The National tribune., 1898-07-14

Capting Solomon's the man what sent
the letter to yon." she explained. which
somewhat raised Shorty's depressed heart.
for he began To have hopes that Rosenbaum
might rescue him il Capt. McGilIieuddy
should lie behind time
As they logged onward farther from camp
| Mrs. Bolsters Saturnine earnestness began TO
I've succeeded by what were intended TO be
demonstrations of playful affection for her
future husband, whom she now began to re-
gard as securely hers. She would draw
Shorty into the path little ahead of 81, and
walk alongside of him, pinehing his arm. and
labbering incoherent words which were meant
for terms of endearment When the narrow
ness of the road made them walk in single
fie she would come mp from time To time
alongside with cuffs intended for playful
loVe-taps
At each of these Shorty would cast such n
look OF wretehedness at ST, that the latter
had difficulty in preserving his steadla
silence and rigidity Of eOuntenance.
But the woaiaa's chief affection seemed to
I've called forth by the package of coffee.
Sbe would stop in the midst OF any demon
saasion to pull ont the bag containing the
fragrant berry, and lovingly inhale its odor.
1t was long past noon when she announced:
Ihars my house right ahead" She fol-
lowed this up with ringing whoopee which
made the tumbledown cabin suddenly swarm
with animation. 4 legion of iOud-mOuthed
dogs charged down toward the road. Chill
dren of various ages, but Of no variety in
their rags and unkempt wildneSs followed the
dogs, or percbed upon the fence-corners and
stnmps, and three or four shambling, evil
faced mountaineers lunged forward, guns in
hand with eyes iiercer than the dogs, as they
looked over the two armed soldiers
| Ihey'uns Is all right, boys" exclaimed
the woman. They uns's plum sick o.
/ doggin' hit for Abe Lincoln an quit -
| Let 'em gin up thar guns, then," said
the foremost man, who had but one eve.
reaching for Shorty's musket. I'll take this
one. I've been longin' for a good Yankee
gun for a plum month to reach them Yankee
| picketS on Duck River"
| Though Shorty and 81 had schooled them
selves in the part they were to play, the re-
| pugna1t Thought of giving up their arms to
the rebels threatened to overset everything
Instinctively they threw up their guns to
knock over the impudent guerrillas The
woman strobe in between them and the others,
and caught hold OF their muskets
| Don't be fools. Let 'em have YOUR guns.D
she said, and she caught Sis with such quick
|
grasp and flung it to the man who wanted
Shortys. She threw one arm around Shorty's
neck, with a hug so muscular that his breath
failed, and she wrenched his gun away. She
kept this in her hand, however
Now, want these ere men treated right" !"
she announced to the others, and I'm agwine
10 have EN- treated right, or I'll bust some
body's skillet. They 'uns is my takings, and
| I'm agwlne TO have all the say bout EN-
I've never interfered with any Yankees any
o yo'uns have brung in. YO'ye done with
them rs you pleased, an Pm agwine to do
with these jest as | please, and 70 uns that
don't like hit kin jest lump hit, that's ALL
. Sal Bolster. | want you to take your arm
from around that Yank' 5 neck, said the man
who had tried TO take Shortys gun. Il
won't low you to put yer arm round another
man neck rs longs I'm alive to stop hit :"
Ye won't, jeff blackberry" she sneered.
: Jealous, air ye? You've got no bizniss o.
helm. Done tole We long ago I'd never
marry you, so long as | could find a man who
| has two good eyes and a spectacle character
I've done found him. Here he is, and
Squire Corson IL splice US tonight"
How much of each of the emotions of
jealousy, disappointment, hurt vanity, and
rebel antagonism went into the howl that
Mr.. jeff blackberry set up at this announce
ment will never be known. He made rush
with clenched fists at Shorty.
! A better description could be given of the
operations of the center of tornado than of
the events of the next few minutes. Shorty
and blackberry grappled fercely. Mrs.
Bolster mixed in to stop the fight and save
Shorty, ST and the other three rebels flung
| themselves into the whirlpool of strikes,
kicks, and grapples. The delighted children
came rushing in and eagerly joined the fray,
striking with charming impartialty at every
opportunity to get lick in anywhere, On
anybody; and hnally the legion of dogs, to
whom such scenes seemed familiar and glad
some, rushed in with an ear-splitting clamor,
and jumped and bit at the arms and legs
that went flying around.
| This was TOO violent TO last long. Every
body and everything had to stop from sheer
exhaustion. But when the stop came Mrs.
| Bolster was sitting on the PROSTATE form of
jeff blackberry. The others were disen-
tangling themselves from one another, the
children and the dogs and apparently trying
| to get themselves into relation with the
points of the compass, and understand what
had been happening.
''Have you had enough, JEFF blackberry ?"
| inquired Mrs. Bolster, ''or will yO' obleege
me to gouge yer other eye out at0re yO'
| come to yer senses?"
''Le' me up, Sally" pleaded the man,
''an' then we kin talk this thing over"