The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-04-18

better tighten the rcins on your hosscs
n little an be sortcr kccrful whar you
drivc.'
Il hain't afcard of Sim Banks"
"iou better be if you git to lrttin
your tongue run on Louccsy."
Il hain't said nary Il word about
I.oueeSy, have 10
'Waal, mebby not exactly"
"Rut | will say this, Pap Sampson. |
wouldn't want no wife OF mine mcctm
that frllcr out in the woods an Stnndin
a-talkin to him, with him a-hOlt OF her
hands"
"Iou mean to say, Sam Morgan, that
Loucesy Banks done that"
81 amt callin no names, Pap Samp.
son, but l reckon most anybody ort to
see through a board if it's got auger
hole In it,"
The men exchanged Il surprised
glance, but for Il little while no one
spoke. Finally, however, Hicks broke
the pause.
SAM" he said, "have you been scein
that Melvin an some woman dOin like
you Sail!'
"'Thout mcntionin no names, Jake,
I'm bound to say | have"
"Whcn was it, ali WHARF
"liStrddy evcnin, right down here in
Sim Banks own piece Of timber land"
"Tcll us all bout it, won't you?"
There was Il concerted hitching OF
chairs up closer around Sam. and Il
hush almost as still as death fell over
the little group. There was little, very
little. Of excitement or interest in thn
lives Of the citizens OF Possum Ridge
and when anything strange or out OF
the common did happen they liked tc
make the most Of it and enjoy ii to the
| fullest possible extent
Then, too, in this instance they scent
cd something in the way Of scandal
| and that made them all the more cage,
| listeners. UnSophiSticatcd and Simpl,
rs they were, they possessed that insa
table curiosity and that morbid love O
the unsavory which are not altogcthc
the more cultured.
| Sam Morgan, finding himself the cen
ter Of an eager group who waited witt
| open mouths for him to speak, felt hi
| Importance, aud it was eXcuSable i,
him that he remained silent for littI
while To enjoy the situation. 1t wa
not every day he could occupy posi-
tion like that, and it was very natura
that he should desire to make the mos
Of 1t.
But glorying in a triumph, oven sucl
triumph IA that, cannot last forever
SO finally Sam condcSccndcd to speak.
'an, comm long up across Sim Banks
timber land. | felt sortcr tired an
lowed | mought's well set down an
rest Il bit. SO | turned out Of the path
an went few steps out to that biz tree
what Pap Sampson told us he shot six
squirrels out of at one time when he
was young fcllcr You all mind 'bou,
that tree reckon"
They all nodded assent. Then Par
Sampson spoke.
1T was seven squirrels, sam, Std OF
six"
"iou said six last time you told bout
IT,. sam replied. Il mind that most
distinctly"
An five time before that" Jason
Roberts added. ''I.ord, reckon it'n bc
eight next time Pap tells that story"
"Waal. don't squirrels naturally mul
tiply an lncrcasr:" Pap asked
Not dead uns DON'T" Jason rcplicd.
) Naal, thar was seven SQUIRRELS II
: thar was onr--I mind | counted 'rm
both before | killed 'cm aftcrward
seven squirrels srttin long on n limb
: all in row, with all their heads turn.
Ia.
rifle an tuck aim at the head OF the
nighdrst to me an banged away. I'm.
aginc my surprise when all seven OF
them squirrels come a-tumblin out of
that tree nn fell in pile on the ground
that bullet havin gone clean through
ever one Of their heads"
| AN then gone on an killed n wild
turkey over in another tree" Jason
added.
"Waal. yes. that's allus been nv
opinion" Pap admitted. "but thar was
another feller shot his gun or at the
same time. an he lowed he killed the
turkey Hut, ns you was a-sayin, Sam,
you tuck few steps out to that tree
An sot down behind 1t In the shade"
sam resumed. I'D been a.scttin thar
bout ten minutes, | guess--den't low
II could a been more'n 10 minutes an
not more'p Is nohow--an I'd begun to
git sleepy al doZc Off like when all to
oncet heard voices a-talkln. l peeped
round the tree kinder cautlouslike, an
| then soc that Mr.. Melvin an woman
Il ain't mcntionin ne aameS-a .otaaa.
Ia thar a,talkin, pow'ful interoutea, hlha
a'hololh both Of her hau'a in Ais'a."
what was they a-sayinY Mickp
asked eagerly.