The Ekalaka eagle., 1915-12-03

blame permiscus STAINS moughty put
ty show Of losin' his life. Folks bet
ter chaw their words we'll fore they
speak 'em out, an they better not
know no more than they can keep to
themselves"
Old Rube Sims, who had remained
silent all this time, Strengthened him.
self in his chair, ran his feet up a post
and took a fresh chew Of tobacco.
'Fellers," he said, II reckon you all
mought be right in them thar views y
yourn, an then ag'in l reckon you
| moughtn't. Hit may be safest fer
feller to keep his mouth shet an sort
er dodge along through this war, not
takln' no sides noway, but pears to
me like it's kind o. doggone cowardly
an unpatrlotic. Either the south's
right or the moths right, an which
ever feller thinks is right hits is duty
to STAN up fer it If it takes the last
hair offn his head. BY grab. b'licve
in bein' out an out what am, an
don't want to be no coward bout 1t.
nuther"
"Waal, that thar's all right fer you,"
Hicks replied, "but hain't takin' thet
view Of things. 1t mayn't look so we'll
In feller to be cowardly; but, by gum.
It's whole passel more confortabler
| to be live coward than 1t is to be n
brave cawpse!"
"You bet yo' hide 1t Is, Jake!" Bob
Crook agreed. "a whole doggone lot
mo- comfortabler. Take ole Sam GIL
son. Member how he lowed he want
gwine be no dadgum coward, a-slippin'
an a-slidin' long though the war, not
takin' no sides2 Said he war fer the
south an didn't keer who knowed 1t,
an that he war jest boun' to say bout
the moth jest what he blame felt like.
End O it all was he got bullet hole
put though i'm, an thar he was,
dead'r'n a mackerel. What goods his
bravery to him or the south, either,
after that, l want to know?"
1T hain't none," Hicks replied. INA
ry particle. He'd much better kept
a closed mouth an whole skin-a
blame sight better. Now, thar's ole
Silas Bone. See what n mess he's got
hisse'f in, the way he done bout that
jayhawk he picked up over thar in the
woods tother day. Jayhawk's mad at
him cause he tried to git the feller
killed, an t'other sides mad cause he
bungled round an let i'm git away.
Sensible thing for him to a-done when
he run acrost thet feller would a-been
to a-jest shet his eyes an passed on
'thout seein' 'im.''
"But IL Silas had done that away"
Rube objected, "he wouldn't a-done his
duty to the south what he believes in"
"Mebby he wouldn't, but he'd a-kept
hisse'f out O bad muss, an l reckon
he hain't done the south no good no.
how. The feller want hurt a speck
thet nobody knows off,
Guess that's so," Crook agreed.
"Wonder who them fellers war thet
took the chap away from them BUSH
whacks? You amt never hearn, have
you, Jake:'
"Never word"
"Kind O. quaire them fellers happen
ed to be thar at ole Sis jest in time to
save the feller. want it?"
WAS so. Pow'ful lucky thing for
the feller, though. Bet wouldn't sich
n thing happen ag'in in a thousan'
years"
"Bet 1t wouldn't. Plumb puzzles me,
though, to make out whar them fellers
come from. Want no Federal soldiers
round in these parts 'cept them jay
hawks, AMI reckon they was skeered
too nigh out O. their skins to try to
save anybody 'cept themselves"
"Ies, an then the feller hissef! It
puzzles me to make out what could
ever a-become O. him.
"Hain't hair nor hide Of him been
seen round yere since that night. has
they?"
mo, nor he hain't been hearn tell of
nuther."
"Humph! Sho' am curious! Jest
seems to a-melted plumb away!'
"Yes, an havin' as narrow n squeak
for his life as he did that night l bet
he amt never gwine, to be seen in this
neck o the woods no MORE"
you bet he won't"
Old Rube brought his feet down and
looked gravely around.
I'D give right smart" he said, ito
know who them fellers war that tucl,
that jayhawk away, an, by grab, I'm
gwine to know too. An, let me tell
you, when l do know them fellers III
suffer-
Hicks and Crook exchanged a quick
glance that might have told far more
than they wanted known.
A Reader Of the Stars.
4 YOUNG man was walking slow
~ 1v 01onr pafI thot 1o<1 IN, n