The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-06-19
Danny's
Own Story
BY DON MARQUIS
Copyright. 1912. by Doubleday, Page
e. Co.

I have travelled around considerable
since them there days, but l never
hearn such cussing before or since as
old Hank done that night. He busted
his own records and riz higher'n his
own water marks for previous times.
It was personal too. Hank. he would
listen until he hearn a woman's voice
that he knowed, and then he would
let loose on her family, going back
wards to her grandfathers and down.
wards to her ,children's children. II
her father had once stolen a hog, or
her husband done any disgrace that
got found out on him. Hank would
put it all into his gineral remarks,
with trimmings on to 1t.
Brother Cartwright. he steps up to
the hole in the door when he first
comes in and he says, gentlelike and
soothing. like a undertaken when he
tells you where to set at a home fu-
neral:
Brother Walters"
"Brotherv Hank yells out. don't
ye brother me. you smiling. psalm
singing. yaller faced. pigeon toed. hip
percrit. you! Get me ladder. gol
dern you. and I'll come out'n here and
learn you to brother me. I will" Only
that wasn't nothing to what Hank
really said to that preacher. No more
like 1t than a little yalle:. fully ca
aary is like a buzzard.
Brother Walters" says the preacher.
ca'am. but firm. I'VE have all decided
that you amt going to come out Of
that there cistern till you up an sign
the pledge"
And Hank tells him what he thinks
of pledges and him and church dotngs.
and it wasn't purity. And he says If he
was as deep in eternal fire as what he
now is in rainwater and every fish
that nibbles at his toes was preacher
with a redhot pitchfork a-jabbing at
him they could jab till the hull here
after turned into snow afore he'd ever
sign nothing man like Mr.. Cartwright
give him to sign. Hank was stubborn
er than any mule he ever nailed shoes
on to and proud Of being that stub
born. That town was a awful religious
town. and Hank he knowed he was
called the most onreligious man In It,
and he was proud Of that. too, and IT
any one called him heather it jest
plumb tickled him all over
Brother Walters" said that preach
er, I'VE are going to pray for you"
~ And they done it. They brought all
them chairs close up around that cis-
tern. in a ring, and they all kneeled
down there, with their heads on 'em,
and they prayed fur Hanks salvation.
They done it UP in style. too. one at
time, and the others singing out.
''Amen"' every now and then. and
they shed tears down on to Hank. The
front ward was crowded with men. all
a-laughing and a-talking and chawing
and splitting tobacco and betting how
long Hank would hold out. Old 81 EN-
cry, that was the city marshal and al
ways wore a big nickel plated star. was
out there with 'em. 81 was In sweat
cause Bill Nolan, that run the bar
room, and some more Of Hanks friends,
or as near friends as he had. was out
in the road. They says to 81 be must
arrest that preacher. fur Hank isfbeing
gradual murdered in that there water
and he'll die If he's belt there too long.
and it will be crime. Only they didn't
come into the yard to say it amongst
us religious folks. But 81. he says he
dassent arrest no one. because 1t is
outside the town cooperation, but he's
q considerable worried, too. about what
his duty orter be. ........
Pretty soon the folks that Mrs. Cart
wright has rounded mp at the prayer
meeting comes stringing along In:
They had all brung their hymn books
with them, and they sung. The null
town was there then. and they all
sung. and they sung revival hymns
over Hank. And Hank he would jest
cuss and cuss Every time he busted
out into another cussing spell they
would start another hymn. Finally
the men out in the front yard got
warmed up. too. and begun to sing.
all but Bill Nolan's crowd, and they
give Hank up for lost and went away
disguised.
The first thing you knowed they
was a reg'lar revival meeting there
and that preacher was preaching a
reg'lar revival sermon. had been to
moren one camp meeting. but fur jest
natcherlly taking holt Of the hull hu.
man race by the slack of its pants ana
dangling of it over hell fire. ! never
hearn nothing could come up to that
there sermon. Two or three old back
sliders in the crowd come right up and
repented all over agin on the spot. The
hull kit and billing Of 'em got the pow
er good and hard. like they does at
camp meetings and revivals. But
Hank, he only cussed. He was obsti-
nate. Hank was. and his pride and
dander had riz up. Finally he says:
you're taking a ornery. low down
advantage O me. you are. Let me
out'n this here cistern and III show
you who'll stick It out longest on dry
land. dern your hidesT 4. ....5 t-i