Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-01
THE MIDLANDERS
By CHARLES TENNEY JACKSON
Author Of Che Day Of Souls. My Brothers Keepe. ETC.

4 cn1lQ snail leau en- 10 occupy ehe
land!"
"Old Man, you been drinkin' too
much o. that Cajun coffee since left,
Now yore old head is done buzzin'.
Did you feed them pups?"
"Mush and pot liqueh, every day.
Michigan!"
Done stretch them mink pelts on
the ole Chinatree?"
Done stretch every pelt, Michi-
gan!"
Done tote out that moss from the
deep swamp"
S"Done tote every pound, Michigan!
Done set the traps and run the crab
line and tend the lily boom, and eve-y
minute says, 'Yere be down In the
swamps where I never surrendered
and up Nawth's the government and 1t
amt never surrendered, but now
Michigan's comm to bring the child
that,n lead the ole gray line to occupy
the land!' How'd you find him, Mich
igan? Did he come right out o. cloud
o'glory?"
Michigan pushed aside the mosqui-
| to- bars under the palm thatch where
tiny fire fiickered in the clay furnace.
He famed 1t with his hat and the child
gravely watched one old man and then
the other. One was tall and the other
short but each had lost leg! The
| two brass bands shone valiantly she
smiled out Of her dark-eyed, thin little
face which had looked upon much
brief change and Indifference In
meager little life and was not given to
whimpering.
Wasn't no cloud O. glory" answer
ed Michigan mournfully. Il done
couldn't get hold of a child anywheres
till along come a lot of orphans with
them. convent sisters. And / see the
littlest one and just then the sisters
got fiustered with all the Mardy
Graws blowin' horns and yellin'."
Done know'd it," crowed Old Man
Captain delightedly. "A cloud o glory
or some excitement"
"Old Man Captain, got to tell you
something. / grabbed the httlest one
with the little blue pants; but we
made an awful mistake!"
"Huccome mistake, Michigan"
"She's a grill"
Old Man Captain looked fearfully at
Aurelie in the gloom Of the falling
night. 60 on, now"-he murmured-
"go on, now!"
How could I tell when she had on
them little blue pants? Just like
boy. Old Man! And we got way down
| in the swamps before I found out"
Old Man Captain could hardly whis-
per. He peered at his partner doubt
fully. "Huccome you find out, Michi-
gan?" gasped Old Man Captain.
Michigan was more terribly embar-
rassed than he had been since the sur
render. His pink cheeks burned. while
his partner pulled his own white
beard nervously. "Huccome, Michi-
GAM" gasped Old Man Captain.
"Oh, WELL" equivocated Michigan, i
see q little chain with silver cross
hangin' about her neck under her
dress, so I just go to peekin' round!"
Old Man Captain was terribly shock
ed. He spat Off in the swamp as ne
souatted by the fire. The serpent had
entered Eden. In twenty-five years OF
wandering they had their first dilem-
ma. "How's a girl goin to lead 'em?'
asked Old Man Captain mournfully.
Michigan raised his eyes with
great idea. who said a girl couldn't?
Reckon nothin' was said in your rev.
elation about it bein' a boy? 1t just
said child"
Old Man Captain stared. The great
idea was too big for him. The mos
quitoes were drifting in with their
nightfall singsong, and when they bit
Aurelie she whimpered, and her dark
eyes sought Old Man Captains ap-
pealingly. She put out trustful
hand to touch his wooden leg. That
was too much. He smiled. She crawl
ed over and patted Michigan's wooden
leg. The two shy old swampers laugh
ed together.
I'VE done got baby, Michigan!"
I'VE done have, Ole Man! All along
O. yore crazy notion! You wouldn't
let me alone till go to N'Awlyns and
get child to bring up"
Want no crazy notion. 1t was re-
vealed to me, done tell you. But
reckon 1t didn't say it had to be boy
| exactly"
well, Old Man, If we keep this girl
we got to quit driftin round the
swamps. No more bush-cuttin' up
river when the big waters comm, or
turtlin' down the lakes, or diggin' up
the shells for pirates hide-ups. No, sir
if we keep her we got to stay right
| here like we was a family"
Old Man Captain stared again. This
was a sudden turning Of the long road
of romance. Thirty years he and Mich
| igan had fshed and seined and trap
ped and drifted logs and prospected
pirates treasure from Grand Isle to
Butte La Rose, and this was the first
time fate had put finger across the
path. He rubbed his head. Reckon
so. Bein' it's a girl, reckon SOL"
Got to stay right yere," pursued
Michigan relentlessly. land make a
home and get a woman"
"A woman?" That was too much.
Old Man Captain was dismayed.
Yes, sir. How's two old fool John
nies like you and me goin' to raise her
to be a lady If we amt got wo-
man."
Now you begin to raise problems
when 1 thought everything was cam"
quavered his partner.
We'll, how's she goin' to lead 'em II
she amt raised to be a lady?"
Old Man Captain could not answer.
II reckon" he murmured. "Only
yere's you and me hung together year
in and out since the surrender, and
every Christmas, Michigan, 1 whittle
out a new leg for you and you whittle
out one for me, and nary word O.
wimmin. Twenty eight legs we cut
| out for each other and nary word o.