The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-10-19
"That's a old Yankee o7my overcoGt.' ,

an lOauGO ILL UdCh duu 4LOut WALL
bloody beef an top i'm eff he didn't
make tracks we'd shoot at the beef.
But we didn't have time to eat the
pies even, fer the thing had begun.
Folks has often axed me what a battle
was like. I couldn't tell you. 1t Jest
made a sound-ooo-ooo-oo G
harrycane rippin' guilies in the earth
an sweepin' away trees, rocks, hills,
an everything in its track, an on she
come! I hain't here to ne-I was
scared clean down into my socks.
When they hove into sight round the
hill in the sun, I couldn't see nothn'
but a solid bank O. silver. By gum, it
looked like thar was enough bayonet
p'ints displayed thar to stab all the
flies in the universe. seed our gen
eral about that time; he was a-settn'
on his hoss a chawin' tobacco an spit
TIN over its head; he was as cool as a
cucumber; looked like he was jest
tryin' to study what would be the right
thing to do. He was daisy; part In
jun, an not afeard O. God Almighty.
Seem him that away made me sorter
ashamed, an I plunged in. At fust 1t
come awkward, but in minute 1t
wasn't any nore'n shootin' at rabbits.
1--WE plugged away an laughed an
made jokes an had good all round
time as long as it lasted, an then we
got ratified an begun to retreat. I was
shot through the left arm an side, an
fell in a ditch. a Yankee run up with
pinted bayonet an yelled, 'Cuss you,
come out q thar or I'll shoot your
Some O. our boys said I ort to "a
cussed i'm back, but didn't. 1t jest
seemed part O. the game TO me, an ne
was winnin'. You come down after
me- said I, 'ef you want me- An a
couple Of 'em did, an drug me up the
bank. They had ketched few more
Of our boys on the wing, an they driv'
us up in a circle an put some foreign
guards around US Every one Of US
was cut ur had balls som'ers in us, but
we sassed them guards about the'r
brogue, an one thing an other, till
they was mad enough to kill Us. They
give US good treatment-1ll say that
much fer 'em-an liked Their grub.
They had all sorts O good stuff in cans.
They patched US up in the hospital an
finally exchanged US"
"Oh, say" protested Kenner, "rnat
amt all, is it,"
cts all I've got to say today. I've
got to blow a few blasts at the post
Office an stick up the fag." he
stepped to Buckley's desk and leaned
on it. 81 wish, George, that you was
out our way to make JEFF behave his
self"
Drinking again:" George asked, with
smile.
"Yes, an that amt all; he's got every
moonshiner over thar down on i'm.
He informed on some Of 'em while he
was out O his head an now tsaaS no
re;iin' whar it will end. Somebody shot
at i'm while be was in the field t'other
day-some skunk in the woods, afraid
to show hisself.'
"That's pretty bad" said George
sympathetically. JEFF ought to be
more cautious"
AS Truitt was leaving, Mrs. Hilyer
waddled in, her gray shawl wrapped
tightly round her body.
Come fer money to run the, house
on" she said, with laugh. to her
husband. NO, thank you, l won't set
down" she added to kenner, who was
Offering her his chair. The truth is,
I'm goin' to steer clear O. this house.
Mrs. Dugan says all the reports in the
town git started among you uns.
Eff she knew I came here she'd lay 1t
on me. I thought fer q while, after
they lifted her quarantine, that she
was goin' to do different, but she's
wuss an ever. 1 sawed 'er of short
yesterday, though" Mrs. Hillyer
laughed heartily. "You know, Mr.
Kenner, she's got one tale that she
tells over an over constantly. One OF
the longest winded yarns you ever
heard, about how she fust got ac-
ouainted with woman she met by ac-
cident. She forgets she's told 1t tWen-
ty times, an jest takes 'er chair an
begins to unwind. So far NOBODY hain't
been bold enough to say they'd heard
it before, but when I seed her a-comln'
through the gate yesterday told dor-
tense eff she dared to spring that old
gag on me ag'in I'd stop 'er ef it
cost me my life. thought Hor-
tense I'D die laughin', fer Mrs. Dugan
had no sooner n set down than she be-
gun to tell about how she fust met the
woman. Well, I'd made my bet, an
I wasn't goin' to be beat. Hold on,
said I; right here 7 want to tell you
some'n, Mrs. Dugan-sone'n powerful
quar- about me. I believe, on my soul,
I'VE got second sight Second sight,
saws she, in her mean way, why, l
didn't think you was quite old enough
to have yore second sight. ! don't
mean that sort O. second sight, says
7. but I've noticed sometimes when
body would begin a tale could see
clean to the end Of it long before the
end was reached. Now says I, see ct
I amt right; the next time you met
that woman was at the county fair,
whar she tuck fust prize On her patch
Quilt an with that finished out her
yarn. as pat as ef it was one o my
own brag tales. Lord, wasn't she hot!
She got as red as ripe tomato. /
wasn't goin' to tell that says she; !
remember tellin' you that. I was goln'
to git round to some'n else; but, since
YOU are so almighty smart, I reckon
III go on about my business an with
that she firted out O the house, an
kicked the dog as she went by it on the
porch. When q woman's mad enough
to kick dog her dander's fyin' in 'er
eyes" Mrs. Hillyer laughed as she
thrust her red hand from beneath her
shawl and took the money the mer-
chant was giving her Don't git mar
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