S' I
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Tally rand and Firefly
By J. NacNEILL JOHNSON
I
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CHAPTER IX
The time has now arrived for us
to introduce another boy whom we
have not seen before. His name is
Juda Magruder, and his home is in
Kentucky on the bank of the Ohio
river, below the mouth of the Tennes
see river. He is an orphan, and lives
with his grandfather, Mr. Simon Ma
gruder, who owns a large stock farm
and raises mules as a business. The
manner of the appearance of our new
friend will be stated in this chapter.
The Choctaw Indians and their kins
men, the Chickasaws, lived in Alaba
ma on the Black Warrior river, and
the T *mbigby river; and they used
every few years to send parties of
from fifty to one hundred young
braves to visit the Mohawk Indians
in the northwest, to keep alive the
spirit and art of war. They usually |
ascended the Red river to some point i
away in the upper reaches, and there
exchange their canoes for an equal
number to be delivered to them on
the banks of the Missouri. They I
then crossed the Great Plain on foot, |
and when their visit was over they !
I
descended the Missouri river in their!
new canoes, and came down the Mis
sissippi. Sometimes when they ar
rived at the mouth of the Ohio river
they ascended it to the mouth of the
Tennessee river, thence southward in
to Alabama; but the party of the re
turning Choctaws with which our
story is concerned, came down the
Mississippi river by Memphis; and on
this particular return trip a foraging
party had stolen our new friend, Juda
Magruder, then a boy twelve years of
age, and brought him down the river
in their canoes.
The Choctaws and the Chickasaws
who never loved each other too well
had a falling out among themselves
as their flotilla of canoes came down
the river; and so hot was their quar
rel that they began to fight from
boat to boat with spears and arrows.
The canoe Juda Magruder was in was
manned by three Indians, two oars
men and a guard; and in the fight
these three Indians were all killed and
tumbled into the river, and Juda Ma
gruder was left alone in the canoe.
He quietly rowed the boat out from
among the fighting Indians, and into
a lagoon in the river swamp on the
east side, and then jumped lightly
from the boat into the dense morass,
and made his way as best he could
among the tangle^ Now on firm
ground, now jumping from tussock to
tussock till at last he found himself
©n a dry island with many large trees
growing on it, and being entirely ex
hausted he lay down to rest and in a
minute was fast asleep.
When he awoke it was quite dark,
and the swamp animals, such as foxes
and catamounts, were barking and
screaming all about him, and on rais
ing up he saw two great eyes like
balls of fire staring at him. He ex
pected every moment that the owner
of the eyes would rush at him, and
crush him to death, but strange to
say he was not afraid: He was free
from the Choctaw Indians, and he
felt he could hold his own with the
wild beast better. He felt for his
barlow knife and opened it. Then he
thought to himself that maybe a bold
rush would be his safest plan, for he
knew the nature of all ravenous
beasts was to pursue a retreating vic
tim. So he eased up into a crouch
ing posture, and with a terrible un
earthly yell, he dashed directly at the
fiery eyes.
With a sharp, shrill whistle the
beast ran for dear life into the morass,
and he heard it plunge into the water
of the lagoon. As soon as he heard
the whistle he knew it was a red deer,
and he felt safe knowing there was
no danger.
He then climbed up among the
branches of a tree for with all his
successful bluff he was not so sure
that a wildcat could be so easily
frightened away. Up there among
the branches of the tree he rested
and listened until day; and when he
heard a cock crow he knew he was
not more than a mile away from the
habitation of men; and he hoped he
could make his way out of the swamp
on the eastern side
But as the wild ducks began to
whistle by, he heard the croon of an
Indian farther down the river swamp,
and he queitly climbed down from his
perch in the tree, and made his way
as fast as he could in the opposite
direction. He soon began to feel very
hungry, and ate some red berries to
relieve his hunger as best he could
but about noon he became so
tired and weak that he could not
go further, and finding a large
hollow tree he crawled into its trunk,
and fell asleep. He did not know how
long he slept, but when he woke he
had a raging fever, and his head
ached as if it would split. Then he
went to sleep again in a delirium of
fever, and never knew when he left
his hiding place. Indeed, he never
would have left it but for a fortunate
cir(?umstance.
That very night a bear came out of
the river swamp and stole a fine pig
from Mr. Studebolt's pigpen—for Mr.
Studebolt’s mansion was not more
than a mile from where the sick boy
lay in the hollow tree; and soon next
morning the boys, Tallyrand and Fire
fly, with Bill and Ned, had called
Maida and Lufra, the bear dogs Mr.
Studebolt kept, and put them on the
track of the bear, determined to hunt
him down.
From the action of the dogs it .was
evident that the bear had done his
work recently. The dogs trailing in
great excitement followed the tracks
of the bear half a mile up the river,
then plunged boldly into the thick
canebrake. The dogs followed the
bear’s tracks, but the boys deployed
around the canebrake expecting to
shoot the bear when it left the cover
of the cane. Bill and Ned had gone
around the north side. They were
crouching behind some large trees
when they saw the canes waving and
parting some distance ahead of the
dogs, and the hunter’s instinct arose
within them, and they made ready.
The bear came out of the canes with
the pig in his moutht, and stopped
to listen to the dogs. At the same
instant two loads of buckshot were
poured into his face and breast. The
bear made one great bound to return
to the cover of the cane brake, then
fell dead. At the same time the boys
heard a groan in the tree not more
than five steps from where they were
standing and on looking at the root
of the tree, saw a human foot pro
truding from the hollow. It was Juda
Magruder; he had crawled into the
bear’s den, and there were two young
cubs playing over his unconscious
body.
