Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-11-12

qulcEy anu nr1ng. indeed, @ we
ously in earnest was be with the pan.
tomime that he actually did IRE, unin-
tentionally Of course, the ball burying
itself in the doorjamb.
He was laughed at by those present
for being more excited than they who
witnessed the whole thing. One Of
them, leathery faced and grizzled old
sinner, leered at him contemptuously
and said in queer French. with
curious accent caught from long use
Of backwoods English:
Listen how the boy brags! Yc
might think to hear Rene talk that
he actually amounted to a big pile"
This parsonage was known to every
soul in Vincennes as Oncle Jazon. and
when Oncle Jazon spoke the whole
town felt bound to listen.
can how well he shoots. too" he
added, with an intolerable wink.
"Aimed ut the door and hit the post.
Certainly Long Hair would have been
in great danger! Oh, yes, he'd ave
killed Long Hair at the first shot.
wouldn't he though"
CAN right. Oncle Jazon." said Rene.
laughing and blowing the smoke out
Of his pistol. "'Twas you. all the same.
who let Long Hair trot off with the
governors brandy; not 1. If you could
have hit even doorpost it might have
been better"
O.lcle Jazon took off his cap and
looked down into it in way he had
when about to say something final.
"Ventrebleu! did not shoot ut Long
Hair at ALL" he said, speaking slowly,
because the scoundrel was unarmed.
He didn't have on even knife. and he
was havin' enough to do dodgin' the
bullets that the rest of 'em were
plumpin' at i'm without any compli-
ments from me to bother i'm more"
"Well." Rene replied. turning away
with laugh. "if I'd been scalped by
the Indians as you have don't think
there would be any particular reason
why l should wait for an Indian thief
to 60 and arm himself before &C.
copied him as target.
Oncle Jazon lifted a hand involuntar.
lily and rubbed his scalpless crown;
then he chuckled with grotesquc
grimace as If the recollection of hav-
ting his head skinned were the funniest
thing imaginable.
''When you've killed as many Of 'em
~ Oncle Jazon has," remarked by
stander to Rene, you'll not be SO
hungry for blood, maybe"
Especially after we've took fifty-nine
scalps to pay for yer one," added Onclc
Jazon, replacing his cap over the hair
less area of his crown.
The men who had been chasing Long
Hair presently came struggling back
with their stories-each had distinct
one-of how the fugitive escaped. They
were wild looking fellows, most of
them somewhat intoxicated, all pro-
fusely liberal with their stock of pic
turesque profanity. They represented
the toughest element of the we'll nigh
lawless post.
I'm positive that he's wounded"
said one. Jacques and shot ut him
together. so that our pistols sounded
just rs if only one had been fred
bang! that way-and he leaped side
ways for all the world like bird
with broken leg. l thought he'd fall:
but We! he ran Eastern ever, and all ut
once he was gone-just disappeared"
"Well, tomorrow We'll get him." said
another You and l and jacques,
we'll take up his trail, the thief, and
follow him till We find him. He can't
get off so easy
II don't know so we'll about that
said another. Its Long Hair, you must
remember. and Long Hair is no COM
mon buck that just anybody can find
asleep. You know what Long Hair is.
Nobody's ever got even with i'm yet.
That's so, amt it? Just ask Onclc
Jazon. if you don't believe it!'
The next morning Long Hair was
tracked to the rivers edge. He had
been wounded, but whether seriously
or not could only be conjectured. A
sprinkle of blood, here and there quite
a dash of it, Redeemed the grass and
clumps Of weeds he had run through,
and ended close to the water. into
which it looked as if he had plunged
with Il view to battling pursuit. III
deed pursuit was baffied. No further
trace could be found by which to fol-
low the cunning fugitive. Some of the
men consoled themselves by saying,
without believing. that Long Hair
was probably lying drowned at the bot
tom of the river.
"Pas du tout" observed Oncle Jazon.
his short pipe askew far over in the
corner Of his mouth; mot bit Of it is
that Indian drowned. He's jes' as
live as a fat cat this minute, and as
drunk as the devil. He'll get some O
yer scalps yet after he's guzzled all
that brandy and slep' week"
1t finally transpired that Oncle Jazon
was partly right and partly wrong.
Long Hair was alive, even as fat
cat perhaps, but not drunk, for in try
ing to swim with the rotund little
dame Jeanne under his arm he lost
hold Of it and it went to the bottom
NJ the Wabash where II NAV he living