"Cracker Jim" [pp. 51-70]

"Cracker Jim." [July
dinner with ye. My cormplerrnents ter the take keer on her chill'un. That`ud gone
Capting.`-Says I ez pintedly ez I knowed agin Jim's grain powerful."
haow,`Tom ~7dsh, when I git dinner fur " En hit dew go agin mine, Bill," aner`restercrat, he`ull be er rale un, warp swered Dick. "I hev thunk erbout the
en fillin', en no sich slazy stuff ez ye air; en Jedge en Jim-en myse'f"-and he looked
I gin my critter er cut 0' the switch, en war down at his maimed body; " but, Bill, I
outen sight afore l~e got his senses." reckin ez the Orlmighty`ull dew justice. I
"I reckin ye tuk the consate outen him, air`bleeged ter think that. I reckin Him
Mis' Harjoe," said Ben Pitts. ez ken make er pa'r 0' good legs`ull know
Ye cudn't take the con sate outen Tom whut ter dew fur them ez hain't but the
Welsh, ef ye war ter heat him with er hon~i- one-that dew stan' ter reason, Bill. Leastny pessul. Hit air wusser'n poke-berry ways, hit appears so. Hit iir true ez He
dye; hit air tew deep sot. He air sich er ken see further`n we uns. My ole mar air
fool! Why he hev ackshally writ letters ter er powerful traviler, but hit hain't in her
Cherrykee on sn~ellin' paper en enwhollop- natur' to know my plans, en ye en me
ments ter match!" replied Hester laughing needunt try ter understan' Hissen. The
derisively. rider air right, Bill, I reckin."
"I tell ye, Dick," said Bill Stokes, "I "No," answered Bill,' hit hain't fur we
know-he war in my riggyment, the twenty- uns ter know whut air beyant our natur''
tewth Allerbamy. He war er big secesher, waving his hand significantly.
but he didn't go till he war cornscripted. "I hyerd," said Ben Pitts, "ez some 0
Onst we war settin' rount the camp-fire the Mounting folks hev seed Jim Snyder's
talkin': some 0' the men`lowed ez they war hant. Hit stan's reg'lar in the clump 0'
fightin' fur the flag, en some ez they war pine trees behint Cherrykee's cabin, en
fightin' fur wife en childun; and Tom war they`low ez she hev talked ter hit rime en
powerful peert at talkin'-he`lowed he hain't agin."
no wife nur childun, en he didunt keer a " Naow," said Dick, "that dew fetch ter
darn fur the flag; he war fighting fur whut my ricollection whut er man ez lives at
air up, he war. En ter my thinkin', that the mill tolt me. He come frum Shiloh,
air Tom's idee allus: his man air Tom en`lowed uz thar war nights when the moon
Welsh everywhar-you uns en we uns ken war not shinin' ez ye cud see both armies
go ter the dogs." er fightin' up in the a'r. Ye cud see the
"Waal, Bill," answered Dick, shaking men en horses en cannon ez plain ez the
his head, "I reckin he war the onliest man hand afore ye. He`lowed he hev seen the
on the Cornfederick side ez got whut he war fightin' jest like hit war at Shiloh, with his
fightin' fur." own eyes. I know thar air hants, but I
"Er true word, Dick," laughed Bill hain't seen`em yit."
Stokes. "En naow he air got moar'n ye "They`lowed agin," continued Ben Pitts,
en me, ez fit fur the kentry the hull foar "ez Tom Welsh war drivin' his buggy across
year," continued Bill, growing more serious. Bug Chitty, where Jim Snyder's team usen
"I tell ye, Dick, I hain't seen yit the rale ter cross, en suddently Jim's hant stood
inside 0' the meanin' 0' this hyar war. afore him, en Tom were that skeered he fell
Whut er power 0' good men war kilt! en clean outen his buggy inter the crick."
jest look at the raskells-Tom Welsh er Mrs. Harjoe burst into a hearty laugh.
ridin errount in his buggy; Jedge Barrett en "I lay he war bad skeered," said she. "Ye
Jim Snyder, both on`em gone. I hyerd ez ken bet yer corn-crop, Ben Pitts, ez ef Tom
the Jedge's wife war school teaching ter Welsh cud see the eend 0' Jim Snyder's