Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-11-14
one hand to the bar. regarding me low

one hand to the bar, regarding me low
lngly.
Sure; he's friend o. mine. Shave
him myself soons I git sober. Whut's
thet? Yer can't wait? Oh, all righ'
then, take it yerself. Mighty fin razor,
oil man."
Rale found me tin basin, water. a
bit of rag for a towel, and a small,
cracked mirror, in which my reflection
was scarcely recognizable. He was a
man of few words, contenting himself
with uttering merely dry comment on
Kennedy, who had dropped back into
a convenient chair and buried his face
on the table.
"Tim's good fellow. an never saw
him so blame drunk afore," he said, re-
gretfully. He an Kirby he'd a row,
an reckon thet's whut started him
drinkin'."
"A row; a quarrel, you mean?" for
getting myself in surprise. "Whos
Kirby?"
Joe Kirby; yer sure must know him
If yer river man. Slim sorter feller,
with smooth face; slickest gambler
ever wus, reckon"
'Why, Of course" getting control of
myself once more. 'We picked him
up, long with Tim, down river. He'd
two women with 'em, didn't they?
runaway niggerss"
Rale winked facetiously, evidently
rather proud Of the exploit as it had
been related to him.
"WaP, ther way 1 understan', they
want both Of 'ena niggers; however,
that was the story told on board. This
yere Joe Kirby is pretty slick, let me
tell you. One Of ems a white gurl,
who just pretended she wus a niger.
I reckon thet even Kirby didn't catch
on ter her game at furst; an when he
did he wus too blame smart ter ever
let her know. She don't think he
knows yet, but she's liable fer ter find
out mighty soon."
"But he cannot hold white wom-
an" protested stoutly.
Cant, hey! War, I reckon there
are ways O. even doin' thet, an if thar
be, Kirby'll find it. reckon she won't
find no chance ter raise holler fore
he's got her tied good an strong"
'Do you mean," / asked, Mortified,
"that he will compel her to marry
him?"
"Sum smart little guesser, amt yerf
I reckon she's in a right smart way ter
do it, ct thet."
sand wus this the cause of the quar-
rel between Kirby and Kennedy?"
"Wal', 1 reckon it wus; leastwise
Tim wudn't be mixed up in the affair
none They he'd it prutty blame hot,
an reckon thar'd bin a dead deputy
if hedn't bin fer me. Tim thought ]
| wus a prutty gud frien' an cum over
yere ter liquor, an eat. Their joke ov
it is, he never know'd thet Joe he'd told
me all bout the fix he wuz in, afore
we cum ashore. H, it wus all fixed
up whut wus ter be done-only we
didn't expect the steamer wus goin' on
! north. Thar's sum boys wantin' a
drink; see yer agin."
/ finished shaving, making no at
tempt to hurry, busily thinking over
this new situation. In the first place
why had Rale told me all this? 1 felt
convinced the man had some purpose
in his conversation, and that he had
not finished all he intended to say,
when the entrance of customers COM
| PEELED his return to the bar. His part
ing words implied that. Perhaps the
revolt of the deputy made 1t necessary
! for the conspirators to select another
helper to properly carry out their ne
farious scheme, and Rale had decided
that 1 might answer. / hoped this
might prove the explanation and de-
| termined to seek the earliest oppor-
tunity to impress upon that individual
the fact that 1 was desperately IN
need Of money, and decidedly indifrer-
ent as to how 1t was obtained.
The two soldiers, whose entrance
had interrupted our talk, remained al
| the bar drinking until after l had
completed nv toilet, and were still
there listening to a story Rale was
telling when the slatternly white WON.
an announced that supper was ready
to serve. Tim slept soundly, while the
other men remained engrossed in their
game of cards. Rale glanced about
at these as though to reassure him
self that they were intent on theil
play then, removing his apron, he
crossed the room and drew up chair
opposite me.
"An right, SAL" he grunted shortly
Bring on whut yer got"
He remained silent, staring moodily
at the fire, until after the woman haG
spread out the dishes on the table be
fore him. Then his eyes fell upon the
fare.
"Nice looking mess that" he
growled, surveying the repast with un
disguised disgust. "No wonder we
don't do no business with thet kind oy
a cook. No, yer needn't stay-go an
make up them beds in the other room
I'll watch things yere."
l judged the fellow had come ovel
intending to resume our Interrupted
conversation, but hardly knew what
he had best venture. decided to give
him a lead.
81 amt got no money, myself" be
gan to explain, apologetically, "bu
Tim thar sed he'd pay my BILL"
"Sure, that's all right; amt wor
ryin' none. Maybe I might put yer IL
an easy way O. gettin' hold O. little
coin-thet is if ye amt too blame per
ticular."