The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-12-15
The
Double Scare
By j. r. Hammond.

.SkCE ABRIEL SHOBE was seat
\ ~ \ ed astreddle of a log, at
@ @ the end Of which was a
Il - i hollow, out of which he
FOE had just taken a gallon
jug Extracting corr
cob from the mouth of the jug, he ap-
piled his lips TO the orifice from which
the cob had been taken, elevated the
jug, threw his head back, and, with
his gaze directed heayenward and his
thoughts fixed on the crossroads gro
Gerry store where the nectar had been
obtained. allowed a portion of the pre-
cious contents of the jug to gurgle
down his throat Having tested the
utmost capacity of his interior for re-
ceiving and containing liquids, with
out, however, in the least appeasng
his appetite therefor, ne lowered his
jug. and, inserting the cob in the
mouth, replaced it in the hollow stump,
and. covering it with leves. resumed
his seat on the log, and soliloquized
thus:
"Ef Jim Peters thinks I'm gwine to
le him and Suze marry, he's mighty
mistaken. I'd like to know how Bets
and me and the children would git
along without old Brindle. Wed
starye. that's what we'd do"
Old Brindle. as Shobe called her,
though she was only six years old, had
been given to mis- daughter Susan when
calf by one of her uncles. with the
express understanding that it was to
he hers, and hers only, to do with as
she pleas al The calf had grown TO be
4 fine cow, whose milk and butter
formed about half the living Of Shobe's
family.
Jim Peters was a one-horse school
teacher, who divided his time about
equally between teaching school. loaf
ing around Bill Stickney's grocery, and
hunting and fishing.
''The ornery cuss,r continued Shobe,
she's ashamed to show his face in day
light. and SO he comes a sneakin'
around in the night. 'Feard Nv ghosts,
too. Wish / had a lookin' glass here
TO see what sort NV a ghost I'd make;v
and. picking up a sheet that he had
brought with him, he wrapped it
around him in the most approved
ghost style.
II guess I'll make a bully old ghost
ia the dark" said he; and, resuming
his seat on the log in his ghostly at
tire, he awaited the approach of dark
ness, which was now at hand.
The earth having at length donned
its mantle of darkness, Shobe came to
perpendicular, remarking at the
same time:
Il guess it's about time Jim wuz
navigatin' along this way"
Starting for the road along which
he expected Jim to navigate" on
reaching the stump in which his jug
was hid, the temptation was too strong
to resist; so reaching down. he drew
it forth once more, remarking as he
did so: Il guess I'll have to give
Sweet Lips another buss before go;'
and, turning it up, took another hearty
swig. Returning the jug to its place
of concealm ent, he resumed his ghost
ly march in the direction Of the road.
Leaning his back against a tree that
grew near the road, or, rather, path
way, along which he expected his
prospective, though undesired, son-in-
law to pass, he waited with most ex-
emplary patience. the arrival Of that
interesting individual for the space OF
perhaps two minutes and a half
At the end of that time his pa
tience being exhausted, he eased him
self down to sitting posture, his
back being still against the tree, in
which position he remained for an
other two minutes and O. half. when
his patience and backbone being both
exhausted, bis head dropped over tc
one side, his body in state Of limp
ness followed in the direction Of the
head. and the next moment GAbrie
Shobe was reclining Oh the ground
from which, and Immediately mldel
him, some half-dczen short stubs pro
jected.
Scarcely had he struck lie ground
when he was asleep, and snoring witt
an energy In striking contrast to thai
usually displayed by him in the ordi
nary avocations Of life, the SOUND
whereof could only be compared to th'
combined efforts Of half dozen hanC