The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-10-29

back and carry1 az him off,
The army m Azehed Is or 20 miles be-
fore it came 90 a halt. when Capt. Sam
Harelson v<aS metamorphically led in
chains to the feet Of the terrible lead
er OF the. invaders. Sherman put two
or three questions to his captive, who,
In answering the general, minced
wor ds hardly more than he did III
bF ezing out oa his men. What did
You bring this man along fore' asked
old Tecumseh, glaring around on his
soldiers Give him a good horse, and
turn him loose Old man. he con-
tinued, take that horse back home,
and go to plowing. The var is about
done With"
Capt Hareiscn had Just filled his
pipe a second time, on the afternoon
when / had the pleasure of introducing
him to the reader when Sandy Mcleod
stepped up ON the piazza Hello,
capn," he said, hand over your Dur
ham Bull tobacco and I'll join you in
| smoke
The two old fellows drew and puffed
at their pipes for considerable tine
| in silence. But that did not show that
they were not good company. Like old
John WiIlett and his cronies, Solomon
Daisy, Phil Parkes, and Tom Cobb, in
| "Barnaby Rudge" by Dickens, who
would sit before the fire of the May
port Inn for long stretch without ut
! tering word, though boon cmpanions
; for all that, the Fry's Cross Roads
| folks were not garrulous. Like all
other country people, they had COIN
radeship which did not depend on Idle
talk.
Just then came to their ears dis
| jointed calculations, as Of men in
heated debate near by. Darn it, Tom,
| you turned that jack from the bottom
| of the pack!"+ Il made the game!"
you didn't" well blame s1ch luck?"
! who's that playing out in the back
room, DAM" asked the captain. Sam
Bowles and Tom Aver replied the
storekeeper; II wouldn't play cards it
II couldn't do so without rowing and
fussihg"
'"It is strange and foolish" said the
captain meditatively with a superior,
pitying smile Now, I'm fond of
| game of seven-up, but I want it quiet
and peaceable; and, if I have bad lucl,
don't get ruff1ed."
| That's me-" said Sandy Mcleod;
E'there's no better way of passing an
hour Or two, if it's quiet and peace
able; and I seldom meet my match"
Your match" broke in the captain,
with a little CLINT of fight in his eye,
and a slight flush in his wrinkled
cheek why you know, Sandy, that
you can't stand against me as a
player"
prove it, cap'n; prove it! Set
time for whet at seven up
"Al1 right, Sandy, but don't get ex-
cited over a game of cards; I never
do. I'll name $3.50 o'clock tomorrow
morning, at my house on Cane Creek,
and a decanter of old peach brandy
which, with little honey, will be
soothing to us as we play. Then we'll
see who's the best man.
"Oh, Mrs. HARRISON, ,"called Sandy, as
he pulled up at the fence Of the Harel
son place that afternoon, riding home
on his niue, and hailing Mrs. Harelson
as she crossed the yard to the smoke
ouse, Have good dinner tomorrow.
You are going to have company"
Company? Who is it, Sandy?' she
asked, approaching the fence.
Ne"
you? Well, I'll be glad to see ysu;
but what are you coming 6or?"
"Your old fool of a husband says
that he is the champion of Cane Creek
at seven up, and I'm going to show
him thing or two. Well set in at
TIL not leave grease spot of him.
well, play decent, and don't go to
! quarreling and scratching"
Lord, no: we both like quiet
fpeaceable game
There was a dry, peculiar smile on
Mrs. Hardson's lips, as if she, too,
knew "a thing or two, as she went
on to the smoke house, to cut some
bread, juicy slices of ham for supper,
gathering up also half a dozen eggs.
over which the hens had hardly done
cackting.
About II o'clock on the following
day, as Andrew Long was riding in
his buggy past the abode OF Captain
Samuel Harrison, he heard loud, angry
voices in the interior; and through the
open front door, he saw two men
clinched and struggling along the pass
age, out into the piazza, and thence
into the yard, while behind came a
woman with broom, with which she
imparitafly belabored the head and
shoulders of first one and then the
cher to HM1 0uM.
Long, a stalwart young farmer, and
one of the most powerful men in those
parts, Jumped from his busgy, ran In,