Square at Last.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 174, 5 July 1872, Page 6

Square at Last.

The Englishman at large is nothing if not a sportsman, and- the New World affords him singular advantages for the indulgence of his pet proclivities. He who in the lightness of. his heart says to himself, "Let me get up and kill something," is in America seldom at a loss for something to kill, and can please himself as to the size, of his game, from the dainty quail to tough old Ebenezer,the renowned "grizzly" himself. '

A few years ago I was much/embarrassed by the difficulty of choice.' Florida held out many attractions, but, on the other hand, I was strongly tempted to try the hunting-grounds about two hundred miles west of Omaha, where, an energetic Western friend wrote me all kinds of game were to be had in plenty, especially, he-informed me, in a fine burst of enthusiasm, "big game," deer, buffaloes, bears,H and —and —lndians. With many a sigh I turned from this alluring prospect, as involving the : sacrifice of too much time, and betook myself to the St. John Biver, Florida, and, engaging the services of brie Lafayette X. Wallop, better known in that part of the country as Chunky Lafe, in allusion to his thick-set muscular conformation, as huntsman, boatman, and general 'factotum, I set out in his canoe in quest of deer, Lafe paddling away at a great pace. Chunky Lafe was a silent man, sparing in his speech, but prodigal of.his thews and sinews. His powerful strikes sent the light craft, flying rapidly past the marshy banks,' wooded to the water's edge, till, just as I was beginning to enjoy the enforced repose of the passive tenant of a canoe, a sudden shout from the hunter s'tartled me out' of .my semisomnolent condition. "Say, boss," said the Chunky one, "guess you'd best lay down in the canoe." : - .v .. ; " Why W earth'sh'ould I lie down ? I do hot; see any reason for Jiiding." fact is, Hefty Bill Slocum is coming up stream." . "And what have I to do with Mr. Slocum?" I snapped out, rather impatiently. ' ' " Wal, yerjsee, .Bill, and me. is„on shooting terms, and every time we meet we air kinder. bound to have a crack at each other : so, ;as I guess you, c'yurnel, ain't in this deal, you ought not; to put up any stakes. > This here muss ain't none of your funeral, but it might soon be if you kep'

settin* up thar." ■ . - Here was a delightful. situation! Two Southern desperadoes burning to engage in an aquatic duel, all remonstrance or interference absolutely and worse than useless; the agreeable prospect of the canoe being upset in a broad, rapid river, thickly tenanted by aligators, being coupled with the probability of being accidentally picked off by the rifle of Mr. Slo.cum.

However, as the exposure of my upper works to Hefty Bill's fire could J serve no useful .'purpose, I followed the advice of Lafe, arid lay down, tolerably well under cover, breathing many a prayer for the success of our side. Peering over the edge I saw that our opponent was waiting rifle 4 in hand, for us to come within range,.-. aSfeat we were accomplishing with detestable rapidity, while my gondolier's rifle 1 was at hand ready cocked, so that he could paddle and seize his wea.pon at the slightest, movement of his adver-

sary. JSFearcr and -nearer we came, not a the deathlike silence but the light plash of the paddle, as Lafe, by a few liist vigorous strokes, shot within range of i he enemy. Dropping his paddle with lightning speed the hunter seized his rifle. The report of the two weapons rang out' together as accurately as if the

combatants had fired by signal. The plash and ricochet of Slocum's bullet told me my man was uninjured, when Chunky Lafe, lifting his-foxrskin.cap, said slowly and solemnly—- " Square at last, Bill Slocum ! Poor Sal!"

A. canoe floating down the river" was all that remained to tell that Hefty Bill Slocum had ever existed.

The mention of a woman's name by my usually taciturn guide naturally awakened my curiosity, but the moment did not seem favorable for investigating the mystery, so I discreetly held my tongue, but, I s appose I looked enquiringly enough, as, after paddling swiftly and silently for nearly, an hour, Lafe deigned to open his lips. " Beg pardon, c'yurnel, for bustin' up your day's sport with my private biz', but guess you'll excuse me when I tell you ;the story Thar's a good friend of mine lives round-the-creek here,-and, if you don't mind, we'll lay over at his shanty, and after supper I'll tell you the rights o' the muss 'twixt me and Bill."

