Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-19

@Of all the fool games that l ever heard
tell Of" says the little Teller, "this of playin
preacher gets the medal! All the rest must
set down in the rear. But yore goose IS
shore cooked now, all right! I'll have you in
Nashville in about three days.
Somethin' like twenty voices bawls from
the nearby laurels, an be burned if you
have him in Nashville in any three daysi"
The sharp-eyed man stops, still with the
pistol held ag inst Railways back, and looks
around him. From the Raines side O the
holler comes the Raineses, all told; from the
Barlow side O. the boiler come all O. the Bar
lows. Afore he could git a couple O good
breaths the little Teller and his captive was
in the middle of a ring o mad men, men so
mad that they didn't pay no tention to the
fact that they was rubin elbows with
their enemies.
IL want you to understand that I'm a Of
ficer O the law says the sharp-eyed Teller,
@and that I've got right to take this here
man back to prison to complete his term o
twenty year. You see, he adds, galway
escaped when he'd only sarved four year o
the sentence"
Old Grandpap Raines and Old Grandpap
Barlow each caught the officer by a arm.
Their eyes was as cold and as hard as iron
as they s'arched his face for some sign of lie.
AK Falway," says the sharp-eyed teller,
"if you feel that you CAIN take my word for
it. Railway knows
The mountaineers looked into Railways
death-white face.
preacher" says Old Grandpap Raines,
as it so? Have you sarved four year in the
prison at Nashville, and have you yit got
sixteen year afore you? You tell us the
truth, Preacher, and we'll shore stick to you
as long as thar's birthstone in torment-if it
hain't like the officer says. Jest yore word
is all we ak. We're waitin' to give this here
officer start"
Il killed mani" confesses John Railway.
"What made you come here, and act so
good, and all O that, and you murderer"
snaps Big Abe Raines, shakin' his fist in
Railways face.
Railway raised his head high, and the
crowd seen that Big Abe's last word had
went to his heart like bullet. With his
eyes shown the pain he was in, he made
this reply to Big Abe, "The man | killed |
mistook for somebody else. The man l
killed was preacher. wanted to take his
place in the world as far as could"
follerin' that come minute O silence.
told the truth-even the officer couldn't, l
reckon. Then Big Abe he took the officers
pistol from him, and made him unlock the
irons on Railways wrists.
"Now, says Big Abe, pushin' the sharp
eyed little Teller through the crowd the same
as if he'd been a boy, snow you git from
here And you can tell 'em at the prison
that the only way they can git John Railway
back is to send enough officers here to kill
every man, woman, and child in Flintstone
Holler!"
dts correct, by gyar!' says Rushin Eek.
The officer went.
John Railway spoke to the mountaineers.
at mustn't be, he says. "I'll have to 60
Thar mustn't be no bloodshed. God knows
that I'm much obliged, and that hate to go
but thar hahn no other way out of it,
The mountaineers argied; but Railway
| wouldn't listen.
"People," he says, "you maybe can mag
inc what I've suffered. | want to ak you In
| the name O that sufferin and in the name o
that cross up thar to do me one favor afore
| go. want you all to come into the meetin
house and hear me preach one time, and then
| be friends afterwards. want to have to re-
member durin' the long years in prison that
you done it for me-"
HE turned and went towards the door,
IL walkin' sort O. blind like. The crowd
stood still. Then Old Grandpap Raines he
hollered out, in the tones O the dare he'd
L: l..