The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-07-14


at last, his father had come ashore,
borne on the shoulders of two roust-
abouts, while the captain and officers
stood with barred heads and thankfully
left the unwelcome task Of explaining
the tragedy to the amiable and willing
Colonel Moreau.
my boy" said the latter, now lay
ing a fatherly hand on young Ran
dall's heaving shoulder. although 1
am a stranger to yoh, sub, I have
yentured to assume temporary control
Of. this terrible affair, fob I am a
southern gentleman, as was Mr.. Ran
dali, and / feel bound to yoh all by
the ties Of sympathy and country. /.
was a witness, sub, to the events
which preceded and prompted this out
rage, and, although I am aware it Is
but poh satisfaction, still it Is some
thing to know that the scoundrel who
was instrumental I'm causing yoh poh
fathers death has already paid fob
It with his life. Ny name sub. is
Colonel Moreau, and If I can be Of
any further service TO yoh, all in this
dark. hour of t~ribulation pray COM
mand me, sub. As an old soldier !
beg of yoh to- meet this calamity with
the fohtirude of a Christian gentle
man." with which admirable and pious
a%djuration the good colonel f1ourished
his handkerchief and helped himself
to a generous pinch of snuff.
I'll thank you, Colonel Moreau, for
all you have DONE" said young Ran
dali stonily, looking on the huddled
thing at his feet. "You-you say you
witnessed my fathers death?"
"Not exactly, sub, fob he shot him.
self in his stateroom. However hard
to bear, I think yoh should know who
and what prompted his death. The
scoundrel. sub, was the notorious
Cameo Kirby. Of whom. perhaps, yoh
have heard"
Young Randall nodded duly, and
Moreau, entering into the spirit of the
tale, continued: ST fohmed an acquaint-
ance, sub, with yoh poh father when
he came aboard at New Orleans. He
conf1ded to every one that he chad sold.
his sugar crop fob ten thousand and
had the cash with him, and he was
in mighty high spirits because he vas
on his way back home to e his chill
dren. Poh gentleman! AS d~elicately
as l can I must state that he was not
quite himself, and by that, sub, / mean
that he had been imbibing a little too
freely. / don't have TO tell yoh, sub,
that there are certain characters on all
the big boats who keep a pretty sharp
Io1I-1r,A R0A ~o~@1onon~ 18th -nO-a- -Hn
are in the condition yoh poh father,
sub, was in tonight, and I expect there
was more than one river gambler on
board who would have liked to get his
hands on Mr.. Randall. But the one
who got him was the slickest and clev-
crest of the lot, the Cameo Kirby
whom 1 have mentioned. This rascal,
sub, inveigled yoh poh father into a
private stateroom, piled him with mob
liquor and won from him not only all
his money and personal efects-even
including q miniature of yoh dead
mother, suh-but also a deed to his en-
tire plantation and all his slaves, every
thing which he owned. / was too late
to save MI. Randall, but ] knew Kirby
by repute, and 1 was SO scFeamingly
outraged by the whole affair that 1 de-
nounced him fob the low scoundrel
he was. T%hereupon he drew on me, but
/ was the quicker and shot him down
like a dog. They carried him ashore,
sub, at the landing below this, and the
river is cleaner fob his DEATH"
"You have taken vengeance out Of
my hands," said young Randall un-
steadily. 1.-THE coward and villain!
For a stranger. sir, the attitude which