The National tribune., 1900-04-12

/ so, and "A man didn't have 10 have nc
eddication ter read thar a whole Indictment
with verdict O. guilty, ter boot. l recol-
lecks his very words. Smart man, that
thar lawyer.
"rll sw'ar ter God-I hope God 'lmighty'I Il
strike me daid in a holy minnit, 'cording
| ter the CONSTRUCTION an the laws o the
State o Jawgy," said Gabe Boneset. i'm
pressively, removing his hat. and holding
up his dirty right hand, 'if | haint got
Il don't believe I'd better go an see ole
| Stiggins, Unused Hez Grubwood. He's
| got too many things agin me besides want
in ter git me inter the army. Pm plumb
sho' that if he could lay his hands on me,
| he'd done hang me right orr, no matter
| how bad the army mout want me. l aint
so dog-goned sho' that he wouldn't hang
you, too Gabe. He'd like powerful ter
! git his grip on yo', an yo' know hit as well
as do. Haint hit better ter go in an shoot
| these hyah Yanks an take what they'un
We got? That strikes me as heap better n
| takin' chances with ole Stiggins."
Shorty thought that the conversation
| had progressed far enough. The subject
had been exhausted, and the discussion
was becoming prolix. In their talk both
men had moved some distance from their
guns, which were leaning against the
| sycamore. Shorty sprang up and out,
and with a leap seized the squirrel rife,
which he brandiShed as club.
take drop on yourselves, you measly
scalawags," he shouted; "you aint going
to DO nothin' with us. It's us who are
goin' to do you"
alarmed at the long absence of his partner,
appeared on the scene.
Here, ST, bring the boys over, and let's
have supper and dig out Here's grub
a-plenty. Well kill these two felIers, so
they won't need none. Hurry up, now,
| for we want to shah out o here as soon's
we git something to eat"
| ST slid back to call the boys, while Gabe
and HeZ began whining appeal for their
lives. NO" said Shorty sternly; we've
| got to kill you. Our business obliges us
| to. We can't do nothin' else with you.
| You'd a-killed lis without givin' us time
to say our prayers, You're just that
heathenish. We can't let you go, on no
account, for no matter what you promise,
you'll break right for the conscripters,
and tell on rs. You Just bunker down
there, an so to prayin', for Pm goin' to
we git ready TO start out o here. I'd do it
before supper, only don't like to do dirty
| work on an empty stomach. Shut up, now,
and go to thinkin' on your sins, and prayin'
for forgiveness. You've only to live till
| finish supper. Here, Sandy, take this
gun, and guard this feller. Pete, take
that shotgun, and guard the other, while
we git supper ready. If either o the them
makes a move to git away, drop him in his
tracks"
"Yes, sir, I understand" said each of the
boys, taking gun, looking at it to see that
it was capped, and then fixing his eyes
steadily on the hapleSS goober-grabberS.
A bountiful supper was prepared from
provisions which had now changed hands
for the third time that day, finally reach
ing consumers outside of any possible con-
| temptation in the morning.
as they could eat. and better cooked than
they were in the habit of having.
Shorty deliberately finished his meal,
and while 81 was preparing the remainder
| OF the provisions for carrying, and making
ready for an immediate start, Shorty
shaved down a pine, splinter, to tooth
pick, and as he picked his teeth he studied
! the two guns and the prisoners with a
| critical glance, as if determining just how
| he would execute his promised task. The
| two crackers became frantic with alarm,
and sent up a howl for mercy. Perfectly
unmoved, Shorty took the rife from
| Sandy's hands, and cast a scrutinizing
glance over Hez Grubwood's anatomy,
as if to decide where was the most fatal
| spot. Hez fell on his knees and put up his
| hands. ST came up, pulled Shorty to one
| side, and the two held a whispered con-
, sultation for some minutes.
my pardner, who outranks me-" said
| Shorty, returning to the men, "oyerrules
me- He's in favor o lettin' you live, at
least awhile longer, because he hates the
Southern Confedrisy worSe'n | do, and
thinks that you'll do it more harm alive
than dead. / don't know but he's right.
The more men you fellers keep huntin'
you, the fewer there'll be to fight us. |
! aint jist sure yit though, what I'll do
Pm goin' to take you along with us for
| awhile anyway, to show us the road, and
l can be maxim up my mind in the mean
time what to do. l may kill you in the
end, and | may not, but l shall certainly
kill you instanter if you play any monkey
tricks, try to git away. or do anything
else to fret me. Now you start ahead,
and lead us the best and secretest way to
the other side of Flint River, to dodge the
cOnscripters and other people whom we
don't want to meet. I'll walk behind you,
and I'll have my eye on you every minnit
| may add, as matter of gossip of possible
interest to you, that Pm dead shot with
rifle, and that | can drop man a hundred
yards away and runnin'. as easy as a
turkey can yank grasshopper often a
sweet-tater vine. Now strike out for the
Flint River by the layer-out's own route"
81 took the shotgun from Pete, handling
it in a maHterlul way that showed his
familiarity With that species of Weapons.