Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-15
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR JUNE IS. 1913

and then we seen that it was Doc And we was plumb
proud that he only walked like he tired and not
like he'd been hurt to any amount
Hello thar, Doc!7 says, as and my wife breaks
out O the bushes and to the path "Thank the Lord,
l says, "that you alive wunst more!'
Thayer he draws up student, and it wasn't so dark
but what we could see him smile his boyish smile.
When he seen that my wife was along he took off his
hat and bowed jest as he'd always done when he met
her. the polite teller that he
"Yes, still alive" he says; "but may say consid ably
took down For l had joust with Copperhead See
vers. he says "and don't think I'll ever quite forgit
me unless he was drove pretty hard You see, he had
enough to know that it would brought him
trouble from Nashville
"Tell us what happened" | axes and my wife she
leans forards anxious like-and all Of wasn't plain
Well begins Thayer, "early this mornn' put my
little blue gun in my pocket, took along flask the
sperits called whisky and said be good for snakebite
and here he smiles O ticled like "and set out for
Pine Gap, as I'd heerd you say that Copperhead hung
out over thar most o the time. | lost my way, and
didn't git thar until mighty nigh noon-and also lost
my way a comm back too which is what made me SO
late gittin' in As was goin along a old trail that
leads through the Gap, seen somebody dodge in the
laures right ahead O. me- but it dark, count o
the thick treeops overhead, that couldn't even tell
if it a woman. So goes on, and when
reaches the pint at which I'd the igger dart out
O my sight minute afore hears gruff voice:
"Elevate em' it says; and | knowed it meant my
hands, which l raised consid ably qulckern the
movements O that dryand wandrer knowed as the
tartose.
"'Well,' l says, they're up.
4Then thar steps out afore me, with the very ughest
that thar villain Of a Gopperhead Sewers.
"Whars yore little toy gum he
Right hip pocket, tells him. You see, he'd done
thing could do was to be very and quiet until
got out o his power. While believed that he wouldn't
kill me unless he was drove pretty hard L didn't feel
like a takin' any big chanst with him.
"Ie took my little blue gun and drapped it inside O
his shirt; then he also relieved me o the trouble O
carryin around my fountain pen the flask snakeblte
that was in it. nv watch and chain, handful O cigars
and box O matches. And then he-he-"
The little doctor stopped, and imagined could see
him turnin' red in the face
"Well,' says |, "what else did he dO?
"He-he put me that thar rawboned knee o his,
says Dr. Thayer "and handed a spankin that
shore made think O my boyhood days and the jam
in the pantry"
"The mean thing!7 exc1aims my wife.
Well l BY gya1! ho a oumfor jest couldn't
And he also boxed my ears for me, says the DOCTOR
a laughin
The mean thing repeats my wife, downright mad
Eyes, he did," Thayer says; but by the tones his
voice knowed that he'd done quit laughin'
at looks to me-, says, pretty sober, that yore
cake is all dough- What you gon to do now, Doc!
"You jest wait, says Thayer, sort o hard like For
the present. he says, I'm nigh starved to death
that don't want to think about nohin' but sonethin
to eat
At that nv wife she begins to rnutter sornethin in
Regards the taters she'd put roast in the ashes
done bein burnt up, and all sets out for my house
AFTER supper was over that night a settin'
around the fire and talkin about the rOwdy,
when thar was the sound O steps comm up to the
gate and minute later halloo. | went to the
door and opened it. lettn the light from the lie lamp
shine down the path | the bent and weary fgger
of a old woman who had travelled from little dis
tance-whch knowed by her havin' few inches o
her skyrts tucked into her wastband at each side to
keep EN- from bothern' her in walkin. She sort
O sharp faced and didn't know her from a side sole
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