Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-12
THE STORY OF CHAPTER TWELVE
Davy Crockett Good i"ss-o"d Bad
By MEADOwCROT

Johnny Crockett stuffed one more wad of clay
and straw into the chink between the logs OF his
fathers new powder mill Then he looked across the
room at his brother Will.
1--WE finished up my half of the MILL" he an
nounced. LIMOGES, you're slow, Will! You'll never
get through afore Pa comes
where's Pa gonS anyhow" Will asked.
"Over to Jethro Parker's cabin" Johnny said.
They're holding court over there. And Pas got to
caught stealing hogs"
''Is that what justice of the peace does?" Will
asked. 81 thought Pa arrested people,.
Johnny shook his head. "Mr Parker arrests
Them" he explained Hes only constable. But Pa
decides how they'll be punished"
He Squatted on the floor to wait for Will to finish
his thinking. Something about the way viii was
standing made Johnny think of his mother.
81 bet you don't remember Ma" he said
Will Whirled around quickly. 81 bet I do" he
declared. 81 can remember all about her."
Johnny grinned. "Can you remember the day Pa
came home from fighting the Indians?"
Will nodded. "And the day Polly was born" he
said "And the day Ma died. and the day Uncle Joey
and Aunt Sarah came"
"And the day Pa brought us home new ma %
Johnny added. "And the time we moved out here
from Winchester like it better living here on shoal
Creek, than back East"
$50 do T.. Will agreed. He turned again to his
work
Johnny watched him for moment Then he
stood up and went to the open door, Through the
trees he could see the clearing and the cabin.
1t was big cabin, for Davy Crockett now had a
big family. He had married widow with two small
children. Since then, three children had been
born. So now there were eight-Johnny, Will
George Margaret little Polly, Robert, Rebecca and
tiny Matilda.
This was lot of people for one man to take
care Of But hunting was good in the forests, and
corn and other crops grew quickly
DavyS wife Elizabeth kept the cabin and the
children clean and tidy And the Crocketts did very
we'll after Davy Crockett opened his mills. Settlers
came for many miles to get their corn ground and
to buy gunpowder.
cows and pigs. They laughed at his jokes and tall
stories They found that not of them could beat
him at target-shooting
"Crocketts doing whoppng good job of being
justice of the peace Tom Slade remarked to Jethro
Parker, as the two men rode away from the mills one
day. II hear he had to practice up on his writ
ing and spelling though, before he could make out
law papers"
The constable nodded. "That's right" he
agreed. But he's doing real well at it now And he's
made up saying that he writes at the bottom OF
every one of those law papers"
whats that?" Slade asked curiouSy.
"'Be always sure you're right, then 60 ahead, y
Parker replied
And Davy Crockett did 90 ahead!
The settlers of the Shoal Creek country decided
to form regiment to protect their homes in case
of trouble. And they elected Davy Crockett the
colonel of the regiment.
When they wanted to send man to the State
capital to help make the laws for Tennessee they
elected Col Crockett.
"It beats all why they chose me-" he said to his
wife. 81 don't know any more about making laws
than coon dog"
you'll learn" Mrs Crockett replied quietly, as
she warmed up some stew for his supper you'll
be good lawmaker, too, Davy, because you're
honest and fair, and"
"And not scared of things, like I am some
times" Polly added.
Davy Crockett laughed. "I'm scared of this law
making business right now Polly" he said, "But
reckon the only way to lick my scaredness is to grin
hard and 90 ahead"
Several months passed before it was time for
the lawmakers of Tennessee to meet in MurfreeS-
boro, the capital of the State Davy Crockett knew
that he would be away for time at this meeting
of the legislature So he had laid in supplies of bear
meat and venison for his family He had also closed
and locked his mills
II still haven't paid back all the money had to
borrow to build those mills he told his wife "Next
year. though reckon we'll earn enough to square
the debt
Mrs Crockett nodded I'm sure we will" she
said.
The next morning Johnny brought his fathers
horse around to the cabin door for him. And every
one gathered in the clearing to say good-by Davy
Crockett rode away, waving as he disappeared
among the trees
On fine day in March he rode through the
woods toward home again. Everything had gone
we'll in the capital He had made many new friends,
and learned many things about how the State was