air after Elder storm
mont hot foot. on account o. his adylsin Inc
peonle & burn the railroad bridges t keep
! tley 'uns from runnin' any more men III on
MS an t. ston thew from Teinforcin' IN
| Viroi;,ny. Thev'uns declar' they nns Ii Try
! tie Elder i,y c0uIt-martial, whatever ':iat Is
/ an shoot him. an II hang AIRY man they ans
find irwin t barn a bridge. The WeSteott
hovs say that tlar's 4 bridge aciost Snake
Greek. bout 30 mile ffom they uns's house,
that could be burned Jest ez easy ez not
| They uns know all bout hit l>ase they uns
we bin thar twice. when they 'uns wuz help
! in drive cattle t .jellico."
liiseyes flashed a meaning look to Bildad's,
which did not escape the notice OF Miriam.
After the Elder" said Robert lnruie.
meditatively. ''l've bin monthly aicared o
that I've been sartin they uis would Hcd
Better stav mouty close t the mountlngs.
" har his friends is. The Elders reckless an
| keeiless o. iiissef."
1.-The Elder trusts in the protection o the
| Lord. i" said Mrs. Inrule. am hits never
failed him"
Never SO fur, mother" replied Robert
| Inrule; 'sbut thar comes times when man
has to use snn,e cnmption, ez well ez trust IN
! the Lord. don't believe in trus,in' in the
/ Lord till after you've done all yo' kin yo'sef.
! The Lord dent expect no man t walk de-
| liberately inter pit, an then trust Him t.
pull him out.
The dogs rushed ont with their accustomed
clamor, and Robert Inrale went upon the
porch To see what occasioned 1t.
Here comes the Elder now" he called
back into the room.
The boys arose from the table to take care
of the Elders horse, and Miriam fastened to
make place for him ut the table.
May Gods blessing be upon this house
and all in il, . said the good man as he crossed
the threshold.
" "Amen.'' the household responded fer
ventlv. Come in ana sitdown al the table.
We wuz Jest eatin', an AIiriam's gone for a
plate ior yo'. y added Mrs. Inrule.
After the meal and when they had al!
gathered around him TO hear the news, the
| Elder detailed at length the many incidents
| in the reign OF terror which had been inaugu-
rated.
stVeriiy.'' he said in conclusion, "such
times have come upon Us as fell upon Israel.
under Ahab, who, with his wife Jezebe, sold
himself unto wickedness, overturned the
Lords altars and prosecuted his prophets
But Ahab did not last long. The time came
when he had 10 hide from the wrath of the
Almighty. though this did not save him. A
man who drew his bow at venture slew
him."
"Speakin' o. persecutin' the prophets, ;
said Robert Inrule. they say the seeesh al
a ter yo' particularly hot, an that they'un
mean Z do awful things t. yo' when they 'un
do ketch yo'"
SO hear from all Sides" said the Elder
''Bnt they haven't caught me yet"
Elder. yo'I take lleer o. yo'self, won
vo' ?" pleaded Mrs. Inrule. ''No matte
what yo' think o. yo' life on yo' own account
vo'll take keer of hit fo' our sakes. What't
f we'uns do without yo'?"
Don't be alarmed, sister," replied tn
! Elder. sim not going to let those sons 0
Belial get hold of me- and stop my work.
% But. Elder, yo' air so confident that th'
: Isogd'li perfect yo' that yo take chances tha
y yo' shouldn't take. Yo' walk right inter tn
d lions mouth y persisted Mrs. Inrule.
'1My dear sister, answered the Elder
/. 90 read in the Scriptures that Joshua, ant
: Gideon. and even David were discreet ant
! sometimes practiced wiles when confrontet
+ by an overpowering force OF the heathcn an'
: Philistines / shall do at all times wliat
think the Lord directs me to do. II tn
n Lord directs me, as | read He has oite
y directed His servants, to observe cIrcum
= spection before His enemies, or even fl
them, / shall certainly do SO. Make you
,f mind easy on that score sister"
i For example," continued he: ~ wa
4 sitting day before yesterday on the porch a
n Brother Westcott's house, talking to him an
q Sister Westcott, when we saw party {
rebel soldiers on horseback coming over til
II hill The Lord at once put it in my min
r that they were coming for me, and sus
IF gested the guile that i practice to escaI
sr from them.
+" at once went into the house and put o
II a suit of Brother Westcott's butternut jeans
1t and his broad brimmed hat. got onto or
d of his horses. and taking long whip in m
IS hand drove a heifer out of the field into tn
I, road. and started her toward the mel
,e Brother Westcott and his boys helping m
al They also slipped my horse out the bac
% way. and hid him in the willows along tf
a. creek.
"Idrove the heifer straight toward the me-
10 and had a great deal of trouble with he
y because she wanted to stay at home, and L
s. not SO good a drover as, say, Brother Inrul
Sc Her waywardness though, was Proyidentia
ID and helped me out The men were Al
rs bamiaus. and didn't know me, though tn,
IL had description of me and of my horse.