The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-02-01

me fur half an hour or so befo' they
had had huff of play. BY that time I
was in rags and jest as sober as you
are now. | have thought some of
takin' out a patent on hat adventure
of mine. That drunk orter have lasted
me the best part of three days, but the
bars cured me of it I'm about forty
minits. Seem the old woman would
do nothin', my line was TO play dead
and hope the yarmints would git tired
and go away. They got tired of the
play, but they wasn't through with me
then. They began 10 growI and show
sign of madness. and / called out to
the old woman:
MARY. can't you see that they all
are dun gittin' mad?
81 kim she said, speakin' fur the
first time and speakin' mighty keer-
lessly at that.
They all Will begin 20 bite and,
claw in airnest now
"'They will fur shore
"'Hain't yo' gwine to do anything TO
help me?
"'Nothin' tall. Zeb. 4 man who
SdH l. SldS SObCi Hd1 bPtIHT Dc utdu,
and it don't make no difference wheth-
er he falls from a tree or gifts clawed
up by bars
but yO' wouldn't see yo' own bus
band perish befo' you eyes, | take it,
TIL think it over. If yo' are gwine.
to live on. yO' got to keep sober arter.
this. 1t Will be we'll fer yo' TO have.
some scars to pint to. AFTER yo' have.
been half killed mcbbc I'll do sun
thin, but it does seem pizen mean to.
drive the bars away when they're hay-|
in 50 much fun
Jest then the old he bar took Il long.
look into my face and then uttered a.
grOWl that made chilIS shake me all.
over. He knOwed me. and knowed'
him. He was Il bar | had hunted fer,
three years, and he had three of my
bullets in his body at that very min
nit. Yes, sub. that critter knOwed me-
fer Zeb White. the man who never yitI
had mercy on a bar, and he seen that
his time had come to git even. p He!
hauled off and gin me 4 swat that all
most stove in my ribs and then bit
me twice. His mate pitched in, and
fur the next two minnitS | was mauled
about between 'em like a rag doll. 1t
was no use of my tryin' to make a
fight fur it. They was all over me all
the time, and even if | had Il knife it
wouldn't have helped me out.
what sent the pesky critters off at
last was the old woman shOOtin' down
the he bar, but | vas left in a power
full sad state. I had skeercely a stitch
Of clothes left on me, and l was one
mass Of bites and claw marks. I had
to be dragged into the house and boost
ed into bed, and | didN't tech toe to-
the floor fer three weeks to II l.
hadn't any bones broke. but the claw
marks and bites of Il bar dOn't heali
fur a long time. Durin' all the time |
was in bed and sufferin' the old wOm-
an kept whisky under my nose. [ had
the scent of it until I positively hated
it and begged her to take it away.I
The hull thing taken together worked
a cure so thorough that, though I run
a moonshine still fur three years, Il
never tasted a drop of the stuff"
did Mrs. White have anything to-
say to you after you got better?"
asked.
"Never a word" he answered. "Whatl
was the use? If all that bar play
wouldn't stop a man from maxim a.
fool of himself ag'in, then words
would be thrown away. No, sub, she
never done said a word, and that's
why T reckon she's jest the incest and
best wife in this yere state of Tennes-
see." NJ. QUAD.