: I consented gladly enough, feeling that after the scene just enacted all hunting would be utterly tame and spiritless. Paddling a short distance up a narrow tributary, stream (always called a creek in these countries) we came upon a large and cheerful-looking homestead. Lafe's friend received us with true American hospitality; his house, his meat, his drink, his horses, and his dogs -were all at our service in a moment. ; After a stiff horn of Monongahela to whet (very unnecessarily) our appetites, we fell pell-mell on a savory meal of oysters, fish, and bear-meat, not forgetting hog and hominy; Atthe conclusion of a repast worthy of full-grown boa constrictors, our host produced a demijohn of old Santa Cruz, and pipes being lighted, Chunky Lafe. pulled himself together, and expectorating freely, began. ,r Yer see, c'yurnel and friend Wash," (Lafe's friend rejoiced in the name of Washington fc Pegrira), "this was a kinder old score as I rubbed off to-day. In the good old times afore the War, Bill Slocum and me wag- fast. friends—like bror thers, I was agoin' to say, but I've ginerally. found brothers love each other in a. slack-baked sorter way ; anyhow, me and Bill was alius around together, and.barrin' a kinder likin' for huntin', :playin poker, drinkm, and fightin'. was two as likely young boys as any in Augustine. I can't say as we was particklerly heavy on work -j-no Southern gentleman was in them days—but with a, bit of land for cotton, a tidy corn-patch, a' drove of hogs, and a few niggers, we managed to scratch along, pretty well'. All my relations had passed in their cHecks long ago, except sister.Sal,. "and I guess a prittier, smarter/, and more stylish gal wasn't to'be'found inthe state ofFloridy." Here Lafe seemed to suffer from a slight huskiness, but imbibing a huge draught of Santa Cruz, ■ went on visibly refreshed— ;• -

" Wal; poor Sal was run after pretty much by the boys, but I kept a sharp eye on 'em, I did ; for, though not very rich, we was high-toned— no high-toneder family lived in them parts —and my sister was all in all to me, more nor anybody will ever be agin. Then came the war, and you gentlemen know, what' that misunder--standin' brought about. We Southerners rose like one man, and me and Bill weren't behindhand, you bet. -Many a hard day's march and hard-day's fightin we. had together, with nary shoe to our feet, and nothin' but a pocketful of parched corn to live onfor day's and days together. At last came the- bad day of Gettysburg, and me and Bill was in the thick of it. Four times we charged up to the muzzles of their everlastin' guns, and four times we got druv back. Yer see, we .had to cross

a kinder open space right under the fire; and were so etarnally whipped before we reached, the tarnation skunks, that our regiments shrivelled up to mere skeletons afore we got within arm's length. Wal, we come on agin and agin, yellin' like devils, but it warn't no good"; they druv us back, and at last I missed Bill.

" "Wal, I ain't the man to brag o' that, but I went out into the hottest.fire I.ever seen, and brought in Bill, hit pretty hard. We had a bad time that - day, but I brought off Bill, and somehow he pulled through, and was sent home down South to recuperate. To make a long story short, I went through the whole war, and when our side burst up, went down home with a sore heart, a ragge ; d suit, and a deriied empty pocket. " Through all the cursed, affair, I had looked forward to seein' sister Sal and Hefty Bill, with the kinder feelin' I dessay you can understand,. but when I got one evening to Augustine, I found the old shanty shut up, and wonderin' what was the matter, made tracks for the corner grocers. There I found the folks' glad enough to see me, but seeming to look queer, and act silently and dummy, as if they'was to a funeral. ■ So I says right out, 'What in thunder's the matter with you all, and what's come o' Sal?" Wal, yer see, the whole thing come out at -last. Bill Slocum had come home invalided and dead broke,-and Sal, <of course, took him in, and nussed him as if he'd been her brother, and, after the manner of wimmen folks, fell in love with her patient: Sal, I guess, warn't the first fool of her sex, and won't be the last by a long shot. " Now comes the worst part of the story» One mornin' they were both missed, and there was no doubt that that scoundrel Bill had run off with her to one of the cities North, without, leavin' letter or line to track 'em by. My mind was soon made up. I sold the' old place and what little stuff was in it for what I could get,, and made tracks .for the North to find Sal, and mayhap get square with Bill.

"I went through, the North, city bycity, in .my weary search, and at last found my poor little sister; but, gentlemen, I would rather have found her headstone in the cemetery than have found her as I found her. I tbok.good care of the poor girl, but it Was no use; she pined away, and I buried her in Chicago, and then looked around for the trail of Hefty Bill.

" Nary soul could tell a word about "him, and poor.Sal, God bless her, never would. She was true to him,' bad as he had used her. Wal,, I could not find Bill, anywheres, and as:l had to do somethin' to live, came down here huntin' around a little and drinkin' a great deal, when one day, at Tim Mulligan's bar, who should I see but Hefty Bill Slocum himself. Gentlemen, I have been all through a big war) and in many a dashin' charge, but I never felt as I did.at that moment.' My head swam round like a young gal's in her fast waltz, a fog came over my eyes, my hand was on my Derringer when I saw a flash across my eyes, felt a warm splash," heard a shot,,and all was dark. ; , " They toldme afterwards that Bill fired a little too quick for me, and that the shotbrought on quite a pretty free fight. /There was a roughish lot around MulligaVs, and fchey weren't the boys to let a muss go past without taking a hand. .So Bill scored the first trick in our, small game, but I'd got to be square with him, and I tried more nor once, but his everlastin' luck helped him till to-day r But to-day," and here Lafe dropped his.head, on his chest, and stared into the fire, . " I guess we've got square at last!"