The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
CHAPTER X-Continued

continued Selwood, "thinks this place
is getting too noisy for you, Dave.
All these squatters coming in, and the
clatter they make. He says you'll do
better out under the pines few miles
up river, and I've got things arranged
to get you up there today. The
weather's settled now, and I've got
time to move you-what do you say
we start today?"
II know where I'm comfortable, bet
ter than Carpy does. I'll stay here"
Selwood, with patience, continued
to dwell on the advantages of country
life. But the old soldier resisted all
Establishments, and in the end his
patience gave out first. Look here,
John" he exclaimed with a snap of
disgust, you're beating round the
bush, like these crooked Sleepy Cat
lawyers. / know what's going on, If
I am fiat on my back. The Vigilantes
are ready to move. Where did you get
the idea was afraid of Vigilantes?"
Selwood shrugged his shoulders
''Where did you get the idea thought
you were?"
swell, you're trying to ship me out
of town-you and Carpy. Now, John,
I'm not going-that's flat-not for all
the Vigilantes in the Rocky noun
tains''
AS Tracy uttered his declaration,
Bill Pardaloe, like a huge camel,
stuck his head within the tent. Sell
wood, paying no further attention to
the intruder, vainly tried in low tones
to persuade Tracy it would be sheer
folly to remain where he was. He
reminded Tracy of his helpless condi-
ton and of what his obstinacy might
mean; he begged him to consider his
Selwood's-feelings, If there were
none of his own to move him. The
old gambler proved adamant to every
consideration, and, not only that, he
grew more and more set against all
proposals. "John," he exclaimed, rag
ing like grizzly at bay, "are you
running, too?"
'You know very well, Dave, there's
heap of difference between a well
mans running and a wounded mans
being carried out Of the way Of a
fight"
"You going to stay?"
There's no reason why shouldn't"
Sand fight?'
"Nobody will miss me if l do fight"
''If you stay, there's just one an
swer-you get killed." said Tracy.
"Dash you, know you better than
|you know yourself. Now, John,
listen" The old man, gray, grizzled,
unshaven, hollow-eyed, but stern, his
iron-gray hair falling in great mat
over his wrinkled forehead, sat bolt
upright on his cot. He tore open the
breast Of the coarse shirt he wore
his only upper garment-and pointed
to an American flag, tattooed over his
heart.
Selwood sat with the eyes of youth
silently fixed on his country's emblem.
Bill Pardaloe stepped closer in,
craned his neck forward, pulled off
his tattered hat to get still closer,
and peered dumbly at the tattooed
breast
Tracy spoke to Selwood. "John,
don't say I've never done anything to
disgrace it," he went on, but I fought
for that old flag nigh three year. /
tramped down the Peninsula with Nc
Clellan, and double-quicked back
again; stood, best 1 could, against
Pickett at Gettysburg, with George
Meade; went up against the Bloody
Angle in the Wilderness with Grant.
1t don't mean a continental to a lot
of folks nowadays, but 1t means
something to me yet. Does anything
you've ever seen me do, John, look
to you as If I'd run from blamed
parcel of Vigilante crooks? I'll admit
I'm no saint, I'm no preacher"
you're preaching right now, Dave"
"Then, d--n it, let me preach-but
the worst I've ever done was to. in
vite a man to back his luck against
mine. I've played crooked with
crooks, I'll admit it, but no honest
man can say I've ever stacked deck
against him-I took my chances, same
as he took his.
"Now, a parcel of Vigllantes threat
en- to hang mel know, same's If
you'd told me. I left the best of my
life in health and strength down on
the Jim river for this old f1ag-thats
why can't put up a mans fight
today" He barred his right breast
There was a gap in it in which you
could lay a hens egg. "a Johnny
Reb shell took that lung, John" He
tore open, with fierceness, the shirt
sleeve of his left arm-"a mimic ball
splintered that arm, John-you know
it's no good. 1t wasn't that fight with
Frank Sanger that did for me. l was
done for in the Wilderness and came
out with no health to earn a living,
and here am-and not sorry for It..
Well. they can hang me. But it'll be
done after I'm dead. And then" he
muttered with satisfaction, 'the
blamed skunks have got to hang the
old flag with me. tell you again, I
don't say I've never done nothing to
disgrace 1t. don't say I'm proud of
winding up as gambler. But things