Oxford Democrat., 1916-02-22

where or anyhow, and I guarantee no
body won't hear sQueal. It's all In
the way you grab hold of 'em and car
~ 'em atterward.. Some day. goes on
this gentle despoiler Of pigpens, I hope
to become reckernized as the champion
shoat stealer Of the world
"Tt's proper to be ambitious says
I, and hog stealing will do very well
for Mount Nebo, but In the outside
world, Mr.. Tatum, 1t would be consid'
cred as crude piece Of business as
bear raid on Bay State Gas. However
It will do as a guarantee Of good faith
Well go into partnership. I've got
$1,000 cash capital. and with that
homeward plods atmosphere Of yours
we ought to be able to win out few
shares Of Soon Parted preferred in the
money market
$50 attaches Rufe, and we 90 away
from Mount Nebo down into the low.
lands. And all the way coach him
for his part In the CRAFTS I had in mind
had idled away two months on the
Florida coast and was feeling all to
the Ponce de Leon. besides having SO
many new schemes up my sleeve that
I had to wear kimonos to hold 'em.
II intended to assume funnel shape
and NOW a path nine miles wide
through the farming belt Of the mid,
die west, SO we headed In that direc.
ton. But when we got as far as Lex.
ington we found Binkley Bros circus
there and the blue grass peasantry
romping into town and pounding the
Belgian blocks with their hand pegged
sabots as artless and arbitrary as an
extra session Of q Datto Bryan duma
never pass circus without pulling
the valve cord and coming down for q
little Key West money, so l engaged
a couple of rooms and board for Rufe
and me at a house near the circus
grounds run by a widow lady named
Peevy. Then / took Rufe to a cloth,
ling store and gents outhtted him. BE
showed up strong, as knew he would
after he was rugged up in the ready
made rutabaga regalia. Me and old
Misfitzky stuffed him into bright blue
suit with Nile green visible plaid ef
feet and riveted on fancy vest Of 9
light Tuskegee normal tan color, a red
necktie and the yellowest pair Of shoes
In town. They were the first clothes
Rufe had ever worn except the ging
ham layette and the butternut tor
dressing of his native kraal, and he
looked as self conscious as an Igorrote
with q new nose ring.
"That night l went down to the cir
Gus tents and opened a small shell
game. Rufe was to be the capper.
gave him a roll Of phony currency to
bet with and kept bunch Of It In a
special pocket to pay his winnings out
of. No, I didn't mistrust him, but
simply can't manipulate the ball to
lose when I see real money bet My
fingers 90 on a strike every time /
try II.
II set up my little table and began to
show them how easy 1t was to guess
which shell the little pea was under.
The unlettered kinds gathered in a
thick semicircle and began to nudge
elbows and banter one another to bet.
Then was when Rufe ought to have
singlefooted up and called the turn on
the little joker for few tens and fves
to get them started But no Rufe. I'd
seen him two or three times walking
about and looking at the sideshow pic.
lures with his mouth full Of peanut
candy, but he never came nigh.
"The crowd piked a little, but trying
to work the shells without capper Is
like fishing without bait I closed the
game with only $42 Of the unearned
increment, while I had been counting
on yanking the yeomen for $500 at
least. I went home at II and went to
bed. I supposed that the circus had
proved too alluring for Rufe and that
he had succumbed to 1t, concert and
all, but 1 meant to give him lecture
on general business principles In the
morning.
"Just after Morpheus had got both
my shoulders to the shuck mattress
hears houseful Of unbecoming and
ribald noises, like youngster screech-
Ing with green apple collie. opens my
door and calls out In the hall for the
widow lady, and when she sticks heI
head out I says. Mrs. Peevy. ma'am,
would you mind choking Of that hid
of yours so that honest people can get
their restr
"'Sir,' says she, it's no child Of mine
It's the pig squealing that your friend
Mr.. Tatum brought home to bis room q
couple Of hours ago. And II You are
uncle or second cousin OF brother ID
It I'd appreciate your stopping tta
mouth, sir, yourself If you please
= II put on some Of the polite outside
habiliments> Of external society and
went into Rufe's room. He had go'
up and Lit his lamp and was pouring
some milk into tin pan on the rfiool
for a dingy white. half grown. sQueal
| ing pig.
~How Is this, RufeT says !. 'Yor
aimfammed In your part Of the wori
tonight and put the game on crutches
And how do you explain the pigf II
looks like backsliding to me-
SNOW don't be too hard on me
Jeff,' says he. You know how lont
Tve been used to stealing shoats. I'll
rot to be a habit with me. And to
night, when I see such q 6re chance
I couldn't help takin' it.
"sWell,' says I, maybe you've real
n rot kleptopigia. And maybe whel
we get out Of the pig belt you'll turn
your mind to higher and more remu
lucrative misconduct. Why you shoult
want to stain your soul with such
distasteful feeble minded. perverted
| roaring beast as that can't undsE
stand. .s.f
"sWhy, Jeft,' says he, you amt y
Umpathy with shoats. You don't un
derstand 'em IKE I do. This her
seems TO me to be an animal OF mon
than common powers Of ration ana u
tslligence. He walked half across tn
room On his hind Leg awhile ago.
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