Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-09-15

haIIv Wns Their ghosts ye saw over
tharT And he pointed toward the
wall opposite.
nodded.
Then ! sorter reckon as how
Marian and me wus them ghosts" he
continued. grinning. I'VE sorter reck-
oned as how we wanted ter see who
wus we're afore we come in. IN
listen till my fancy hears the clang of
swords. the crash OF spears These
we're is tough times. stranger. In these
parts. an a man whut has ter perfect
a lovely female hes got ter keep his
eye skinned"
Maria shifted contemptuously.
"Ye're no great shakes at a perfect
in o. me, Jed Bungay. Now you sit
down thar an begin ter fill up. l
reckon as how Their Cap an his gal
will kinder jine with us fer manners. i"
She seated Jed with such extreme
vigor that looked for the chair to
collapse beneath him as he came
down, but the little man, not in the
least daunted, picked UP his knife and
FORK with sigh of relief.
20 woman! in our hours of ease
uncertain, coy. and hard to please /"
he murmured. Come, sit down.
stranger; sit down an share a
soldiers couch, soldiers fare Not
as I'm sojer," he fastened to ex-
plain, but thet's how 1t Is in Their
book. Say, old woman. kint We kinder
skier up some coffee fer we uns--
leastwise whut us Confeds call cot.
fee?"
Without much difficulty | induced
Mrs. Brennan to draw her chair once
more to the table, and / sat down
beside her.
'You are Confederate, them" I
asked, curious to know upon which
side his sympathies were enlisted in
the struggle.
He glanced warily at my gray
jacket, then his shrewd, shifty eyes
wandered to the blue and yellow cav
airy cloak lying on the floor.
oval, l jist don't know, Cap" he
said cautiously, continuing to eat as
he talked, "as I'm much o. enything
in this yere row. First Their burned
gray-backs they come snoopin' up
yere, an run off all my horgs; then
Their blame blue-bellies come long
an cut down every lick O my corn
fodder, so tibet I'll be cussed IL amt
bout ready ter fight either side. Any
how I amt did no fightin' yit worth
talkin' bout, fer Marian is powful
feared I'd get hurt"
Maria regarded him scornfully.
Hiding out, I suppose?"
oval, It amt very healthful fer
us ter be stayin' ct hum much O.
ther time, long with that thar Red
Lowrie, an Jim Hale, an the rest O.
tibet cattle round yere."
"Guerillas pretty thick now in the
mountains?"
Wal, dunno; I heerd as they wus
dom somethin' down by Their brick
church, but thar's no great shakes of
EN- jist round yere. | reckon as how
they knows 'nough ter keep way from
Jed Bungay-Fd pitch EN- far as
ever peasant pitched bar
you have no fear of them, them"
"Whut, me?" The little man sat
bolt upright, and glared fiercely across
the table as though he would resent
an insult. 81 jist tell ye Cap,
reckon thar amt no guerilla goin'
ter poke his nose round yere less
he's lookin' fer sudden death; thar's
mighty few o 'em amt heerd O. Jed
Bungay- Whut in thunder's Their
matter with yer gal?"
He stopped suddenly, and stared at
her; but before l could turn about
in my chair one of the great dogs
began to growl savagely, and Maria
sprang forward and cuffed the surly
brute into rebellious silence.
Its hosses," she said harshly.
Likely as not it's Reds gang. Now,
Jed Bungay, yere's two lovely females
fer ye ter perfect"
AS l hastily sprang to my feet /
caught fleeting glimpse out of the
partially opened door. Down the steep
of the hill road there was slowly NOV
ing toward us on foot a small party
of perhaps dozen men, so variously
clothed as to make it evident they
were irregulars. Just ahead of them,
but on horseback, two others were
even then turning into the narrow
path that led to the house, attracted
probably by the smoke which
streamed from the chimney-top.
CHAPTER VIII.