Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-03-31
Old Times.

mill with a load of wheat. You see
in those days we did not have mills
every few miles. There were but few
mills in all the country, and it was no
small job to get breadstuff just when
you wanted it. And as the creeks
were in good stage of water Pard was
not gone but three days. On the third
day about middle of the afternoon, he
came home with his load of flour.
When we got his team put up and the
flour unloaded, he said to me, Say,
Old Pard, this morning as | came out
the big road I came up with a man and
his wife and two of the prettiest girls
l ever laid my eyes on. You just
ought to have seen them, and We
travelled together all the way to Pin
hook. They went on down the Black
river road. They were going Arkan-
sas. tell you l just wanted to go
along, and l tell you we had good
chat as we drove along. You see
they had yoke of oxen to have their
wagon, and all of their truck and plum
der, so the girls walked and drove the
COWS. ] told those girls | wanted to
go along with them, and told them l
had an old Pard at home that would
just suit one of them, and we could all
go down to Arkansas, and we could
get along first rate"
He said they told him when he got
home to come on and fetch that other
fellow and we would have jolly time.
Say, what do you say to going? We
could take our guns and other traps
and meet them just about the three
forks of Black river tomorrow morn
ing. Say, what do you say, will you
go with me-" l said, "Say, Old Pard,
what's become of Manda? I thought
you was awful struck on her. Are
you going to act the skunk with her
and go off and leave her?"
Say, Pard, she stuck up her nose
at me the other night and blamed if |
am going to let any gal stick her nose
up at me-"
I said, ssAnd so she stuck up her
nose at you, and now you want to pun
ish her by going off with some strange,
barefooted, lousy cattle you never saw
before, just to spite Manda? You are
a-no, sir, and do you think | would
run after any such cattle as that, while
Jenny lives just over the mountain?
She's as pretty as pink and neat as
wax. No, sir, and then I tell you
something worth a dozen such gals:
was out hunting yesterday, and when
1 came home 1 got up in the woods
just this side of the Willet place-now
the Poor Farmland | run right into
two big focks of turkeys, and they
roost right along the branch in those
black forks, and tonight is going to
be splendid night to hunt, for it's
going to rain. You see we will have
big thunder storm before morning,
and deer and turkey are always more
gentle in a thunder storm. You can
shoot as much as you are a mind to
when it's laundering and lightning,
and they will pay no attention to your
shooting; say, will you go?"
s'All right. Yes, I'll go, and l
reckon I'll let those girls slide"
As Old Pard was telling me all of
this, father had heard just enough to
make him a little vexed. That night
after supper we did not sit up long, so
as to get a little sleep before we start
ed out, for the moon would not be up
high enough to see to shoot until about
ten o'clock.
When we woke up, I said, "Now
we will not put our shoes on until we
get down stairs for we may disturb
the rest of the folks"
When l had got down to the bottom
of the stairs l saw father sitting at the
table reading the paper.
Old Pard said, You go ahead and
if see you pass by him and he don't
see you, will try it." So / walked
slow and carefully and reached the
head of the stairs that led to the base
ment, then Old Pard came, and father
did not see or know that we had pass
ed by him and gone. AS we took our
guns and went out into the night, |
saw it lightning all along in the north
west. l said, That's good, it's going
to be a splendid time to xiii turkey"
As we hurried along, for we saw
that storm was going to come soon,
we soon got into the woods and ran
right across a large flock of turkeys
on the roost, and we began to shoot.
Before we had killed about two a
piece, the storm was coming so fast,
Old Pard said, 1--WE had better light
out of here aud get under cover" As
it was nearer to the Willett place than
at home. and then we would be on the
other side of the turkeys and when