The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-10-28
SOWERBY'SCOURTING

Neh minutes, during which Wash Hancock
aad industriously sliced nearly all the bark
rom tour-foot stove length of hickory.
mart Parsons once or twice allowed that
u was erbout time he was er hookin' up fer
home" but the stove was glowing red
through its inch thickness of iron, and he
knew that the wind was against him on the
baskerville road. The storekeeper was I'M
wrapping grateful of lamp chimneys and
ranging them on the shelf when the creak
oi wagon wheels on the erusted snow was
heard outside and "Old Man" Sowerby en-
tered the store.
old Man" Sowerby was long and lean,
with long, serious face, brush of white
hair and twinkling eyes. Hancock greeted
him almost with effusion, frightening per
oeptibly as Mr.. Sowerby drew off his clumsy
yellow leather gloves, with the red wool
wrist attachments, kicked off his arctics
and pushed his fur cap lightly to the back
OF his head.
Have a seegar on me, Uncle jake" he
said, cordially, as the old gentleman
lumbled in his pocket and drew out a corn
cob pipe. II guess you can stand one. Rufe
hates to have EN- smoked around the store,
but he dassent say so. You asst him an he'll
tell you they smell good Give us three
with the red collars on, Rufe. If anythin'
happens I'll tell the coroner you hain't to
blame"
I'm seasoned" remarked "Old Man"
Sowerby, biting off the end of cigar and
striking match. II toP you how come !
got seasoned, didn't l."
You started to-" said Hancock, "but
Ms Sowerby headed you off. l never seen
you shet up so meek You said that was
in refruhce to your lckin' her pap"
odd Man" Sowerby chuckled, $50 it
was" he said. "I'll tell you about it, SEEM
she han't around now. 1t was when was
sparl1in' her Her pa had the reputation
of being one of the toughest old nuts in the
deestrick. An Sarah wus the only gal he
had, Mis- Walker died when she wus Jest
little runt, so jeff, the old man, allowed
he'd keep her home indefinite. Some of the
young bucks kind of objected but jeff had
a mighty etfectual way of discouragin' EN-
Laie Blevins allowed at he'd make Sarah
visit one night, an come back with his face
all raveled out Jim Allen him that KEEP
the grocery at Hacketville, undertook the
same thing, with the same result"
Mighty good lookn' woman now, Uncle
jake, said Wash, politely.
she haint as young as she was, an
neither am |, said Sowerby. 81 wus
ioi'able husky boy then and hadn't seen
the man | was a'skeered ter tackle So
one eysnin' / spruced up in my best clo'es
an put some scented lie on my hair an
hopped in my single-footer an lit out for
TIE Walker residence.
Seemed like was in luck, for Sarah
wus in an jeff wus out. wasn't nachaliy
bashful, an | made the most of my time
! don't know how late it was when we
walked down to the gate together, but it
was tol'able late The first thing we knew
We heard horse comm down the road an
my horse began to whinny. Sarah started
for the house, but she hadn't got there an
! hadn't got my horse united before old
JEFF come ridin' up.
Who is this| he says.
It's me, l says, handlin' the hick'ry
clubs | cut on the way down kind O. keer-
less. i thought I'd come down an see how
you was. Some Of the boys said you was
sick an allowed it'd be neighborly to
call
Why, howdy, Jakel he says, just s
tcied as he could be seemed like 4 had
to go down to Beder's to see them hogs Of
lis an ! couldn't get away. Tie up your
boss again an come in. 1t amt so late
but what you can stay awhile longer
wuz a leetle sort o suspicious, but
follered him into the house an he got out
some iShour-old corn whisky an couple
O pipes an twist O. terbacker as longs
your arm. | had to take sociable smoke
with aim. | reckon he knew I'd never
smoked before, l took half dozen whilfs
an my head began to swell 1t got bigger
an bigger-as big as a bucket-as big as a
barrei-as big as a barn-an' everything else
grew in proportion | could see old jeff
loomin' through the smoke with smile a
yard wide, an his voice sounded far away
like Then / broke out into cold sweat
an my hair began to hriste an my innards
20 crawl an l drooled like two-months-old
baby. Finally couldn't stand it no longer,
an / got up an said blieved I'd mosey
along hime
Il hoped the old rip would have give me
a chance outside, but he never let on he
seen there was anythin wrong an stood
at the door with light. Before got half.
way to the gate jeff commences to whoop
an laff an holler, an then blamed if he
didn't loose his dog on me. At first con
cluded / wanted to die, an bein' eaten raw
was as good a death as any but | changed
my mind as | kicked against my hicll 'ry
clubs, an as the dog come up hit him o
belt Then | crawled on old Roany an rode
pff until l got out O. sight O. the house
Then got down an held close communion
with nature for spell.
II met Of jeff four days after in town an
] walked up to him an | says, says /: JEFF
Walker, you're an Internal, no.account
emery old limb an can whip YOU
That was all he wanted. We come to.
gether right there, an l want to say he wus
about all | care to handle When did get
him down he held on like bull pup Final
ly pushed him Off an pounded him until
he hollered 'Nufp / reckon it was a week
after that met him at housewarmin' al
Perry Spencer's Sarah wus along, but she
seemed to be tryin' TO keep away from me
Finerly | got her cornered an i asst her
what wus the matter an what she wus mad
about.
What did you lick pa forg she says
Because it wus strictly ness'ry,' |
says. III I've got to lick your pap seven
days in the week, hand runnin to see you
I'm goin' to do it,
"She sorter looked tickled an then all OF
student she looked skeered didn't
know why until OIL JEFF teched me on the
arm
You won't need to, Jake he says. I've
had oil I - \