USA > West Virginia > Randolph County > A history of Randolph County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 17
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"Observing that Jess Teter had conceived an extravagant admiration for a neat little powder flask I carried, I took oc- casion to present it to him. In the fullness of his gratitude he took me aside, and in a whisper, informed me that he was the best rifle shot on the Fork. I had heard as much.
"'Well, now, said he, wouldn't you like to learn the secret.'
"'Then there is a secret ?'
"'Yes, I can learn it to you in a day, so that you can beat any of these fellers.'
"Jesse's proposition accorded so exactly with my humor that I eagerly accepted it. We got our guns, and privately slipped off together to the woods, where after exacting a promise not to reveal his trick, he proceded to put me through a course of instruction.
"Whether there was any virtue in his teaching, or whether the mountain air had cleared my eye and braced my nerves, it is true that from a very indifferent marksman I presently became very expert with my rifle and after driving the center
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three consecutive times at sixty yards, I expressed myself satisfied, and my tutor slapped me on the shoulder and said emphatically, 'You'll do.'
"After a most friendly leave taking, we mounted and rode down the valley toward Soldier White's. About two miles below we stopped at the cabin of Tom. Mullenix (com- monly known as Hunter Tom.), hoping to have a chat with him on the subject of hunting in these mountains. He was barely civil but not at all communicative. He told us very frankly that he never missed killing game when he went out alone, but he never had any luck when these gentlemen hunt- ers went along. They had too many patent fixings and talked too much. With his long flint-lock rifle, munitioned with an ounce of powder, and with from three to five bullets wrapped in greased buckskin patching, he could always kill more game than he could carry home. Some fellers pack so much am- munition and cold victuals that they broke down before they found any game, and couldn't hit anything if they happened to see it. For his part he couldn't see any sense in all these percussion traps. As the hunter made these disparaging re- marks, he cast a contemptuous glance at my ornate German rifle, which being observed by my companion, drew a laugh at my expense.
"'Mr. Mullenix,' said I, 'what do you value that bear skin at, which I see hanging upon the porch?"
"That skin,' replied Tom. mought be worth about four dollars over at Franklin.'
"Very well. Now I'll bet you five dollars in cash, against that bear skin that with this percussion grim-crack of mine, I can beat you shooting three best shots out of five, line measure, at any distance or in any way you may choose.
"Tom eyed mie for a moment as he would probably have stared at a rabbit suddenly turning and trying to bite him. His astonishment presently resolved into a fit of contemptu- ous laughter ; but as I had already put up my money in the Major's hand, and showed by my manner that I was in ear- nest. His cupidity got the better of his contempt.
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".Well mister,' said he, taking down and proceeding to load his long gun. 'Hits not becoming of me to disappint a stranger in a little innocent sport, and if you kin beat me shootin', that bar skin's your'n!' and the hunter's face warmed with a smile of sinister benevolence.
"'Laureate, said the Major, aside, 'I wouldn't give the churlish dog a chance to make five dollars so easily.'
"I answered, carelessly, there are always two sides to a question, and I've taken quite a fancy to that bear skin.
".Laureate,' whispered Dick, 'try to make a good chance shot, and if you beat him I'll give you my horse.'
"Dick's horse was a borrowed one, but his good-will was none the less appreciated. Meanwhile the preliminaries had been arranged-two best shots out of three, at sixty yards.
"The Major stepped off the distance and Dick placed the target against the tree. The mark was a circle of white paper about the size of an ancient half-dollar, tacked upon a black- ened board. We were to shoot alternately, and tossed a cop- per for the first fire. The hunter won it, and took his position accordingly, observing as he did so, 'I reckon I'll have to shoot a little wild to give you a opening.
"As Tom raised his rifle and leveled it at the mark all the slouchiness of his manner disappeared, and he settled into a pose of iron firmness. As his rifle cracked, the target fell for- ward on its face, and Dick ran at full speed, followed by the others at a more dignified pace, to verify the shot.
"The ball had cut the left edge of the paper with half its diameter. Mullinx chuckled. "There's a leetle wind," said he, 'and I forgot to allow for it ; but ther's the opening I promised ye.'
