The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-04-10


she hobbled happily away.
Colonel Todhunter looked after her
almost sadly. ''Them old niggers." he
said. IL love EN- just like they was
kin to me, and they love us too. But
the new breed-they hate us. and
amt got no more use for 'em than !
have for a snake It's curious and it's
somethin' Of tragedy. too, sub. I'll
be ladblamed If I know what's goin'
to come Of 1t all some day.
CHAPTER VI.
The Strickland Tucker Feud.
r AT.F an hour later as Colonel
- TOdhunter emerged from the
law office of Judge Boiling he
heard sudden hurrying OF
footsteps, and Sim Blrdsong Joined
him, GREATNESS and much perturbed.
whats on your mind now, Sim?"
asked the colonel. "'Tain't often you
go yallopin' arouu with your tongue
hangin out O your mouth like young
dogs in his first rabbit chase. What's
the trouble?"
II was jes' startin' out to look YOU
up, colonel replied Sim. There's
trouble enough, sub. Tom Strickland's
got to drinkin' and picked a quarrel
with STAN Tucker in the hotel bar
room, and you better come quick, sub,
and prevent its bein mighty serious
difficulty"
Il amt got no patience with you
young fellows here in Nineveh, Sim
BirdsOng," commented the colonel.
When Tom Strickland gets two Or
three drinks under his belt and wants
to pick a fuss why don't some Of you
turn in and lick the stutfin' out'n him?
That's one Of the best cures for the
5 whisky quarrelln' habit that ever was
invented. sub
The colonel chuckled as he spoke.
The most quarrelsome man in his
cups | ever knew. Sim, was old Bob
Prewitt. in my regiment durin' the
late unpleasa ntness, and he was cured
just that way, sub. Sam Fossbrooke
made a point Of campin' on Bob's trail
ever time Bob got to naggin any O
the other fellows. and Sand thrash
Bob till his own mother wouldn't ha
known him. sub. And sub. before the
war was over I'll be double hamstrung
If Bob Prewitt wasn't teetOtaler, sub
and he never got fightin' drunk after
the war neither till he'd put two whole
counties between him and Sam FOss-
brooke. Some Of you boys ought to try
that plan on Tom Strickland, Sim"
Colonel" answered Sim soemnly,
Its sort O. curse on the Stricklands,
that fierce temper O. their'n when they
You mustn't forget that Toms own I'M
Gle killed his best friend, Lawrence
Tolliver, durfn' spree and then drank
himself to death afterwards tryin' to
forget it, sub. It's a curse. sub, that's
what it ISL
ut amt no curse that can't be lifted
easy as raisin' your little finger, Sim
Birdsong," said the colonel. "All in
the world Tom Stricklands got to do
is to leave whisky alone-he amt a
will be, but he's got to leave it alone
altogether. 1t don't agree with him.
The Todhunters has got that same kind
Of curse In their family. only it's Gu
cumbers stead Of WHISKY Th' amt
none Of US TOdhunters can eat cucum-
bers without bein' doubled up with
cramp collie. Well, sub. lifted that
curse by ycuttin' cucumbers out O. my
list Of vittles same as il such q thing
never growed, and Tom Strickland or
any other man can do the same thing
with whisky. sun
Then the colonel tapped Sim on the
shoulder. And let ME tell you one
thing, my boy" he continued. "All
this here talk about the turrible hard
fight necessary to break Off from a bad
habit makes me tired, sub. A man
don't never have to fight but one days |
fight at time, and there's always a
nights rest comm in between il he !
don't lay awake pityln' himself, sub !
I know what Pm a-talkin' about. It !!
amt but twelve hours fight no time, |
and a man who can't fight that long is
mighty measly specimen Of man,
s,lh!'
That's all very well, colonel" spoke
Sim uneasily, 'but Tom has egged !
STAN Tucker on till Stam's hurried out
o. the barroom,, white in the face, hol
lerin' over his shoulder that he'll be !
back in minute-and you know just !
what that means, subj"
Colonel Todhunter's face grew in
stantly grave. He's gone to get his
shootin' iron-the ID little fool!'
he exclaimed. Tell me, Sim, is Tom
Strickland armed2"