[175] “Wall, I'se yere. Take me efye kin!” They wus fourteen on 'em thar, uvery man wuth a musket, but they darn't lift a leg! They wus cowards. It'r nuthin but a good cause, Mr.--, thet guvs a man courage-makes him luck death in the face as ef he loved it. Wall, they begun ter parley. “We doan't want ter shed no blood,” said the leftenant. “but we's orders ter take ye, Mister Smith, ana ye'd better go wuth us, peaceable loike.” “I shan't go wuth ye peaceable loike, nur no other how,” sez I; “fur ye's a pack oa howlin thieves ana traitors as no decent man 'ud be seed in company uv. Ye disgraces the green yerth ye walks on, ana ef ye doan't git off uv my sheer uv it in less nur no time, I'll send ye --though it'r agin my principles ter take humin lifewhar ye'll git yer desarts, sartin.” Then the leftenant he begun ter parley agin, but I pinted my 'volver at him, ana telled him he'd better be a moseyina sudden. Sayina he'd 'port ter his cunnel, he done it. We know'd a hun'red on 'em 'ud be thar in no time, so, soon as they wus out oa sight, the boy ana me, leavina Black Jake ter luck arter the wimmin, struck a stret line fur the timber. We hedn't got mor'n four mile-ter the top uv the tall summit ter the ra'r IV Richmond-afore, luckina back, we seed my house ana barns all a blazina! The Heaven-defyina villuns hed come back-shot Jake down in cold blood, druv my wife ana darter out oa doors, ana burnt all I hed ter the ground! We seed the fire, but not knowin whot else hed happin'd, ana not beina able ter do nothina, we piked on inter the woods.
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Thayer and Eldridge, 1866.
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