The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-05
OLD ZEB WHITE.
The Postum Hunter s Last Drunk
and What Reformed Him.

IT reckon that every man on these
we're mountings was brung up along
side of whisky Jug said Old Zeb
| White one evening as we sat at his
Preside. That don't mean that all are
drunkards. 1t means that they've known
| what whisky was from the time they
| was bon, and while some take to it
house, as you know, but give you my
word haven't had my nose to the jug
fur the last five years. I hain't sayin'
that I didn't drink my full sheer up to
| that time, bekase I did. 1 reckon I got
away with as much moonshine as any
other critter for ten miles around and
was fool huff to feel proud of the fact
When | was married, Is years ago.
my wife thought She could reform me-
Mebbe went a Ieetle light fur a year
or so, but the refoFmin' didn't reform.
ia promise and promise. but as soon
as I got out with a. crowd I'd fill up.
The only good thing about my getting
drunk was the fact that never. raised
arrow at home. I simply wanted to git
sleep it off by next day. had been So
Der fur three months when town-meet-
ing day come along. When Igot ready
lssHs y N9s aas Sd Meae sa decent
human bein' fur sPme time past. Ar
you comm home drunken sober to-
night3- st &
in myself at all.
Why not let town meetin' slider
couldn't. I've promised to be thar
to vote
e e 'Thar'lI be heaps. and heaps OF whis-
ky thar, won't they? she asks q
Fur shore, but don't you be afeared
fur me. / give YOU my word that I
won't drink nuthin" stronger'n lemon
'.That was lively town meetin', with
whisky fowin' like water, and though
l held out agin it fur an hour or SO,
! had to take drink at last. Then
follered a second and a third, and by
night l was roarin' drunk and fightin'
everybody. They started to take me
home in cart. but when a mile from
my cabin I got out and wouldn't go
any further, and was left there. 1t was |
a bright and beautiful moonlight
night I could jest remember that |
How I got home after leavin' the cart |
1 never could recall. I didn't know
when reached here and fell down in |
front of the house. The fust thing I
knowed was that somebody was pull |
in me around in a mighty rough way. |
I opened my eyes and sot up, and thar
was the old woman on the doahstep, |
and between men her was two bars. |
They would look at her and then at |
me, and it was their haulin' me around |
that had reused me up. wasn't |
sober yit, you understand, but could
reason things out after fashion.
Why don't you git the gun and |
woman, but she never 'peared to no
tice me. The bars did, however. They |
turned from her to me and begun a
sort O. hossplay. One Of them fetched
me a cuff on the ear that stretched me
out and made my head ring fur a
week arter, and then they begun play
in. ball with my body. I knowed them
fur bars, and knowed that it would
be all play until tried to git away
from them or At back.
RI fell
what them ar bars put me through
that night. They rolled me over ana
over; they dragged me about feet first
md head first; they pulled me down to
They used their teeth and claws only
N play, but they left marks behind
hat didn't go away fur two months.
Every time they rested I called out to
he old woman. but she wouldn't ans
yer. Sometimes she looked at me in
/ plying way. and sometimes she was
aughin' at the way was tossed
about. The rifle was on its hooks in
he house, and loaded. and in that
she could have shot one of
he varmints through the heart, but
he wouldn't move to do 1t.
ct reckon them bars sported with
ne fer half an hour or so befo' they
lad had huff play. By that time I
vas in rags and Jest as sober as you
ire now. I have thought some of TAX
n out patent on that adventure or
nine. That drunk orter have lasted {
ne the best part of three days, but
he bars cured me of 1t IN about forty
ninits. Seem the old woman would
10 nothin'. my line was to play dead {
nd hope the varmints would git tired
nd go away. They got tired of the
lay, but they wasn't through with
ne then. They began to growl and
how signs of madness, and calls out
o tho old woman:
MARY, can't you see that they-all E
re dun gettin' mad2'
I kim she says. speakin' fer the ]
rst time, and speakin' mighty keer- I
sss at that.
g 'They-alI will BEGIN to bite and /
law in airnest now
They will fer shore
'Hain't you gwine to do anythin '
o help me?'
/" 'Iothin' tall, Zeb A man who L
ant stay sober had better be dead {