Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-02-23
TIE Parsons Box
!. sGxA =

:, AA2 - @
''speakin Of war. remarked Moot
Rivers. the old Main guide, as he tip
ped his cracker box tack against the
front OF the country store. upon whose
Platform a company Of village lcHfers
hal gathered-''speakin Of war reminds
me Of a sort OF Quaker parson that ust
to come up into these parts every win
ter and travel round among the lumber
camps. boldin religious services That
man was the deadest sOt ag'in blood
sacldin Of anybody | ever see. before or
since lie didn't even believe in war
between man and varmlnts. sayin that
Il was a crime ag'in God to take the life
he had given any %critter Of his'n. He
wouldn't eat meat becuz it was slain.
and sometimes. | csn tell ye. Boys, the
poor cuss was reel hard put to it for a
beliyful here in the woods whar the
heft Of cur rrovender ust 10 be wild
meat I've seen him go 20 bed half fam
ished. when he'd stop at one Of my
camps for a night and iud me out Of
everything but tea and venison.
1.-THE parson-as we fellers up here
called him. he was a good sort Of a
chap. oo-ws 90 determined not TO
shed the blood of any Twin %critter that
he wouldn't ever fight varmints in self
defense lie didn't carry any weppin
besides his ak and iackknife. and these
ne only used for cuttin his wood and
buildin his camps What did he do
when pestered by wild critters. thenT
That : what I'm a-goin to tell ye
aamn.. ..- a-.w..1.l HIa-L III
woods with a strong oak box. hout :
feet long and 2% broad. SGT on Il tobog-
gan 1t was the stoutest. best built box
| ever see. pat together with four inch
screws and hound on the inside with
steel strips and brackets The top raised
mp lid fashion. and WAS fastened on by
eight big brass hinges Inside thar was
a chain locil to hold the cover down. 80
the devil himself couldn I raise it with
ONT pdllin the box to pieces Thar were
two or three srall holes bored IN the
end Of the box for ventilation. and III
BE- blamed if that parson Teller didn't
MT To- dump his duds ont in the nov
and crawl into that box whenever
wolves CT painter or bar got arter him,
aud thur he'd cuddie down. as snug and
rugcelUl as II i:ittcn in IA basket, and
let them critters pnw bis cbist around
ontil they got tired Of i'll Thar ust tc
ne scratches q quarter Of an inch deer
alf yer that BOX where vGrmints he'd
tluwod 1t. and the purson has told DC
fhui sometimes be lay thar for Il hull
night or a hull dny tin whatever crit
ser WAS interested in him got its curl
osity sird Of wore of and left in s'arch
Of softer vittlcs More than oncet he
come within an inch of freezin and
would have froze if it hadn't been fol-
The Blanket be had in the box with him.
But sartin sure nc varmint that roamed
the woods was able to crack the parson':
shell. and he wa n nc hard shell Baptist
Rether
Il s'pose he might have gone on
boxin Of himself upthat way till he got
all the choppers IN the woods convarted
M it hedn't been for an accident that
disturbed his arrangements and kind
of demOralized his principles. I'll tel
ye how IL happened
s'Me and him was on the way to the
Jennings lumber camp, away mp neal
the headwaters Of the Alleguash II
was NlAAElGl NUAu N1NAilgA IA A@hA a4l
and we was anxious TO reach shelter
before nightfall The parsons box We.
kind Of hayd draggin mp them bills.
bat he sock to it and said it want
any VINES th,n my pack. anyway
which was true enough. 1 guess.
''.Wnal. it got to be along about 8
o'clock in the AFTERNOON. when I'll be
gosh darned ef didnt hear a wolf. two
or three miles back. give his long drawn
howl on Il traill Now. thinks |. Mr.
PRrsOn and Mr. Rivers, there's goin 70
be plenty of excitement for ye in about
an hourl The parson knew what was
comm as well as |. and he says 4
think tiar's room for two In my box.
hr Rivers Will thee not jino me thar.
when we are Obliged TO seek safety, on
Ill these poor critters become weary oil
their thirst for human bloodr'
" 'Thankin you for yer hospitality.
parson. gays |, 1T will agree with my
constitution better. I think. 10 climb a
tree and pics of them varmints. one by
one. till the coast Is clear for a warm
supper and a dry bunk.
q" Lord. says be. lookin up with
n urninl eyes. tho bloodthirstiness OF
man. made in thine imagel Nevo.the.
less ! will continue with thee, my
friend. ontil the peril is upon us Then
perhaps thee win reconsider and enter
the box with me.
That remains to be seen. parson.
lays !. for | didn't want to hurt bis
feelin : too bad all at oncet
lin the meanwhile the howl Of the
hrst wolf bad been answered by another
and another. and putty soon the woods
seemed to be full Of the ycJlin devils.
II wa MT a great while afore we could
see EN- akulkin arter us among the
trees, and ] come 10 the conclusion
was time 10 get fixed for business. 'GeI
into yer box. parson, says l.. for I've
picked ont my tree and the limb whai
I'm s4ip f0 81
ulil not jine me. thenq sayI