"It was a good shot, however, and my friends looked blank enough as I took my stand. Their evident anxiety annoyed me, and for a moment a sense of responsibility unnerved me. Then I shut my eyes, recalled my lessons, and concentrated my mind on the work in hand. My shot parted, the target rattled and fell. The next moment Rattlebrain waved it tri- umphantly over his head, shouting, 'Centre!' It was impos- sible for Dick to be exact. It was not a centre shot, but the
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whole ball was in the paper, beating Mullenix by half a dia- meter.
"'Can you do that again?' whispered the major.
"'I think I can do better.
"'Then we've got the rascal to a certainty,' said he, rub- bing his hands with hopeful satisfaction.
"The gleam of benevolence had departed from Mullenix's face, and he proceeded to load his piece with a precision quite the reverse of his former half insolent carelessness. He waited for a lull in the almost imperceptible breeze, and when he took aim the steadiness of his attitude was statuesque.
"Dick Rattlebrain looked as if he would burst during the process, and the result of the hunter's shot did not relieve his anxiety in the least. The paper was perforated just be- neath the central tack-so close that we wondered it had not been knocked out.
"Tom looked vengefully benevolent again.
"'I reckon, mister, I hain't left ye much of an opening this time.' He said this with a wicked chuckle.
"My friends looked grave again. Dick desired to give me some advice, but the Major restrained his zeal and per- suaded him to keep quiet.
"On coming up for my second trial I had a more severe struggle with my nervousness than at the first. The open- ing was indeed a narrow one. and then my success had aroused hopes which must not be disappointed. I succeeded, however, in attaining the requisite coolness, and fired.
"The board fell forward as usual.
"Dick Rattlebrain gave a convulsive start, and then step- ping up to me said, 'By thunder, Larry, I haven't the heart to look at it!' But the Major presently approached with the board in one hand and the paper in the other. The tack was gone, and there was a clean hole exactly through the center of the mark. Dick uttered a triumphant yell, and nearly suffo- cated me in his rude embrace.
"'Come Dick ; having won, we must triumph like gentle- men.'
"Tom Mullenix eyed me like a basilisk.
"'Well mister, the bar skin's your'n ; you've won two, and
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hit's not worth while to waste the third shot. Powder and lead is too scarce up here to waste on nothin'.'
"I sincerely sympathized with the mortified mountaineer ; so that when he came formally to deliver the bear skin I po- litely attempted to decline it. But the flash of his eye and sternness of his manner quickly showed that I had made a mistake.
".Mister,' he said, 'I don't like any man to fool with me. The skin is fairly your'n and you must take it.'
A rousing swig from the Major's flask was more appre- ciated than my fanciful magnanimity, and we took leave with all due civility."
Killed a Wolf.
Porte Crayon here relates his experience in killing a wolf. His former rival in a shooting match, Hunter Tom Mullenix, showed feelings of umbrage and resentment by Porte Crayon's competition in the wolf industry. Crayon says :
"As I stood to gaze I saw something moving on a ledge thirty or forty feet above, and at length perceived two fiery eyes glaring downward, and my blood was stirred by a long- drawn savage howl.
"I again remembered Jesse's secret, and steadying my rifle against a hemlock tree, took aim and fired. With a brushing sound, followed by a crash, the body of a large wolf fell into the thicket nearly at my feet. Neither my shot nor the fall had quite killed the savage beast, which writhing and snarling in its death agony, bit frantically at its wounds, sticks, leaves and everything within its reach. Staining the rocks and moss with its life blood, its struggles gradually subsided, and at length, with a spasmodic shiver, it stretched itself out and died. Drawing my knife, I approached the body, and discovered that the creature was a female, and evidently had a young family somewhere up the cliff. But this was no time to be speculating about game, so I was contented to take the scalp as a trophy, and congratulating myself that I had prob- ably broken up a whole family of robbers, proceeded to re- load my piece.
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"On the following morning, as had been agreed, we left Soldier White's and started down Dry Fork to visit Roy who lived at Red Creek and to seek such other sports and ad- ventures as the country afforded. As we passed the mill we recognized several acquaintances among a group of moun- taineers, and stopped to exchange civilities and take leave. The Major politely offered his flask and drinking cup which, notwithstanding the early hour, was honored duly as it passed from hand to hand with, 'well, here's good luck, men. My quondam antagonist. Tom Mullenix, however, put aside the cup with a scowl and, to the surprise of everybody, retired sul- lenly into the mill. The bear skin I had won of him was thrown over my saddle. and it occurred to me that the sight of this trophy had again recalled the mortification of the shoot- ing match. Anxious to leave good feeling behind us. I asked Jesse Hedrick to bring Tom out that we might drink and shake hands. burying all animosities before we parted.