It is easy to guess what would have
happened if the old mother bear had
reached home with her mess of pork
before the boys arrived. She certain
ly would have torn the sick boy to
pieces; but she never reached home,
but was killed forty yards from her
den. The dead bear and the live
young cubs were forgotten. The
stranger was removed from the hol
low tree, and when they saw his
condition Tallyrand called Bill and
Ned, and on their strong, willing
shoulders he was quickly carried out
of the swamp, and to Mr. Studebolt’s
house, where he was placed in a bed,
and a boy dispatched for Dr. Sauls.
The sick boy’s mouth and tongue
were kept moist with cold water and
lemon juice, and cold cloths were kept
on his head till Dr. Sauls arrived, and
in his and Mrs. Studebolt’s care we
leave him, as he could not be left in
better hands.
Bill and Ned returned to the river
swamp for the dead bear and the two
cubs, and Mr. Studebolt gave them a
holiday, so they could make a cage
for the bears.
(To be continued)
S. S. RICHARDSON ENDORSES F.
D. PHILLIPS FOR SOLICITOR
I am not a politician, nor have I
ever asked for an office—only a pri
vate in the rear ranks. I have al
most served out my allotted time
three score and ten years. Have lived
through three wars, the Civil War
Spanish-American and the WorlH
War. I had two brothers in the Civil
War and lost both of them. I have
voted for Confederate veterans for
office for almost fifty years. I felt
that I owed it to them for service
rendered in the “Lost Cause.” I had
three sons in the World War. One
son enjoying a splendid law practice
yet above the draft age, answered the
call of his country, lost his health in
camp, died and is now sleeping in an
American uniform.
When our boys were called into
service we went with them to the
trains and promised them our all
wehn they returned. They went.
Those who were not left on the battle
fields of Europe returned—many of
them wounded. What have we done
for them? How have we rewarded
them? Four good men are running
for solicitor in this district. Three
of them I have never seen. For a
moment let’s examine their records.
Where was G. H. Russell in 1917-18-
19? At home enjoying the greatest
wave of prosperity this country has
ever seen. Where was M. W. Nash in
1917-18-19? At home living easy,
when this land was flowing freely with
milk and honey. Where was F. D.
Phillips in the stormy days of 1917-18-
19? In the trenches of the battle
fields of Europe wading in blood—
facing shot and shell for his board*
and clothes that this country might
be made safe for democracy. He re
turned a wounded soldier—just in
time to see the last cloud of prosperi
ty pass by.
While I have never met F. D. Phil
lips, yet as an appreciation of his ser
vice to his country I shall cast my
vote for him for solicitor of this dis
trict.
I appeal to the men and women of
Union county to go to the polls on
June 3rd and cast your ballots for
F. D. Phillips for solicitor—the soldier
boy. S. S. RICHARDSON.
Monroe, N. C., Route 5, April 29th.
(Political Adv.)
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1 iiji
Everybody Wants
Good Merchandise
at Low Prices
is your Opportunity
i
OUR NEW SPRING GOODS ARE
unusually beautiful in color combination, and are of bet
ter quality, too. The prices are in line with public de
mand,^ quality considered.
SPRING OXFORDS
OXFORDS that fit your feet and are easy on your
purse are hard to find, but We Have Them.
Special Prices in DRESS SHIRTS this weeit
Gunter’s Store
VASS, NORTH CAROLINA
JACKSON SPRd
Three of the 136 you
graduate from N. C. St
this week formerly lived
munity. They are Charles
Hemp, who graduates in
neering, and John McLeoc
S. C., and Colon Pegram,
ton, who graduate in agri
hope to see some of this
school class of nine boj
from college, and are gl
that some are planning to
College for agricultural ai
ing courses.
A very interesting m
carried out at the school
by the comm*unity club,
evening. County Agent,
Home Demonsta-ation AJ
ford, were here for their
ing with us and made
talks.
Mrs. Margaret Stutts i
home of her son at Hoffm
day, and interment was r
new cemetery here on
Mrs. Stutts was reared ii
munity and spent a grej
her life here where she
circle of friends. She
sons and one daughter to
loss. Strange to say, Ben
husband with whom she h;
for a number of years die
week at his home near N
was seen in Norman the
of the week and had been
to leaving home and spen
days visiting friends, and
dead on Friday. Intermei
his home. Mr. Stutts wi
of the Mt. Carmel commu
county and served a few
the confederate army duri
flict between the states.
Friends here were sh(
receiving the news of th
Grace, the 13 year old c
Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Currie
day. She was carried to
lotte Sanatorium for an oi
appendicitis on Friday, ai
following morning at 4 o]
had been sick several da]
carried to the Sanatoriui
that her heart might gro
SO an operation could be
Besides her mother, h<
Misses Nola and Monnie
Candor, who are trained I
eated in Charlotte were i
the time of her death,
and son, D .F. Currie, of
left immediately, and the
turned with Mrs. Currie ii
noon, and Mr. Currie can
hearse later in the eveni
was a very bright chih
black hair with blue eye
complexion, with a plea
made her very beautiful.
G. Matheson, her pastorj
a short service at the hoj
day morning for the ben^
Sarah Currie, her devoted
was unable to attend t|
which was conducted by :
at the Presbyterian chur^
About twenty of her class
the Derby Memorial schc
Presbyterian Sunday S<
carried the flowers that
fresh mound made in
burying plot in the bury
back of the church. She
mourn her loss, besides
and father, three little
three brothers, and a lai
of other relatives and friei
tend the deepest sympa
family.
Among the college boj
home last week were, Sh