The St. Louis Republic., 1903-03-08

"JI-im, you Jim, come hyeah. Fob de
Lawd's sake!''
Whats de mattah. mammy?" answered
| Jim, appearing around the corner Of the
house, hammer In hand.
For answer she seized him and dragged
| him inside the house. slammed the door be-
! hind her and let the heavy oak bar fall
across 1t. .-tt
Sam Sheldon an de res rom de stoah
am comm up de mounting toe git you all"
Fob Gawd. l hain't dun nuthin'. man.
my" whimpered Jim.
Il doan' keer wheddah you all has or
hasn: 1es you all bah dat 'windoah. an
pull dat fab log agin de doah.'
She took down heavy army rife. which
hung over the fireplace, with cavalry sa-
ber and two cavalry revolvers.
"Yoh pap allus KEEP desc guns loaded an
SO has yoh nanny. He dun fit foh hees
l!bbuty in de wah an. foh Gawd, 1 is
gwine fight foh you all. foh you is man.
my's boy an dey all shsiut tech ye!"
Jim was reassured by his mothers man.
ner as she tried the arms and inspected
the door and window. Then she took the
poker and, punching out the chinkins be-
tween the logs, made loophole on either
| side of the door.
They could see the mob just topping the
rise fifty yards in front of the house.
Let 'em git clean up to de ole elm
| stump den shoot ovah dey alls haid wifi
de pistul' commanded Nanny.
Jim waited till Major Potter's sorrel
reached the stump.
| Bang,
Every saddle was emptied as II by magic.
The riders sought cover. and the freed
steeds, led by the big sorrel, galloped
down the hill again.
There was a full minute Of quiet, and
then Major Potter, behind the stump, de-
manded fiercely:
Jim Bellows, yoh black dog, come
out here!'
"Wha' foh you all want Jim Bellows?'
called out Nanny. without quaver in her
voice.
He dun killed Pap Lowrey."
.'Oh, Nanny. Nanny. l nevah did. I
doan' know nulfin' bout it at TALL" moaned
Jim.
Laws. chile. cos you all doan. Shet up"
said Nanny. Then TO the mob. ''Jim Bel
lows nevah killed Pap Lowrey:
Hes liah. shouted Sam Sheldon. and
there was chorus of curses and shouts
but the heart out of him. etc.
Nanny waited tili there was quiet.
Den, Majoh Brown Ed Pottah. foh
Gawd-you-an got toe come an git him.
Come onr' yelled Sam Sheldon. darting
out from behind his particular tree.
Bang. Mammys rife spoke and Sans
hat lifted from his head and fell behind
him.
A dozen SnOtS answered. IN VOlley ana
were followed by a struggling fire. The
woods rang with the miniature battle. The
bullets thudded into the heavy logs.
Suddenly Nanny gave a little scream
and rolled over on the floor from her kneel-
ing posture by the loophole. A bullet had
come through the thinner door and struck
her in the breast. She rolled and writhed
in her agony.
.'Oh, I.awd. Nanny, Nanny! Whas de
mattah? Wha's de mattahy' and Jim for
sock his post TO kneel beside the stricken
woman, bewilderedly moaning and crying.
''Dey's done shot my NANNY. dey' done
shot my nanny, my NANNY, mamIny!'
A bright red flood was weiling from the
calico covering OF the old woman's bosom.
''Eeish, chic; hits all right. hits all
right. Thy will be done, oh Lawd!' gasped
Nanny.
The firing still continued until It sudden
ly ceased, for some 1one was shouting Wild
ly:
Hey! hey! whine the hellenddamnashun
don't you all stop shootin. Pap Lowrey
ain dead. He only had a fit."
Bob Ed Tinney had arrived
The echoes OF the last shots were dying
away.
Major Brown Ed Potter said slowly:
Il guess you all didn' come any too
soon, Bob Ed"
Il low as how we mought as well go
back and git the mail.'' said Pepper.
Nanny opened her eyes. Deys all
gone.'' said Nanny. feebly. "Bress Gawd
dey didn't git you all, did dey?"
'Oh. nanny. nanny. pore nanny! Oh.
Merciful LAM" sobbed Jim in his wild
grief. uselessly trying to stanch the flow
of blood with the apron NANNY fore.
Nevah mine. chile! Heish. Jim. heish."
and she patted his face with her blood-wet
fingers.
Res on de evan green shoah. sing de
song of-of Moses an de Lam-bimeby an
dwell wifi Jesus evahmoah-bress Gawd-
dey didn't git mammy's boy,
When the Ys~At came down the boy was
still sobbinH I'll form on the
puncheon flo3