The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-10-31

ing with mcst OF his weight on lis
crooked leg, he contemplated the situa-
ton, while with the fingers OF his left
hand he worried the frowzy red hair
that hung under the brim OF his bat
tered cap.
Poor ole daddy" he exclaimed,
after while. "Ho do seem to be
bout done for!'
Dick possessed executive ability of
a sort, and when he got his faculties
rightly put together there was no such
thing as his giving up to circum-
stances contrary to his wish. He ex-
srnined Burns and found that he was
not yet dying. The next thing was to
save him. This looked like forlorn
hope, but he would tryi at oil events.
So he caught the lingering horse and
with it's aid bore Burns through the
wood tc his cabin.
Here insert shortparagraph from
the "Honey Island Records" The
reader will feel, in reading it, watt
from the old reckless life of the from
tier:
"Dick Beckett" it goes on to say,
"found the preacher in q sad condi-
tion when he reached home with him,
which it was after dark at the time.
and he struck q light. The wound
was tear in the side dug by pistol
bullet that had been amazingly fiat
tened on a silver watch afore doing it.
4 will save him! said Dick Beckett,
who was a good nurse besides dis
tracing fiddler: and, belize, he had
original medicine-strange roots and
such. Some do say he did possess q
root of the man-plant which he
salved the hurt with. Sure enough, any
way he cured him betimes. What they
do say, also, is that DickBeckett did
fiddle and play profane musk unto
the preacher what time he conva-
lesced, even such tunes as Sugar in
the Gourd' and "Riding on o Rail-
No doubt, however, this matters not,
seeing that the preacher survived and
at last went on his way" :
In the French version, of the story
there is a statement not to be found in
the other:accounts.
"ItSnSet be denied" runs this
Ecseoe documant, which appears to be
EaSgugh translation Of some lost Eng
lish writing-"i$' cannot be denied
that Burns, the preacher, did swear
vengeance on Pierrra Rameau, the rob-
ber (forban is the Frep eh.word usedl'
an did express himsef in Language
dreadful in its nature. NSome think
that this Dick Beckett hadl fddled all
the piety and tenderness Pf religion"
out of the old mans sou, for, alter
this, he is nightly chan3d IN his
temper and disposition, and s9me des.j
perate acts are set down to his csGt. 4
Dick Beckett himself, in his extiewe
old age, when his mind ran mostly on
things long since done, was sometimes
ready to talk about Burns; but even
the garrulity of nearly a century of
years did not overcome certain tan.
taliziug discretion. The most that ne
would tell was to the effect that Burns
seemed little ''onsettled in is upper
story wen e got WE'LL"
eyes," he would.remark, II mem
ber how e looked wen e mp an tole
me goodbye an went off to s'arch for
Pierre Rsmeau. twas oh Thurs
day mornin' an e eaid:
"'Farewell Dick. I go unto Honey
Island an woe be upon that Internal
darn rascal what stole my chile! p"
Doubtless this seemed to the aged
fiddler the exact language of Burns;
but it does not sound like him. If we
cannot wholly believe that there could
have been change 80 sudden and so
radical in the character of one who
had been for 80 many years a sincere
and singularly Undetermined preach
or, we must, at least, give due weight
to the evidence tending to prove it.
One thing is pretty conclusively set
tied: Burns did penetrate to the in-
nermost Businesses of Honey Island,
and, not finding Pierre Rameau there.
made his way, by what route is not
known, to New Orleans, where for
some time he attracted little attention,
though he wandered about by night
and by day, going into, all sort OF
places, his eyes full Of a half-smolder-
ing fire aud glancing keenly into the
face of every person he met.
p, He had no money, and how he lived
has never been found out, though
after time he met Vasseur, who
thenceforward took such care of him
as circumstances permitted.
He had but one thought and that
thought was Pierre Rameau.
(ro BE coNTINUED.)