The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-08-27
By Nj. QUAD

NeIe jest aTter Tie wan. Salu IcD
White, the possum hunter OF Tcnnes-
see, as he got his pipe aliSht one even.
ing on the doorsteps. "Mcbbe the wuSt
crftter of the lot was named Tom
jest sortcr hung around at the co'ners
lie was powerful on the brag, but he
could fight fur all that and bimcDy
everybody got Skccrcd o him. He went
about with Il chip on his shoulder and
blood In his eye TIL sum men moved
away 20 Git Clar o him. Fur sum
reason he didn't bother me fur a long
time, but one day when | went down
TO the coners to sell sum possum pelts
Tom was outer sorts and opened on
me. lie looks at me n long time with
glare in his eye. Then he throws
down his hat md jumps on it and
yells:
Whoopee. Zeb White, behold the
jumper from Jumpersville, I'll bet my
rifle agin them posSum pelts kin out
jump yo' by six inches. If yo' ar a
man with legs under yo' cum out and
tIy on me"
. Il seed he was tryin' to pick a quar-
REL said IeD, ''and so talked soft to
him and tried to git away.
Il was in mighty pore health" cx.
planned Ieb. and no match fur sich a
man, and 40 j had to craw1ish. Ev-
erybody said ] orter shoot him down,
but l couldn't shed blood that way. 1t
hurts me to this day TO remember that
4 went home like Il whipped cur, leavin'
that critter crow over me. but my mind
was made up to tnckle him as soon as
l felt like man ag'in. When | got
home / was cryin'. and the old woman
seq to me, sez she:
'Zeh, has the wah broke out aginY
mo
Then what's the matterT
I've bin bluffed.'
Dye mean that Tom Smith has
crOwed over yo'?'
That's Jest what he has, and I'm so
pesky weak in the knees that / had to
git away from him.
Jest backed yo' down, did hep
He did. It's the fust time I'm nv
hfe / ever crawfished fur any human
critter'
Reckon it is, Zeb. 1 knows how yo'
feel. But yo couldn't help it. If yo'
tackled him he'd hev broke yo' in two.
I'll go right at it and nurse yo' up,
and in TO- weeks YOU be fitten to whop
Tom Smith till he can't hoot. If yo'
haint, III put on yo'r clothes and
whop him myself
II felt better arter that" said Zeb.
though I couldn't get over the hurt to
my feelin's. One evenin', about two
weeks artenSf tni suss and when l was
,sSia.p ,sSiiHa,.p' ~ -=sostt- -=5sostt- II r. muc's ~
ter, / waIIOO 8 right yere when I
cotched sigh 4 bar across the road
by them rocks. Plenty Of bars around
yere them days, as nobody had been
home to Kill 'em off. About the time
/ cotched sight of the bar Tom Smith
showed mp. Tom saw me a-sittin'
yere, and he stopped right by that
tree and throwed down his hat and
yelled, 'Zeb White. ar that yo' a-sot-
tin thar:
"It arr
e DO yo' call yo'sclf man"
Not a well man. If yo'll gin me
fo' weeks mo- III run yo outer the
kentry'
WAL" sighed the old man, ''he
talked that way till | got mad and riz
up to 90, but jest as did so that bar
WaitZed across the road on his hind
feet and fetched him cuff which
Knocked him ten feet. Tom thought
I'd got out thar without his seein' me.
ana he was tickled to death as he riz
up aud went fur the ber. We heard
him sayin':
"'Icb White. I said yO' wasn't n
man, but ! take it all back. didn't
believe yo'd stand up 10 me, and my
heart was nigh hrcakin'!!
Il reckon Tom must hev bin half
drunk not 10 know . bar from a man.
hut he thought it was me fur shore.
and he soon had II surprise party on
hand. The bar didn't seem hankcrin'
arter meat. bnt he did want sum fun.
The bar knocked him down and rolled
him about Il dozen times. and he got
many good lick in on the bar but
at length the fOut was over and Tom
Smith was a whOppcd man. He hol-
Tered out that he'd got plenty, and ]
reckon it was the same with the bar,
as he suddenly made Off into the
woods. When Tom got over bein'
daZch he got up and said TO me:
'Ieb White. I'm a-beggin' OF yo'r
Dardin. | thought yo' was coward
and dasn't stand up TO me, but yo've
whopped me in fair fout""
WAS he badly used up?" asked, as
the story seemed to be finished.
"IIe hadn't skassly Il bit o clothlh'
left on him." replied Zeb. "and he was
bruises and bites and claw marks from
head TO heel. ! reckon he might hev
got well from them but his heart was
broke. Tie knowed ! was in poor
health, and when nc realized that he'd
In..L. l.. IL.