The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
Joe BASSEITS
y WEDDING DAY.
Showing That Kick From a Mule
Is Not Always Necessary to
Cause a Change Of Mind.

at sure Is almighty queer how man
II set into game with one idea In his nut,
an then fore there's been a dozen hands
dealt. how hen be devotin bis self 10 suthin'
'leven million miles foreign to what he,
were studyln' on, said old man Greenhut,
az he looked out through the open door
Of his saloon in Arkansas City one sum
shiny day in the early spring
1t was noticeable that the old man was
considerably interested in something that
was happening up the street, and that
while some Of those to whom he was speak
ing were also Interested, they were more
or less excited, while he was chuckling
with merriment and was not in :he least
excited
Now, there's Joe Bassett, he continued,
before anybody he'd offered reply to his
initial observation. Joe Is givn' as bright
an shinn' example right now OF a change
o. heart as you'll find in the Methodist
camp meetin' this summer
Joe started out not fifteen minutes ago
to kill that niger o. Lem Joyces. He
didn't say nothin' about it, TO be sure,
but there's been things a diddin' f'r the last
month, t was gettin' him riled up, an
when he heer'd about the niger breakjn'
loose the way he did last night, Joe didn't
say nothin'-you all noticed he didn't say
nothin', didn't yer
The Others allowed they had noticed it.
We'll when seen t he were quiet like,
an when he got up an stretched hisself
an ',ok drink all by hisself, an htched
up his belt, an walked out sayin' nothin'.
/ didn't have to have no advertisement
read outen the country paper to tell me
what he were goin' to do. Plain as the
nose on his face. he was startin' out to kill
that niger.
well, Joe pears to We struck a sudden
change o. heart. The way he hiked up
the street when he went out | says to my
self that niger didn't have more'n about
fifteen minutes for to say his prayers.
An now, Joe don't seem to be troubled
about nothin on earth more'n how he's
goin' to git out o. that deep water by the
ievee 'thouten bein' drownded. II he
took his gun along with him when that
nigger's mule kicked him into the drink,
l don't reckon he'll do no shootin' till he's
got the gun dried.
Il en- remember now hearin' about
that niger havin trick mule. They say
he en- run back ards most as swift as he
can front emo 10. An tne HiBgeT Uedcneu
him heap O. queer things.
Pears like there may be some truth
into the story, judgin' by the way the critter
backed up sudden when Joe was comm
his way an let fly with them heels O. hisn.
I've saw men kicked by mule afore, but
i never seen none on EN- ketch it so sudden
when the mule was more'n twenty foot
ahead.
Seems kind o queer I none o. them
shots that was fred a ter the niger, when
he started of up the road with the mule.
didn't pear to hit nothin'. There was
enough on 'em fired. / reckon the boys
must ha' been laughin too hard, though,
about Joe tumblin' into the food for to
take aim like they does most times.
Anyway, the niger an the mule pears
to be out Of it now. 'Taint no ways likely
as anybody IL ever see 'em agin in Arkansas
City. Not if that niger has any sense
left they won't.
-The way Joe changed his mind. though,
quite sudden like, when that mule riz up
against him, minds me o something t
happened to him when he were a good bit
younger'n he is now, an hadn't been elected
Sheriff four times. We knowed he were a
fighter them days, but We hadn't learned
as how he cd be depended onto
Fact is, he want RELY reliable, Feared
like he were geared too high, or no had