The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-08-15
HE WANTED
GORE
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1918, by Associated Lit
erary Press

pOugn ana Tumble ngnter was once
yaved by his wife, and, though l had
thrown out hints several times. neither
pf them seemed inclined to tell the
hale. I therefore had to wait till the
signs came right. One autumn day
Eeb took me along with him as he Wis
tied his traps for mink along creek,
and as we rested on rock previous
10 the long walk back to his cabin he
said, THAT amt much Of yarn"
But want to hear it
well, I'll begin by sayin' that I'd
worked so hard fur three or fo' vars
srter the wah that got all run down.
That same var critter named Pike
moved into the nayburhood He talk.
I'd so loud and blowed SO high that ev-
erybody was skeart of him, and he
Jest went around steppin' high and
bossin' the roost. That critter used
10 cum down to my cabin and Drag
and blow and tell how many men he'd
licked, and one day / gin him plain tc
nnderstan' that l didn't believe his
stories. That made him mad, and he
went away, sayin' as how he'd wallop
me fur his next victim. He knowed
was in poor health and couldn't fight
fly, but every two or three days he'd
rum down and stand in front of the
rabin and yell:
"'Now, then, Zeb White, cum out
we're and git the awfulest wallopin' a
human critter ever received. I'm no
hand to brag, but / kin tie both hands
behind me and then chaw yo' up In
two mtnits. I've licked forty-sev
different men and never got my nose
skinned. Either own up that yo' dasn't
fight man or cum out and be wal
loped.'
That's the way he'd talk to me-"
continued Zeb, "and I'd get so mad
that I cried like child. Bimeby
begun to git a little better. and one
day when ne was callin' on me to cum
fo'th land be walloped I told him that
If he'd show up week from that day
I'd tackle him. He went away crack
In his heels and whoopin' and rejoic-
in, and the old woman SEE to me. sez
she:
"'Zeb White, If yo' was well man
yo' could wallop that critter befo' l
could make hoecake. but yo've been
down the banks all summer, and yo'
can't git well in n week. Pm sorry
yo' passed yo'r word. but bein' it's
passed we'll hev to abide by it. I'll
git whisky and roots tomorrer and
brace yo' up"
"And did you get better?" asked.
.'No; got wuss. Whisky and roots
was up was In bed and too feeble to
walk across the room. That pesky crit
ter knowed Jest how 1t was with me,
and yit he cum and stood In 'front.' OF
the cabin and shouted TO the ole wo-
man:
"'Would yo' do me the everlastin'
kindness to tell him to step out we're
while chaw his ears Off and stay my
hungerr
"'He's sick abed just now. but IL
yoll cum back arter dark he'll make
yo eat grass and heller like calfp
"'Then yo' kin be lookin' for me.
Wilder White, I'll be kinder sorry to
see death take him firm yo', but ! must
hev him fur my forty-eighth victim.
Good AFTERNOON. Wilder White. good
afternoon
II cried myself to sleep, and 1t was
arter dark when woke up. That thar
yarmint had cum back, cordin' to
promise, and was In front of the cabin
a-shoutin':
".Zeb White, the time has cum fur
yo' to be pulverized. Mebbe won't
do no mo- than chaw yo'r ears of and |
cripple yo' fur life. but I'll do that much |
fur shore
"Jest about the time he begun to hol- |
Ter my ole woman begun to git outer |
her clothes and inter mine.
"'What yo' gwine to dor SEE l.
"'Gwine out TO wallop that critter or
der SEE she.
'Tt wasn't no use to talk 10 her. When
she got all dressed up she looked like q |
man. and as she stood in the door that
varmint cracked his heels together and
crowed like a rooster"
And about the flght?" I asked as
Zeb was silent for several minutes.
ut was full of SURPRISES" he answer
ed. "That varmint was only a blow
hard arter all. The ole woman walked
around him two or three times and
then sailed in. He hollered at the first
jump and tried to git away, but she
wouldn't let him. She scratched, kick
ed and pulled ha'r, and when she final
ly let up on him he wouldn't hev looked
wuss IL half dozen bars had played
with him. I've seen a heap of men
walloped, but he was the wallopedest
man of the hull lot"
"And how did Mrs. White come out
of it?'
she didn't git a scratch, but I've
allus bin sorry about it."
"Why?" / asked.
WAL" said Zeb as he turned his
face away from me, ''befo' that fight
she was a mighty humble woman and
left all the bossin to me. Sence then
shes-she's"-
She's not so humber"
Jest so. Jest got the idea that she
kin wallop me same as she did him.
and thar ar days when she's all ready
TO make try at II. Spiles a woman
to git some noshuns in her head"
And an hour after we got home that