The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-07-28

Mr.. Nuckles rode close TO the wood
shed and looked up at him.
MY brother, ] fear you be not q
Christian he said.
He swere at the minister. That
settled him. I reckon he better stay
thar TIL he gifts q little o. Gods grace
In his soul says the minister.
Then he says to the dog: 'Ponto,
you keep I'm right thar
THE dog appeared to understand
what was expected Of him.
The minister got of his boss and
bitehed him and took on his coat and
put II on the ground.
what you goin' to dor says.
Mer says the minister. 4 he
goin' TO rassle with Satan for the soul
o that ar man, an II you keep watch
reckon you'll see at the ground1l be
scratched up some fore git through
He loosened his collar an knelt on
his coat and began to pray that the
mans soul would see its wlckedness
and repent. You could have heard him
NAH mile away.
"Mr. Traylor drove OF with the
damaged SLAYER settin' beside him and
the saddle boss hitched to the rear
axle. ! see my chance an before that
prayer ended ] had got the fugitives
under some hay In my wagon and start
ed of with them on my way to Liv-
ingston county. I could hear the pray.
In until I got over the hill into Canaan
good hands thirty miles up the road"
In a frontier newspaper Of that
time II Is recorded that the minister
and his dog kept the SLAYER on the roof
all day, vainly trying with prayer and
exhortation TO convert his soul. The
man stopped swearing before dinner
and on his promise not again to violate
the commandment a good meal was
handed up to him. He was liberated
at shutdown and spent the night with
Brimstead
"Who is that big sucker who grabbed
my friendf" the stranger asked Brim-
stead
His name Is Samson Traylor.
Comes from Vermont" was the an
swer.
III he don't look out Liph Biggs1l
kill him-certain."
Samson spoke not more than a dozen
words on his way back to New Salem.
Amazed and . little shocked by his
own conduct, he sat thinking. After
all he had heard and seen, the threat
Of the young upstart had provoked
him beyond his power of endurance.
The sensitive mind Of the New Eng
lapder had been hurt by the story of
the fugitives. Upon this hurt the
young man had poured the turpentine
Of naughty. imperial manners. The
more he thought Of II the less inclined
he was to reproach himself for his
violence. Slavery was relic Of an.
cient Imperialism. II had no right in
free America. There could be no
peace with II save for little time.
The Missourians would tell their
friends Of the lawless ard violent men
Of the North. who cared not a fg for
the property rights of q Southerner.
The stories would travel like fire In
dry grass.
So, swiftly. the thoughts Of men
were being prepared for the great bat
tie lines Of the future. Samson saw
the peril OF 1t.
As they rode along young Mr.. Biggs
Of pain and Samson made
q sling of his muffier and put it over
the neck and arm Of the injured Biggs
and drove with care to avoid jolting.
For the first time Samson took care
full and sympathetic look at him. He
was a handsome youth. about six feet
tall, with dark eyes and hair and q
small black mustache and teeth very
white and even.
In New Salem Samson took him to
Doctor Aliens Office and helped the
doctor in setting the broken bone.
Then he went to Offut's store and
found Abe reading his law book and
gave him an account Of his adventure.
I'm both glad and sorry" said Abe.
I'm glad that you licked the SLAYER
and got the negroes, out Of his reach.
reckon I'd have done the same IL l
could. I'm sorry because 1t looks to
me like the beginning Of many trou-
bles. The whole subject Of slavery is
full Of danger. Naturally Southern
men will fight for their property. and
there is growing number In the
North who will fight for their prin-
ciples. II we all get to fighting,
what will become of the coun-
Try. II reminds me of the man who
found a skunk In his house. His boy
was going after the critter with q
club.
"Look here, boy he said, when
you've got a skunk in the house, it's a
good time TO be careful. You might
spyle the skunk with that club, but
he skunk would be right certain to
spyle the house. While he's our guest
reckon Wen have to be polite.
We want to or not"
That evening Samson set down the
events Of the day I'm his book and
quoted the dialogue in Offut's store In
which he had had a part. On the first
,f February. 1910, he put these words
lnder the entry: