Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-09-04

knowed all about the, spavins, and
knowed all about the ring bones, but
both of us was satisfied. He was as
pleasant as could be when he rode
away, and 4 was thinkin folks had
belied him, when my ole woman
speaks up and says:
.''Zeb White, thar's goin' to be
trubble over this decker as suah's yo'r
BON - ~.
.s : Fur why2s5 .
'kase ole man Gordon has got fo'
boys, and they'll pint them spavins
and make him believe he's bin cheat
ed. His aeritter has ring bones. but
that won't count. He'll jest come back
to-morrer and want to upset the
dicker.'
And did he do so?" / asked as Zeb
made long pause.
He did, sab. We was eatin' break
fast when he rode up and begun to
blow and buster and call names. He
wanted to make out that | had cheat
ed him when he was drunk, and he
said so much that | got mad. and We
had it purity hot. When he went away
he threatened to do all sorts O. things,
and the old woman begun TO cry befo'
he was out o sight. It wasn't beln' In
a quarrel with one Gordon, yo' see,
but a quarrel with the hull five. They
was bound to git the better OF me
sooner or later, but. as the trubble
wasn't my fault, wasn't goin' to eat
humble pie. Best l could do was to
keep my eyes peeled and my gun
handy, and stay around home"
well, the Gordope finally came
oxer?"
.;Arter about a week." replied the old
man. Bout three nights arter the
fsss two wildcats broke into the hen
house and eat up six chickens. They
got in by mighty small hole, and al
tel eatin' up the chickens they was too
faL-to git out. | found them in the
mawnin' and clapped board over the
hole and made 'em prisoners. They
was monstrcus big cats and as savage
as tigers, an l was goin' to shoot EN-
when the old woman says:
Jest hold on bit, Zeb. Mebbe
them critters will be mo- use to us
alive than dead Give me time TO
think bit.
at that time the hen-house stood
over thar by the co'ner Of the cabin. |
didn't ak the old woman what her plan
was, but | knowed she had one by the
way she kept singin to herself. She
didn't give them cats food or drink,
and in two days they was savage huff
tc tackle buzz-saws. l was cuttin'
cedar back on the hills, and it was
about the fifth night arter the mewl-
decker with old Gordon. We was in
bed and asleep when the five Gordons
rid up. They'd bin to town and was
full O. whisky and fight. They didn't
wait to do any talkin', but the fust we
knowed of 'em they yelled out and
fired threw the winders. Two of the
bullets went into the head-board of the
bed, and yo' kin reckon that me and
the old woman rolled out in hurry.
As we did so, she said:
"'Zeb, it's the Gordons come to wipe
W cut, and now don't yo' go and
make fule O. yourself'
" AS how, says !.
AS to shootin back. Just keep
cuiet and I'll give 'em a surprise party.
If you go to shootin' they'll take cover
behind the trees and won't come nigh
the house, but if you keep still they'll
come Dustin, at the door bimeby |
want to let them cats have a whirl at
EN-
1t was powerful hard for me not to
shoot back, sah,' said Zeb, as his eyes
giistened at the recollection Of battle,
but held onto myself. Them Cor
GOns figured that | would open the
Goah and make target of myself, and
they was ready to fill me full O lead.
They. kept yellin' and shootin fur
about ten minits, and then they
changed the programme. They amt
no towards, the Gordons. The old
man come out from behind his tree
and walked UP to within ten feet of
the doah. and as he stood thar, the
fairest kind of a mark he says to nc:
"'Zeb White, you traded me off an
old mewl, and I've come fur satisfac-
tion The Gordons are all we're, but
they amt goin' to mix in. It's furse
between us two. Show yo'self to be a
man and come out and fight me. If
yo' don't do it yo' are the biggest cow
ard on the Cumberland mountains.
''Dawg gone mel" exclaimed the old
man as he rose up and moved about.
but | couldn't stand that and live. |
was fur openin' the door and maxim
a fair fout of it, but the old woman
hung on to my legs and coaxed me to
wait a mint longer She wanted all
them Gordons in a bunch, and she
knowed the rest would soon come for
ward. So they did. If they had been
towards they wouldn't hev done that.
Why, even a child could hev shot 'em
down. AS they hadn't heard anything
from me they was puzzled, and pres
emily they got log to bust the door