"Jesse laughed at the suggestion of the shooting match and then looked grave.
".Hit's not that he minds: sure Tom's got too much sense for that. But he's mighty riled about somebody a killin' of his wolf, and he 'lows hit was one of you men as done hit, and he swears vengeance agin ye. he does.
"At the mention of wolf I was electrified. and drawing Jesse aside, asked him earnestly if Tom had lost a pet wolf lately.
".Well not exactly that.' he replied, 'but ve see Tom makes his living pretty much by huntin', and there's a middlin' high bounty on wolf scalps: and so you see when he finds out where an old she has a den, instead of killin' of her he plays sharp and waits till she has young uns, and as they begin to come out and play around he kills them off and gits the premium on five or six scalps every season. So ve see when a feller finds the haunt of an old wolf he lays claim to her, and takes care of her, and she brings him a smart little income every year. And for any man to go and kill another man's wolf is a big spite. and a fightin' business, it is. And somebody killed Tom's wolf up here by the tunnel day be-
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fore yesterday, they did; and he's dangerous mad about it, so he is.'
"'And who does he blame?' I asked in breathless curi- osity.
".Well,' said Jess, 'he lays it on that feller there-Mr. Rattlebrain-but he says he hain't sure of hit quite, or else there would a been trouble.'
"Now here were revelations and explanations and per- sonal responsibilities which admitted of no shirking or hesi- tation.
"Taking Jesse by the arm, I entered the mill and cor- nered Mullenix so that he had to stand up and look me square in the face.
".Mullenix,' I said, 'somebody killed your wolf, I under- stand.'
".Yes, they did and took her scalp,' he replied grimly, 'the sneaking hounds, which is jest about equal to highway robbery : and durn him, I-I-'
".Well suppose the man who did it will tell you he meant no wrong, not being aware of your claim on the ani- mal, and will give you up the scalp and a fair reimbursement for any further loss you may sustain in the matter?'
".Well, mister, that would look like the feller meant fair,' said Tom, 'and if he does that I'd bear him no grudge, I wouldn't."
"I then handed Mullenix the scalp and put ten dollars into his hand, and ere he fairly recovered from his astonishment We mounted and rode off."
A Crowded House-Domestic Bliss.
The proverbial hospitality of an earlier period did not countenance the refusal of entertainment to any one. The rooms might be few and small, the table might be dearth of tempting viands, yet their all was shared with others with un- stinted liberality. Porte Crayon herewith narrates amusing incidents of the entertainment of his party in houses of two rooms :
"As candles and kerosene lamps are reckoned among the
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superfluities in these parts, we lit our cigars and pipes and repaired to the starlight of the front porch. Then bedtime was announced, and being ushered into the proprietor's cham- ber, a single bed of moderate dimensions was assigned for the accommodation of our party : we could arrange it to suit our convenience. 'As thick as three in a bed,' has become a by-word ; four in a bed surpasses the limits of proberbial phil- osophy, and being naturally addicted to seclusion, I yielded my share of the couch and took the floor with a saddle for my pillow and a blanket for covering.
"Sleep, like a loving lass, needed but a brief wooing. Ex- cept in romances virtue is not always rewarded, and in spite of doctor's promises-fresh air, exercise, and a temperate sup- per-will not insure the coveted repose. Mine was inter- rupted by nightmare dreams of creeping through subteranean passages to escape from robbers, and finally plunging head foremost into an abyss of mud where I stuck, panting and suffocating. In my struggles I awoke, realizing the peculiar sensations which had doubtless suggested the dreams and which filled me with real alarm. There was a rumbling in my ear like the buzzing of a spinning wheel: my head and face were so hot and oppressively heavy that I could not rise from the saddle. Disengaging one hand from the blanket, I felt the upper side of my face and head covered with a squirming mass of soft, warm fur which, upon further exploration, de- veloped into five kittens, cuddled in a loving heap and pur- ring with contentment. I was far from satisfied with the ar- rangement and especially aggravated at having my rest dis- turbed, so I arose suddenly to a sitting posture, unceremon- iously tumbling the happy family out of their bed. They clung together, mewing and striving to climb back to their comfortable position. In my wrath I seized one by the back of the neck and slung it vindictively at the bed occupied by the ancient couple. Considering the darkness, my aim was good, and the mauling missile struck the pillow with a rip which stopped the old man's snoring.
