The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-28
EKErl@
CContinuedD

S1nf&tk CCOnt1nu9dsb
 And Hank tens him what he thinks of pledges and him and church doings, 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 a man like MT. Cartwright give him to sign. Hank was stubborn CT than any mule he ever nailed shoes on to and proud of being that stub born That town was awful religious town, and Hank he knowed he was called the most onreligious man in it. and he was proud of that. too, and if any one called him a heather it jest plumb tickled him all over.
 Brother Walters" said that preach CT, we are going to pray for you"
 And they done it. They brought all them chairs close up around that cis- tern. in ring. and they all kneeled down there. with their heads on 'eIn, and they prayed fur Hanks salvation. They done it up in style, too, one at a time. and the others singing out, eAmenF' every now and then. and they shed tears down on to Hank. The y a-Iaughing and a-talking and ehawing and splitting tobacco and betting how long Hank would hold out. Old Si Em- cry, that was the city marshal and al- ways wore a big nickel plated star, was ont there with lem. Si was in a sweat 'eazzse Bill Nolan. that run the bar room, and some more of Hanks friends, or as near friends as he had. was out zn the road They says to Si he must arrest that preacher, fur Hank is being gradual murdered in that there water, and he'll die if he's helt there too long, and it will be a crime. Only they didn't come into the yard to say 1t amongst ms religious folks. But Si, he says he dassent arrest no one. because it is outside the town cooperation, but he's considerable worried. too, about what his duty orter be.
 Pretty soon the folks that Mrs. Cart wright has rounded up at the prayer meeting comes stringing along in. They had all brung their hymn books with them, and they sung. The hull 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, an but Bill Nolan's crowd, and they give Hank up for lost and went away disgusted-
 The first thing you knowed they was a reg'Iar revival meeting there, and that preacher was preaching reg'lar revival sermon. I had been to more'n one camp meeting, but fur jest natcherIly taking holt of the hull hu- man race by the slack of its pants and dangling of it over hell fire, I never hearn nothing could come up to that there sermon. Two or three old back sItders in the crowd come right up and repented all over agin on the spot. The hull kit and billing of lem got the pow CT Agood and hard, like they does at camp meetings and revivals. But Hank. he only cussed. He was obstt- 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 I'll show you who'll stick 1t out longest on dry land, dern your hidesF'
 Some of the folks there hadn't had no suppers, so after all the other sin ners but Hank had either got convert ed or else sneaked away, some of the women says why not make a kind of love feast out of it and bring some wit ties. like they does to church sociables. Because it seems likely Satan Is going to wrastle all night long. like he done with the angel Jacob. and they ought to be prepared. So they done it. They went and they come back with v1ttles. and they made up hot coffee. and they feasted that preacher and theirselves and Eln1ira and me, all right in Hanks hearing.
 And Hank was getting hungry him self And he was cold in that water. And the fish was nibbling at him. And he was getting cussed out and weak end soaked full of despair. And they wasn't no way fur him to set down and rest And he was scared of getting cramp in his legs and sinking down with his head under water and being drownded- He said afterward he'd of done the last with pleasure if they was any way of suing that crowd fur mur- Ger. So along about 10 o'clock he sings out.
 t'T give fn. gosh dern yet I give in. Let me out and I'll sign your pesky pledger'
 AHAnrER Ift