The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-03-11
If the shrewd agent congratulate

MISSION, IL was certainly pdFuOndDle,
for there had been difficulties. julie
Bynum was obstinately opposed to the
sale from the first, because it involved
the uprooting of the family from the
soil of Tennessee and a migration to
the unfamiliar regions of the Texas
frontier; and her reluctance was shared
in less degree by her brother Jed. On
the other side, however, jeff, in whom
the seed of restlessness had been i'm
planted on his former journey, was
anxious to be gone again; and his sto-
ries of the unrestrained life on the
border had gained him a partisan in
the person of his other brother. With
this equal division in numbers, the
plans hinging upon the sale of the farm
hung in the balance until Jules opposi-
tion was finally overcome by the arrival
of letter from her Uncle Jed, who
described. in such glowing terms as his
limited vocabulary could furnish, the
prosperity which awaited them in the
west. This letter had opportunely
reached the cove or the day preceding
the emissary's final visit, ard its urg-
ing, together with substantial in
crease in price offered by the ambas-
sador. had procured the RELUCTANT con-
sent of the two obstructionists.
Having thus arrived at the threshold
of the proposed migration, the details
of it's accomplishment were arranged
in this evening of the same day, when
the family was gathered in the kitchen
of the farmhouse. jeff and julie did
most of the talking; Jed set back in
the chimney-corner, saying little; and
Bud had taken the stock from his rifle
and was swabbing the barrel in pan
of water before the wide fireplace.
sd we low ye can get ready for tc
light out by to-morrer night, Jule?"
asked jeff.
"Oh, | reckon So" replied his sister,
with a dissatisfied air; ''y'all amt
gwine to rest now tell we's done ton
up an gone. But how d. ye reckon
we-all can go in the night? They amt
no cyars a-runnin' then"
jeff rose from his seat on the bed
and broke off leaf from the bunch
of tobacco hanging over the fireplace.
"We-all didn't low to take the cyars
at the settlement" he explained. Il
been sort o fgurin' on gettn' squar'
with that dern crowd up on the
mounting fore we-all done lef' Tennes-
see for good, an 'tain't gwine be
healthy for none O. we-all to be seen
round here afterwards. Come to think
Of it, though, they amt no use O maxim
you ride over the mounting in the
night; ye can go jest as well the mex
day an wait for we-all at McNairville."
"What ON top O. the yeth does y'-all
want to start from McNairville for?"
she asked, in surprise.
"'Cause the cyars done leave thar
bout three o'clock in the mo'nin', an
we-all can get th'oo yere an make hit
'crost the mounting fore that time"
"An' ye was 'lowin' to do that to-mor-
rer night?"
"No; that ID be too soon for what
day-ye can take the mar an ride over
Friday, an we-all II jine We Friday
night. How'll that thar do?'
''Oh, reckon l can go one times well
as another. What did y'-all do with
the city feller las night?"
Bud chuckled. Scared him plum to
death an drapped him in the hole in
'Possum holler."
"Didn't tote him up nothin' to eat,
did ye?"
"No. Lowed to let him go hongry
for spell, SO t he could sort O. see what
hit was like"
''What y'-all gwine do with him?"
asked Jed, speaking for the first time.
"Reckon Wen turn him loose after
he's done scared up enough to min his
own business" responded jeff, leisure
ly filling his pipe with the crushed leaf
of tobacco. "'1ain't gwine hurt him
none to stay thar day or So"
julie went to the cupboard in the cor
ner, and n few minutes later left the
room. Jed broke the silence which fol-
lowed her departure. 81 done heard
that Tom Ludlow d put gang to work.
in in the McNabb ag'in to-day" he
said.
81 know hit" replied jeff. "We-all
II give 'em a s'prse party bout to-mor-
rer night. l reckon they'll keep gyard
up lhdi, buI lHub am SWlHe 90 no
good"
Bud shook his head. "No, they-all
don't know nothin' about the crevice.
Wonder if the city feller can hear 'em
a-workin'?"
Il reckon So" replied jeff. "Mos'
likely he's been a-hollerin' the top O.
his haid off all day, a-tryin' to make
out to raise somebody. l believe he
was bout the worst scared-up feller
ever did see"
Bud laughed. "He shore was. He
trem'led jest like gal when was a
tyin' his arms"
jeff tilted his chair against the wall
and smoked meditatively until his pipe
went out. "D'ye know. Buddy, cayn't
get shet O. the idee that I've done see
that thar feller afore"-he knocked
the ashes out of the pipe and dropped
it into his pocket-"an' l jest cayn't
ric'lict whar-By Hick'ry! I do ric'-
lict, now!" The speaker brought his
CHAIR down with a crash, and the others