Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-12-21

Uncle Nick sat pondering him-what
his life story might have been.
The fisherman reused himself after
a moment and went on.
! "What crosses my path is, how q
come t. be there, p'tlc'lar how e hap
pened t come out s. bold-'specially II
e Is the man you think e is. 1t amt
| his way. He never would "a done 1t
if 1t hadn't "a ben f'r Zeke Policks
squirt whisky" He Strengthened,
| glanced around at his aged fr1end,
and had the light been sufficient, the
old man might have seen that the
twinkle, never long absent from the
doubly capable eye, had returned.
"Big Jack an the parson shore did
show I'm good time-whiie q
lasted"
Uncle Nick grinned.
"That parson-lord! amt ben t
church in fifty year. but I'm calclatin'
on goin' next Sund'y. If that parson
can OUTAGE the devil the way he out
faced that hulkin' chuckle-head, he
amt no bad man t. hitch up with"
I'm only hopin'," Counterman went
on, big Jack-an' the parson, too f'r
that matter-has seen the last O Black
Bogus. I'm hopin' but I'm doubtin'.
II amt, nary a doubt" Uncle Nick
chuckled. your Black Bogus"--the
puzzled expression touched his face
again-"got a bellyful las night. He
amt honein' f'r no more, I'm bettin'
m bottom dollar e amt"
II dunno" Counterman pursued.
Hes a bad lot. Their amt a worse
man the length O. the Wabash. An
then there's Loge Belden they say
moved in the oil cabin up Eagle holler
last week with is sister.
ordwood-huh-he Amt no more q
wood chopper than I be. He's river
man. Come fom the K'ntucky noun
tains In the first place, an use'n Z be
q pearl fisher till they run Inn off'n
the river. I never knowed Loge, that
Is. what y'u might say pers'nly. l
never seed I'm till e tangled with Big
Jack in the post Office t. other evenin',
but I knowed Ii sister, not the one
that's with I'm now but the-Other
one-the one that's-dead-"
The fisherman bent his head and his
voice fell low, finally stopped.
"Black Bogus is an old pal O.
Loge's," he went on after a time.
thar, an if e 10, why Is 'e7 An what
are they both-'r either one of 'em-
doin' up hyur in the Flatwoods? Hit
, looks t me"-he bent toward his COM
panion-"thsy've got Their eye on ol'
Slime Colin"
Uncle Nick sat thoughtfully fun.
bling his chin.
"tThatd leave Ken out" he mused
"He wouldn't "a fell that low. Any
how, ther's lots o. folks that looks like
other folks" Counterman thought q
. moment before he spoke again.
, "Black Bogus game is counter
fitin', but he's got the CUTS fr any
thing; an Logs's or'n'ry enough fl
any dirt. Their amt nothin' I'd put
y a-past i'm. Hes done time twice,
, already, an would be doin' 1t right
now If 1t werdn't fr 'is sister. Thar's
one good gal-as different fom Loge
as the devil fom Sund'y. Hits Loge's
one good pint-he thinks q heap Of Is
sister"
"Well." commented Uncle Nick witt
his slow drawl, as the other paused
"hit might be the maxim of OIL Slime
II somebody could manage t. pry 6
dollar r two of"n him, an as fr Biz
Jack, I low thsr amt none Of EN-
honein' f'r more truck with him."
He chuckled complaisantly, pos
sibly fancying that he had put s
particularly neat and unanswerabl,
finish to the argument.
THAT amt IT," Oounterman pur
sued '"Black Bogus an Loge are boti
the kind that strikes In the dark"
Thunder
Uncle Nick's shoulder jerked ava!
from the porch post, and the fisher
man caught the glitter Of his deep-ss
eyes in the twilight
"They cayn't come nothin like tha
on the boy r I'll strike the warpatl
m'self Dunno but what I'll peel al
eye on that cabin up the crick."
The old ranger sat erect and rest
less. drumming with his fingers Oh
the porch floor and looking ava.
across the narrow mouth of Eagl
hollow to where Black rock poked hi
!, tumbled ramparts up against th
eastern sky.
The clatter In the kitchen ceased
Aunt Liza's still sprightly, vastly posi-
7 tive step came across the cabin fool
X and a moment later the creak Of he
r rocking chair Joined the droning cho
q rus Of the beetles.
Wonder what Big Jack thinks q
d the way the parsons a-cuttin' aroun
q Is galY' Counterman unused. AN he
i the best prize In ths Flatwoods. eve
a II she didn't have q cent"
i. Uncle Nick fumbied out his pipe
9 knocked II On the edge Of the pore
q floor. and flied and lit It.
Il Il knoweu Ii father. Col. Davi
Warhope, when e nrst come T tn