"Cracker Jim" [pp. 51-70]

1887.] "Cracker J:m." 67
tur', en be hev been at hit ever sence, said aig hound, ez air not darsen ter hold up his
Bill Stokes. head by the side o' sech ez Jim Snyder "Big Mounting had powerful bad luck in ah, Jim war the right stripe," retorted Mrs.
the war-Jim Snyder war kilt, en my ole Harjoe, wiping her eyes with her apron.
man got his leg shot off, en Pete Dobbins "He war-he war ftir true, Mis' Harjoe,"
got pussest with fiddlin'. My belief air ez the said Ben Pitts.
Devul air in fiddlin"', said Hester solemnly. "Dick," said Bill Stokes, "yer wife air
"Whar did Pete git this hyar critter be correck. Tom Welsh air in with them ar
air pl~yin' on?" asked Ben Pitts. radikills out en out- jest solt hisse'f. They
"Tom Welsh gin it ter him," replied gin him money ter put in that stoar. He air
Dick. "Tom air purty easy on Pete; he er dratted vilyin!"
hev lont him meal en money. He war up "Lud! I haint er comparin' him ter Jirn
thar Sa'day night er playin' on the`cordeen ur any man 0' the right stripe. The likes 0
bisse'f. Tom air makin' money hand over Jim Snyder baint nowbar in the hull kentry.
fist, they tell me." I don't bolt ter sich ez Tom Welsh-I
"En, Dick Harjoe," said Hester, hand- druther be shed 0' sich er cuss; but when
ing a gourd of water to her guests, "mebbe Hester gits so peert, en runs so hard, ye see
ez ye hev byern ez whut comes over the I air`bleeged ter pull er check rein jest er
devul's back air shoar ter go under his belly; leetul, ftir she wudn't leaf er ha'r on Tom 5
en nobody needunt tell me ez Tom Welsh head-bit`ud be ez bar' ez er possum tail."
air helpin' Pete outen pyore kindness, fur And Dick winked significantly at the men.
bit bain't fur true. Hit air along 0' Cher- Hester was a little appeased, but pursued
rykee-he air arter her." her subject. "Ter my thinkin', Tom
"I hev hyern ez Tom owned er power in Welsh air wusser`n er rale live Yankee-he
the mill, en he air got er sheer in the stoar air er outdacious mean Allerbamy Yankee,
daown tbar," said Ben Pitts. all the wusser fur bein' home-made. I
"I believe that air the correck i~orntion, druther deal with er furrin un."
Ben," said Dick Harjoe; "en er man air er "Ye air correck, Hester," answered
right ter go arter er`oman, hain't he? Meb- Dick. "It air er true word ez the rale,
be Cherrykee mouten dew wusser. She live arteekul uv er Yankee air better'n the
wudn't hev Jim Snyder when she cud git home-made truck."
him, en naow she air honin' arter him, en "I haint no harder`n I orter be," rewon't look at narry man on the yearth. plied Hester. "I war at the stoar er fortWomen folks air powerful cur'us when they nit ergo, ter git some caliky, en thar war
they take er notion. En it runs through Tom Welsh with stoar close on, en er high
the hull univarse; thar air my ole mar',- hat, en er big shiny chain on ter his wescut.
she air cur'usser`n the boss-jest`bleeged`How air ye, Mis' Harjoe?' says he, en he
ter be, I reckon; hit air natur. fetched er bow daown ter the doar-sell,"
My ole`oman told me ez ole Mis' and Mrs. Harjoe rose from her chair and
Welsh war continnerly sen din' arter Cherry- imitated Toni's salutation so well that the men
kee, sence she hev moved daown ter the laughed uproariously. "En be nuver l~id
mill, en Cherrykee baint been ernigh er- ban's ter hel~ me offen my critter; en when
not wuast," said Ben Pitts. I sot myse'f on the saddul ter come home,
"En she haint er gwine ter, I tell both on be walked up en`lowed,`Mis' Harjoe, it
ye, Dick Harjoe en Ben Pitts. Cherrykee war my expectate ter call on ye at big
dew know men o'the right stripe, ef ye don't. Mounting, but my buggy wheels air bruk,
Tom Welsh air er nasty, weevul-eatin', suck- en I`ull take er futur' horportunity ter take