Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-23

their teeth and foamed at the mouth
was awful to see. Rimeby all was
ready. and then Peters boots ter
rible boot and seq:
Teller critters. I've got a heart in
me and kin feel fur the wilder and
the fathcrless. but yo' must take back
them insults to Gineral Grant or die
.Ginaral Lee is my man forever"
shouts Hopkins. He could outfit. out
Jump and out-holler anythin' on feet!
I'm sorry fur yo're pore wife. but |
can't mind her tears
"They talked that way fur long
time" said Zeb. but bimeby we got
'em into the ring and facin' each other
/ with knives. We reckoned to see
blood flow right away, hut IT. didn't.
They Just walked around each other,
pale as death, and their knees givin'
out, and not blow was struck. When
they was tired OF walkin Peters he
suuar's Off and seq:
Ibid yo' say it was this yere last
wah which that we're critter Of yo'rs lit
into?'
"I did, SEE Hopkins 'Mebbe yo' re-
members Second Bull Run, Antietam.
Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Will
derness, and so OH? | was right thar.
and SO was Gineral Lee, and vve killed
so many of yo' critters that vfe never
did git time to bury EN- or brag over
it
"'Whoop! Whoop-ee. Yo' Eev only
FIVE minits to live. | was in tA,m fouts
myself. and didn't see dead man on
our side. | was standin' right by the
side of Gineral Grant when yor critter
Of Gineral Lee began to run
'Shoo-whoopr
'Whoop--shoo!
There was a great deal Of blowing
around before they got to business"
said to the old possum hunter as he
smiled and chuckled over the remem-
brance,
''They never got to business" he an
swered I'VE gin em an hour to git to
work. but they spent 1t in blow and
brag and walkin' around. We see they
was afraid and hooted 'em. but they
wouldn't close In. Sum Of the crowd
went away and others hung on, and
them two awful fighters sot down with
out sayin' word. Then Peters begins
to git red in the face and to sharpen
his knife on his bootleg, and bimeby he
yells out:
~ know that the wilder will mourn
and the fatherless will weep. bat shuck
my hide IL l kin stand this we're any
longer. I've got to hev the blood OF
the critter what seq Gineral Grant
wasn't boss of the roost.'
".Gineral Grant? Gineral GrantY
SEE Hopkins as he scratches his head
and looks far away. Would Wo' mind
spellin' the critters name fur me so
that won't mix him up with Corporal
Smith aud Sergeant .Ionesy
Its been spelled with cannon balls
and grapeshot.'
".Shoo! Don't yo' sass me-.
"'Shoo! l was goin' to let up on
yo', but now yo' must die
And that's the way they blowed
and bluffed and Dragged all that long
afternoon" said Zeb, "and when night
cum they was still at 1t. All the crowd
but three or TO went away mad and
disguised, but we hung on to see the
end 1t cum about 8 o'clock. when
Hopkins suddenly jumps up with
whoop and yells:
''T'll gin yo jest one mo- cha nee. Jim
Peters. Do yo' deny that yo' ever heard
of Gineral Lee?'
"'Why, no. Since this yere awful
fout begun I've remembered that thar
was SIGH critter. Yes, I'm sllah thar
was Reckon 20 must hev heard Of
Gineral Grant?
Fur shure. He was fighter
So was yo'r Gineral Lee
""rhey was both awful lighters
says Hopkins in soft voice. They
fout and At till they could flt no mo-.
Say, Jim
''.Wall, TomY
.They was fighters, and we is fight
ers, and let's shake hands and take q
drink"
"And was that the end?" asked of
Zeb.
Purity nigh" be grimly replied. 1.-THE
real end was that they took drink
and never invited any Of US to wet up"
NJ. QUAD.
Going GOinu. Gone.