"'Scat! scat! Wife, here's one of these darned kittens jumped on the bed.'
"'Well, fling it out, can't ye!' she muttered impatiently.
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Having found it in his fumbling, he dropped the animal quietly on the floor, whence it quietly trotted back to its fel- lows on my blanket. Meanwhile I directed another toward the same point.
"'Scat! scat!' cried a shriller voice.
"'You old fool, yev'e flung the nasty critter right in my face, ye hey now!' and giving the kitten a spiteful toss, she sent it over the bed where my three comrades lay. I heard a stifled snickering in that direction, and presently the shot was returned, flying with outspread claws, and tearing as it ric- ochetted across the coverlet. Then as the wrathful dame rose to grope for the offender, I let fly a plumper which car- ried away her nightcap.
By this time there was a general tumult of scatting, maul- ing, pounding on the wall, and calling for the lights. As the patriarch got up to unbar the door I pitched the rest of my amunition on his back, where the little wretches clung with all their claws.
".Wife! wife!' he exclaimed, as he danced and stumbled around the room, 'I believe the devil himself is got among these cats. Take 'em off ! scat ! take 'em off !'
"This suggestion of the presence of the evil one aroused the dame's superstitious fears, and redoubled her calls for Betsy and a light, declaring that she would not touch one of these creeters to save the old man's life.
"The door was at length unbarred and Betsy came to the rescue with a pine torch. The light revealed the stranger guests all sleeping the sleep of untroubled consciences, and the five tempest tossed kittens wandering around mewing in concert.
"'Them's all our cat's kittens,' said Betsy, 'all white and tortoise shell ; the pretty little dears.'
"'Haint there a big black cat somewhere around?' asked the old woman in a tremulous voice. The favorite mask of the Arch Enemy was nowhere to be seen.
"'Take 'em out ! take 'em out !' growled the patriarch, 'the devilish things hev well nigh scratched the shirt off me back.'
"Betsy smiled audibly. 'Well daddy, ye've always achavin'
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of somebody to scratch yer back, and maybe hits done ye good, haint hit?'
"'Git out with you and yer cussed cats,' cried daddy. ‘I'll drown the whole misbegotten litter tomorrow, so I will."
"At this direful threat Betsy snatched up her pets, and smothering her youthful felines in her apron, went out with the light, and there was peace until morning. At sunrise the door opened again, and a pleasant, manly voice called out, 'Men git up and rinse your countenances ; folks is goin' to git up!'
"Breakfast went off very civilly, and on observing the clawed faces of the seniors I felt a twinge of remorse for my deeds of darkness. Dick Cockney and Betsy, however, had got up a triangular giggle which broke out at the slightest al- lusion to cats. At length the matron, with a severe and sig- nificant glance toward her junior guests, observing that she had never knowed them kittens to behave so before, and she had a suspicion there mought be wuss devils in the house than sich as come in the shape of black cats."
Another incident and experience of Porte Crayon's is here reproduced as explanatory of old time customs. Owing to their isolation, primitive ways were still in vogue at the time of Strother's visit :
"The cabin was so small and the flaring pine knots re- vealed such a multitude of good humored faces, that we be- gan to entertain some doubts whether we should not have done better to have remained and enlivened the bachelor's lonely hall and helped him cook his solitary supper. Still everybody, young and old, seemed glad to see us, and there was no hint of crowding or inconvenience. The family con- sisted of husband and wife, four sons, two grown to manhood, and a daughter between ten and eleven years old, a grandson, and a hired boy. The other domestics were three hounds and a cat with kittens.
"The cabin was eighteen by fifteen feet in the clear, di- vided into two rooms. Although limited in space, all the san- itary arrangements in regard to ventilation had been espec-
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ially attended to. The cabin built of logs, turkey pen fashion, were only partially chinked with moss and still more imper- fectly tapestried with male and female garments, bunches of dried herbs, with deer and fox skins stretched on the outside. This open space did away with the necessity and expense of glass and had several other advantages, as we afterward as- certained. We could study the planets at ease, and tell the character of the weather without the inconvenience and awk- wardness of getting up to look out of the window. Jess also informed us that of nights when he wasn't sleepy, he could chaw tobacco and spit through the cracks without siling the old man's floor, which was a pleasing indication of filial con- sideration. We experienced the fact that a family of nine persons with four guests could be comfortably fed, enter- tained ,and lodged in such apartments, but during our sojourn of several days, we never understood how it was done.
