The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-02-27
THIS incident brought tn

T HIS incident brought the
drinking bout at the river
house to sudden end; but
nothing further came of 1t that
night, and no record Of it would be
found in these pages. but for the
fact that Long-Hair afterward became
an important character in the stirring
historical drama which had old Vim
cennes for its center of energy.
Rene de Ronville probably felt him
self in bad luck when he arrived at
the river house just too late to share
in the liquor or to join in chasing the
bold thief He listened with interest,
however, to the story of Long-Hair's
capture Of the commandments demi-
john and could not refrain from saying
that If he had been present there
would have been a quite different re-
suit
Il would have shot him before he
got to that door" he said, drawing
his heavy fiint-lock pistol and going
through the motions Of one aiming
quickly and firing. Indeed. so vigor-
ousIy in earnest was ne with the pan
tomime, that he actually did fire, IN
Intentionally Of cOurse-the ball bury
ing itself in the door-jamb.
He was laughed at by those pres
ent for being more excited than they
who witnessed the whole thing. One
of them, a Ieathery-faced ard gUiZzled
old sinner, leered at him contemptu-
ously and said in queer French. with
curious accent caught from long use
Of backwoods English:
Listen how the boy bragsi Ye
might think, to hear Rene talk, that
he actually amounted to a big pile.
This parsonage was known TO every
soul in Vincennes as OnCle Jazon, and
when Oncle JazOn spoke the whole
town felt bound TO listen.
An how well he shoots, too he
added with an intolerable wink;
aimed at the door and hit the post.
Certainly Long-Hair would have been
in great dangeri 0 yes he'd ave killed
Long-Hair at the first shot, wouldn't
he though
Oncle Jazon had the air OF Il large
man, but the stature Of a small one,
in fact he was shriveIed bodily to q
degree which suggested comparison
with a sun dried wisp of hickory bark
and when he chuckled, as he was now
doing, his mouth puckered Itself until
Il looked like a scar on his face. From
cap to moccasins he had every mark
significant Of a desperate character;
and yet there was about him some
thing that instantly commanded the
confidence OF rough men-the look Of
self-sufficiency and superior capability
always to be found in connection with
immense will power. His sixty years
Of exposure, hardship, and danger
seemed to have but toughened his
physique and strengthened his VI
tally. Out Of his small hazel eyes
cleaned a light as keen as ice.
"All right, Oncle Jazon," said Rene
laughing and blowing the smoke out
Of his pistol; twas you all the same
who let Long-Hair trot of with the
Governors brandy. not I. If you
could have hit even a door-post It
might have been better"
Oncle Jazon took off his cap and
locked down into 1t IN q way he had
when about to say something final.
''Ventrebleu, I did not shoot at
Long Hair at ALL he said, speaking
slowly, because the scoundreI was
unarmed He didn't have on even a
knife, and he was havin' enough to
do dodgin' the bullets that the rest
OF EN- were plumpin' at i'm without
any compliments from me TO bother
i'm more"
We'll" Rene replied, turning away
with a laugh, IF I'd been scalped by
the Indians, as you have, I don't
think there would be any particular
reason why I should wait for an
Indian thief to go and arm himself
before I accepted him as a target"
Oncle Jazon lifted a hand in
voluntarily and rubbed his scalpless
crown; then he chuckled with a
grotesque grimace as if the recollec-
ton of having his head skinned were
the funniest thing imaginable.
when you've killed as many Of
'em as Oncle Jazon has" remarked
a bystander to Rene, you'll not be
so hungry for blood, maybe
Especially after we've took fifty
nine scalps to pay for yer one" added
Oncle Jazon, replacing his cap over
the hairless area of his crown.
The men who had been chasing