The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1915-08-26
Old Zeb White
He Tells How His Career Was Cut Short
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1916 by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.
By M. QUAD

nessee and was the biggest man in II"
said old Zeb White as he was in a
story telling mood one evening. THAT
was a good many yrs ago and jest
befo' | got married, and perhaps it
was a powerful good thing that sun
thin happened to me when it did,
| asked the old man a question in
tended to draw him out, and after
| bit he continued.
WAL, when | was a young man
hadn't no sense in my head | jest
reckoned that the critter who could
wrestle and jump and fight and yell
| Was smarter man than the governor.
When | was twenty-three years old
| thar wasn't nuthin' human in this
| yere Cumberland mount'in which could
stand up to me- One day | fell in
| love, but that didn't settle me down
any. Mebbe l was even wuss arter
that. | wanted to show off to the gal,
| yo' know, and so | continered my mad
| career"
THE girl is the present Mrs. White,
take it?' | said as he waited to fill
his pipe anew.
jest so. sah." he answered, land she
had mo- boss sense in her leetle finger
than | had in my hull body. She
knowed | was making a fule O. my
self, and she knowed it would take
strong medicine to cure me. She
didn't say much one way or t'other.
but jest waited till the sign cum right.
One day she went down to Spottsville.
and when she cum home she SEE to me,
SEE she:
"'Zeb, thar's gwine to be circus
down at Spottsville tomorrer, and |
reckon I'd like to go. Will yo' promise
to behave yorself?
LAS to how?' l asks
"'As to raisin a FUSS
eff nobody steps on my heels thar
won't be any fuss
1--WE made all our plans for an early
start the next day.
''She didn't say no mo- till we wus
on the road next forenoon, and then
she suddenly turns on me with.
"'Hev yo ever been licked since yo'
BEGUN a fighter?'
".Never and thar amt a thing as
SldUUS OH legs as hll uO H.
~ want to ask a great favor of 20.
Zeb. she seq as we walks along.
.Thars gwine to be an elephant at that
circus
'''And what of it?'
"'Nothin'. hope but bein' he's big
germ yo are | didn't know but yo'd git
mad and tackle him. Don't do it, Zeb.
Don't do it, fur my sake.
IF she hadn't spoken as she did I'd
never thought of tacklin' the critter."
said Zeb as he softly rubbed his knee.
but them words sorter stirred me up.
and begun to git mad We didn't say
nuthin' mo- till we got to town, though
| was dom heap o. thinkin'- We
seen the elephant a-walkin along the
street with the purceshun, and my wife
SEE to me, SEE she:
"'Zeb. he don't look to be very betty
on the jump, and he can't wrassle, but
he pears to be an awful fighter
"'Shoo,' seZ l, but | don't reckon he
kin fight fur shucks.'
''Bimeby the parade was over and we
went into the circus. I'd kept gittin'
madden and madden all the time and
now | was ready to bust The elephant
was chained up in the middle of the
tent. and | walked around him and
felt dangerous. The missus was watch
in me and purity soon she SEE:
'''Zeb. he's as big as a hill. amt he?
"'Mebbe he are SEE l, but that's got
nuthin' to do with it. The bigness of
a man don't count fur much in fout-
I jest consider to reckon l kin make
that critter heller fur mercy in about
two minitsT
"'But yo' won't try it? Yo' are the
awfulest fghtin man on the face Of
this airth, but yo' won't tackle critter
ike that
IF she'd kept quiet mebbe my mad
less would a gone off. but her words
lurt me. and all of sudden | peels off
ny coat and whoops whoop. was
lsin' both fists on his head when he
Winds that trunk around my body and
fits me off my feet and begins to play
With me. He slams me on the ground
md agin cages and wagons. and when
lie finally lets go they picks me up
md carries me out fur dead man.
THAT critter broke purity nigh all
he bones in my body. and I'm feelin'
he effects TO this day. 1t was two
weeks arter the fuss befo' | got things
traight in my mind. | kept thinkin
II the time that this yere Cumberland
ange had slid down on me- One
nawnin' | axed the ole woman how it
vas. and she sorter laughed and said
~ jest led yo' up to it. Zeb. kase |
wanted to see yo' git some sense in yor
cad. | knowed yo'd git whopped. but
reckoned thar'd be huff of yo left to
uild up ag'in. Yo' ar the whopped-
ST, lickedest man in all this world.
nd faint no use to fool around no
40 When yo' git up jest let the fight
4 bizness alone and tend to the con
nd horses"
And did that adventure effect a
lreY | asked.
1.-The biggest kind. sah, he replied.
When | got outdoahs ag'in | wasn't
attn grass for anybody. but | jest
nit yellin' and steppin' high and look
f,,,.. 4 h.,s,. 4 g.,