Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-03-09
TWO ~"FORRESTERS.' -

wv OIO4OAAOA AAASCs
In Georgia in the fork Of the Coosa.
wattee and Conuesauga rivers live tbs
Forester families. They have beer
known FOR many years as the Fighting
Forresters' because Of their propensity
for pugilistic encounters Old Hiram
Forester had fos u long time BEEN
known as the ''Bnll of the Woods, " and
had never been licked by an antagonist.
He had two sons. Bill and Ben For
roster. who inherited much Of their ia
theirs love for fighting. Bill was about
10 and Ben a year and a half younger,
but the brothers were pretty evenly
matched in size, Bill being five feet six
and weighing 100 pounds, while Ben
was FIVE feet FIVE and weighed but a
few pounds less than his elder brother
Both were bull necked. blue eyed and
sallow complexioned youths. with
shocks of fiery red hair covering their
bullet heads. Slow in movements. after
Gho manner of the typical Georgia
mountaineer. they were also quiet and
slow of speech. and neither was ever
known TO betray the least excitement.
no matter what the emergency.
One day | was passing through the
settlement, when. sitting on a stump
by the roadside, | saw Ben Forester.
with his big slouched hat pushed back.
nibbling n straw in 4 meditative man
ner. rs if revolving some serious prob
lem in his mind One eye was blackened
as If by a blow. and his right hand was
bound mp in a piece of rag.
"Hello. Benz" said l. drawing rein
lyon seem to have been in n scrim-
mage"
"'Yaas. jest had a little scrap"
"Why l didn't take you for a fight
err"
II hain't ben tell this mornin."
who have you been Gghtingf'
''5est ct Brother Ben"
"Whail Fighting your own broth
er 2" | said in amazement. "Tell me
about it.
"Wull, hit war this way: Me an
Den's alters ben the best nv frien's.
Pap has tole us time an ag'in that we
didn't have no spunk. He says that by
the time he war our age he'd licked ev-
cry Teller nv his size in the settlement.
But we bain't nuver tuck to fightin tell
this mornin.
1--WE war ont in the feel knockin
round. wien Ben. he perches himself on
the fence an looks so burned indepen'en
down on me as | stood leanin ag'in a
tree that hit suddenly come into my
min that he thought he war a better
man than me.
Look a-here, Ben, says l, don't
look at me in that kin nv a quizzikil
style
I'm look at ye as l please. an ye
can't hep y%erse'f,' says Brother Ben.
Then p'raps We think ye're a bet
ter man than me. l said an felt my
dander rise at the very mention nv his
brightness
EFF We don't think so. p'raps ye'd
better try me. says Brother Ben.
Jest crawl down off'n that ere
fence, an I'll show ye in bout three
shakes nv a sleeps tail which air the
best man. says l.
''No sooner said than done. Ben he
lipt down f'om the fence an Topped his
VIKINGS an crowed like a rooster. Wull,
that jest sot me afire all over. Isquared
myself an let drive. In Ben staggered
back ng'in the fence. l made fur i'm,
an he kotcbed me under the eye, ar
then we went at it in good yearnes'
Hit wus blim. blim, blim, fur 'bout
two minits. an we didn't neither nv nj
have much the vantage.
''Then we stopped to blow a bit. al
Ben come at me ag'in. met i'm ha'I
way. an the way we fit war a caution
TO the Jews Finally we clinched. al
Ben tripped me up. an we both com
down kerwhollop, Ben on top.
That's onfair to trip. says /. will
my mouth hat full nv dirt an leaves
'Lemme1 up an fight fair.
ben turned loose, an we riz s-pufiI
an a-blowin like two young bulls in tn
spring Nv the year. Finally l haule'
away an struck Ben a lick under tn
chin while he war off'n his gyard. al
he reeled back'ards; then. bowin hi
neck. no made a rush at me. an | coult
see the Ole Scratch In his eyes
1--WE scufied and shuffied round al
tore NJ the groun' tell we wal both we.
with sweat. an still neither one nv n
didn't have no vantage Over t'other
But | seed that Ben wal a-gittiD winded
an ! struck out ag'in. He lodged, al
/ run jam up ag'in the fence, an BeI
fetched me a regular maulin lick on thu
side Nv the head.
''That made me good an mad. an
turned round an peeled him n on thu
nose that fetched the blood. 'Hoorayl
says /. 'fnst blood's mine.
sCBen wheeled round. an / pasted hin
aR'in. but that didn't stop him a bit
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