"The head of the family was a native of the mountains, about fifty years of age, with good features, light hair and complexion, broad chested and powerfully built. His coun- tenance was amicable and his manner frank and obliging : consenting to everything that was said with the grace of a courtier, and closing every sentence with an echo and twang, a habit common to the whole region-ye-as; oh ye-as, I wouldn't wonder now, ah, ye-as indeed, as-at the same time confusing you with the universality of his admissions, com- ing back with opinions of his own which he sustained with true courtier like tenacity.
"Dick Rattlebrain attempted to pump him on the sub- ject of politics, and to our astonishment, knew neither the names of the opposing political parties nor the names of their presidential candidates.
"'Oh,' exclaimed Dick somewhat airily, 'I see you do not read the papers up here.'
"'Mister, yer'e mistaken, I tell ye ye are, ah; we do git newspapers up here we do, ah. There was a feller fetched one up here last summer and my wife read it to me, she did, ah. Wife look if that newspaper haint in the chest under the head of the bed.'
"'No, it haint, for ye know ye lent it to Zed Kyle. Hits
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three weeks today and he haint fetched it back vit. But he ort to have fetched it back, he ort, fer I heerd of him having of hit up to Teter's last Sunday a readin' of hit to them, and he mought git hit tore, so he mought, and hit will be many a day afore he sees another one.'
"Madam it seems can read, and the only book larnt mem- ber of the family. She showed me the only specimen of Guten- berg's art, except the newspaper, in the settlement, an ex- tremely aged and well thumbed copy of a Methodist hymn- book. In this precious volume, she assured me, she had read a hymn or two every Sunday for thirty years, and kept it up regular for fear she mought forgit how.
"Having thus established a sort of literary fellowship with the old woman, I seated myself on the chest while she was getting dinner and continued the conversation. This was not difficult for after the sluices were fairly opened, my share consisted in listening. She opened on polemics and naming all the religious sects and denominations she had ever heard of. gave each a passing punch or two, quite intelligently de- livered. As they all fared alike in her hands, I at length in- quired what church she belonged to.
" .None.'
"Here was something of an anomaly. A Christian of no sect, pious on her own hook: unguided except by the tradi- tions of her childhood and the greasy old hymn book, vet as far as my observation extended her conscience and practice were as near the purest Christian standard as if she had all her life enjoyed the advantages of a five thousand dollar pew under the ministry of the Rev. Dr. Plumpcushion in the great and enlightened city of Hubadub. And so the worthy dame, on hospitable deeds intent, brimming over with smiles and amiability, went on baking, boiling and stewing and frying her viands and her neighbors, until everything was done up and dished up. By the time our meal was over, Jess then announced that there was to be a yoking of a pair of steers over at Nelson's that afternoon, and offered to introduce us to the sport if we were so minded. Augustus requested him to oblige us by describing the nature of the diversion.
"'Oh,' said Jess, 'they have turrible times specially if
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the steers happen to be fractious. They hook and kick and beller, run off and jump fences, and sometimes break a fel- ler's leg : they mostly cripple themselves or something else afore they are done with it. Then they hev a keg uv licker and there is some as thinks there is right smart fun in it.'
On the whole we thanked Jess for his civility and de- clined going. He did not appear much disappointed and care- lessly observed that he would slip over to Tom Mullenix's and proceed to put some extra touches on his toilet. Jess
A Flirtation.
was evidently the pet and pride of the family and it was amus- ing to observe the general solicitude in his toilet. The old woman picked at his waistcoat and shirt collar ; the little sis- ter Jane tugged his coat tails straight : Job pulled the wrinkles out of his breeches legs, while the boy Harvey pulled them up again to make the red morocco boot tops show. Jess got off at length and soon after his father, excusing himself to us, followed in the same direction. About the middle of the after- noon the old man came back with an unusual solemn coun- tenance, shaking his head as he announced the doleful tidings : "'Wa-al wife, they've had orful bad luck down to Mul-
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