The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-27

70 look cross eyed at me. Zeb White, take
my rife, my butes, my hat; take all I've
got on this yere airth, but stand up to me
like mani
81 was in mighty pore health" ex-
claimed Zeb, "and no match fur SIGH a
man, and so had to crawfish. Everybody
said I orter shoot him down, but couldn't
shed blood that way. It hurts me to this
day to remember that went home like
whipt cur, leaving that critter to crow
over me, but my mind was made up to
tackle him as soon as I felt like man
ae'in. When I got home, I was cryin,
and the old woman seq to me, seq she:
'Zeb, has the wah broke out ag imp
"sNo'
Then, what's the matter?
"'I've bin bluffed!'
"'D'yo mean that Tom Smith has
crowed over yo'?'
That's jest what he has, and I'm so
pesky weak in the knees that had to git
away from him.
&C Jest backed yo' down, did hep
"'He did. It's the fust time in my life
ever crawfshed fur any human critterP
"'Reckon it is, Zeb. I knows how yo
feel, but yo couldn't help it. If yo'd tao
killed. him, he'd hev broke yo in two. I'll
go right at it and nurse yo' up, and in fo'
weeks You be dtten to whop Tom Smith
till he can t boot If yo' hain't, I'll put
on yo' clothes and whop him myself
81 felt better after that" said Zeb,
"though couldn't get over the hurt to my
feelins. One evenin about two weeks after
the fuss and when was gainin on it, but
not feelin much better, was sittin right
yere when 1 cotched sight of a bar across
the road by them rocks. Plenty of bars
round yere them days, nobody had been
home to kill 'em off. About the time I
cotohed sight of the bar Tom Smith
showed up He had cum down to whop
me. He wasn't satisfied with bluffin me
down, but he'd made threats to break all
my bones. The old woman cotched sight
of him as soon as did and got down the
rife She meant to kill him if he cum in
to attack me. Tom saw me a-sittin yere
and he stopped right by that tree and
throwed down his hat and yelled:
"'Whoopeel I'm hungry fur the meat
of an alligator 1 thirst fur the blood of
tiaersl I'm lonely to meet up with den
of rattlesnakes, and 1 can't go home to-
night till I've chawed the ear of pantherl
Zeb White, ar that yo' a-sottin thar
60 1t ar
"'Do yo' call yo'self 1nanP
{" Not a well man. If yo'll gin me TO-
weeks mo-. I'll run yo' outer the kentryI'
" L can't waiti I'm a-perishin fur the
want of a mortal combat with sumbody
If yo'n cum out yere, Zeb White, yo' kin
tie my hands and feet and I'll fight yo'
with my teeth aloneI Take pity on per-
ishin man and cum out. Whoopee If yo'
respected yo'r pore old father or loved yo'r
mother 70 d cum out and stand up to 1neP
"Waal,'' sighed the old man, che talked
that way till 1 got mad and riz up to go,
but jest as did so that b ar waltzed across
the road on his hind feet and fetched him
a cuff which knocked him ten feet. Tom
thought I'd got out thar without his seein
me, and he was tickled to death as he rig
up and went fur the bar. We heard him
sayin:
'Zeb White, said yo' wasn't man,
but l take it all back. 1 didn't believe
VOID stand up to me and my heart was
nigh breakin, but yo've got sand, and this
ar the happiest mint of my life. Take
that, and that, and that!'
81 raokan Tom must hav bin half drunk