Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-11-21


He went through door leading from
the shop to his dwelling and returned
with a razor, soap and bot water. In
five minutes | had shorn my beard, .
leaving dark stubble; then, Selling a [
handful of coke, rubbed out every re-
fined lineament. Taking another look /.
at myself, was pleased to see that my
own mother would not know me. Seiz-
ing the handle of the bellows, / began
to blow vigorously.
'Weel, weel." laughed the black
smith, I'VE maxi better lo'lkin smith
than geentlemon."
"Play your own part WELL" I replied,
"and have something nice for you at
the end of the performance"
1t was fully 10 minutes after we
reached the hamlet before there were
any signs of the guerrillas, and then
three or four rode into the town and
asked for our party. Had they seen
us? Which way had we gone? and 9th
er questions, which the few people they
met responded to with grunt or a
shake of the head. l put my head out
to see and, recognizing one Of them,
drew back and began to blow my bel
lows as il my life depended on it. And
it did. Presently one Of the outlaws
rode up to the shop.
"Hello, thar" he shouted.
"waal," replied. still blowing and
keeping my face turned from him.
"Seen a man, two women, a boy an
niger go through the town."
"Hain't seen no one."
"Sho'? :.
"sho' huff"
He rode off, but I knew the storm
had not vet blown over. l went on
working the bellows, and it was well
! I did so, for presently more of the band
rode into town, and one of the horses
having lost shoe, it's rider dismounted
in front of the shop and told me to put
| it on.
This was something had not count.
ed on. / knew no more about horse
shoeing than about knitting, but put
bold face on the matter and went tc
work.
"What the - yo' dom" yelled the
man. "Air yo' goin ter put that shoe
on with nary trimmin?"
"Don't yo' s'pose 1 know my bust
nessy' cried, bristling. II was only
fittin it."
With that seized knife and begaI
to cut. But was too excited to pare
the hoof even if 1 had been an expert
and in another moment the man yelled
again, EFF yo' cut that critters hoo
off, I'll brain yo'~
"Here, Sandy" cried to the black
smith within, "come shoe this man.
critter. He thinks he knows more'n
do about shoein."
The blacksmith finished the job
while /, pretending to be greatly irri
: tated, was glad to escape into hi
dwelling house. Going to front win
dow and dropping curtain SO that
! could look into the road without bein
, seen, took a view of the situation
, The guerrillas were scattered about tn
: town, some riding around the house
: hunting for us, others sitting on thei
! horses, questioning the inhabitants a
to our whereabouts. Captain Ringol
e was in command. A negro boy wa
3 playing "hopscotch" on the Sidewalk
, The captain called to him:
: "Yo' boy thar, didn't yo' see anybod
] go this way awhile ago."
: 1.-TWO women an boy bout big
= me"
y eyes,"
: Gan a white man an a colored man.
y "Yes. Which way did they go?"
n 'Dey's gwine right long dar." An
t he pointed to path leading across tt
: road westward.
"Here, you" cried the captain to tx
k men who were watering their hors,
(, at a wooden trough in front Of Il
d shop, "strike out on that path"
e The men darted away, leaving ii
:, captain alone in the road. A little o
a woman came out of house opposi
e and began to guy him in crackt
e voice, poking fun at him for not bell
able to catch party Of women. 81
Is talked so Familiarity with him that
OCE ILL ~ SuSpCNI CA1S ntAS" $1,000
trembled for fear she would betray ,
"a "You uns amt wo'th a persimmoI
she said. with them critters legs l
!. der yer, yer orter ketch wimmen fol
- easy"
:, OVEN catch 'em easy enough. They
- gone along thar" pointing to the pa
-, his men were just dashing into.
- 9TH didn't 60 that Away"
=. 'They didn't? Which way did tn
IA go?"
~ "D' yer s'pose give facs TO no
- in?'
40 A cold chill ran down my back. S
~, ~ was going to tell for pay.
~ "What do yo' want?"
90 "Gimme huff fo' caliker dress,
I'll put yer on tn right track"
"Sho'W
"Sart'in."
"This II git 1t as easy" He drew
revolver and put it to her face. S
er. drew back. But this man, who "