The Panic At Perdido

From the Atlanta Constitution. Just how or when Perdido entered upon fin era of "flueh times," is a matter of small importance. The village was connected with the outside world by astage making daily trips to a river landing, a distance o' about a dozen miles. "Here's the Metropolitan!" shouted the stage driver, as we roilcd up in front of a big two-story wooden building, with a broad piazza running all the way around it, As the Metropolitan was the only hotel in Perdido, I lost no time in securing a room, Then I strolled out on the piazza to takea look at things. "Pow'ful peart town, ain't it?" The speaker was my landlcrd, Mr. Zeb Duke. I saw nothing to distinguish the place from other villaees in the cotton belt of the southwest, but as it was unnecessary to mention this fact to Mr. Duke, I feil into his mood, and answered accordingly. "You see befo' you, s'r, the comin' metroperlis of the southwest." "VVell, yes," I replied, "there is plenty of room for your expansión." Mr. Duke regarded me doubtfully for a moment. But his distrust, if he feit any was only temporary. He introduced the loungers on the piazza with indescriminate courtesy, but with significant emphasis when he pronounced the name of Colonel Arper. The colonel would have impressed most people as a find looking man, but I thought that his face had a reckless, wicked expression. His black moustache and beard matched his hair, and yet in the eunlight each separate hair looked like a quivering thread of fire. He had bold black eyes, and a dark complection wearing the ilush that results from deep and strong potations. I did not like this man, and yet it ■was plain that he was doing his best to be genial and clever. His short round figure was that of the typical jolly man, but although the Colonel made jokes and laughed at them there was a false ring about his mirth. "Cunnle," said Mr. Duke, speaking up suddenly, "How many bales do you count on this year?" About a hundred," was the indifferent answer. "You'll push it to a thousand yet," euggested one of the crowd. "Oh, yes," said the Colonel, "when I get some more nigeers. After next year I am going to set my stake íor a thousand bales every season." A httle more talk on this line informed me that Arper had the finest plantation on the river, that he o wned several hundred slaves, and that he was from every point of view the biggest man in all that región. As it was my intention to spend some time at Perdido, I íound myself interested in much that was discussed by these lfptel gossips. Something turned the conversation to the business out-look when Mr. Duke volunteered a piece of information. "Pedder has sued Sexton and swears he will sell him out." A burst of profanity from Colonel Arper shocked me out of my usual Belf-possession. "Sexton is a blankety blank fooi to stand it," he said in conclusión. "But if he is indebted to Pedder, how can he help himself?" I asked. There was a general smile all round the circle. Zeb Duke laughed heartily. Colonel Arper did not smile. He frowned, and a black cloud seemed to settle over his face. "Pedder picks his man, he said sternly. "Do you think he would sue me?" "No, indeed! Of course not!" came in a chorus from the crowd. "Pedder knows me," continued the Colonel "and he knows my peculiarities. One of my peonliarities, as you all know, is a fondness for the shot gun. The shot gun, gentlemen, is a great regulator. It will settle a difference of opinión quicker than anything else. No, I have never been sued, nor refused credit, and such a thing is not likely to occur." Therewas an appreciative silence, broken only by a iiw abmiringexpressions of anproval. The Colonel laid his hand ín a friendly way on my knee. "I ani worth, 1 suppose, fully two hundred and fitty thousand dollars." said he 'but I owe something Hke three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Yet nobody sues me, and nobody thinks of it, and my credit is first-class. What do you think of that?" I suggested that the people had confidence in him. "That's the secret," replied the Colonel. "That is all there isinit. They know my views, my peculiarities, and they have confidence in me. Now, if credit is the life of trade, confidence is the life of credit. The man who destroys confideuce in nieruins my credit, breakes me up, just the same as kills me, and by G - d, for such conduet I would kill any man that walks the earth!" "And serve him right, too, Cunnle," chimed in Mr. Duke. "I'm withyou." The unanimity of sentiment prevented discussion, and the colonel's polite invitation to accompany him to tbe b'ar was accepted with alacrity. "Those are mine, Zeb,"he said with a graceful wave of his hand, after we had imbibed our various beverages. "Don't mention it, sir. That's all right," was Zeb'a ready response, as we all filed out of the room. "Yes," remarked Mr. Duke to me that iiight, "Colonel Arper is the wust man I ever struck. Strickly honahblo, a puffick gentleman, but a bad man, sir, from way back." "He seems to have very Httle regard for human life," I ventured to say. "Well, that's whenhe's imposed upon," explained Mr. Duke. "He's naterally kind hearted and lib'ral, but when he thinks a man is trying to crowd him, then look out for great snakes!" "The shot gun,'" I hinted. "Jesso. The shot gun, or the revolver, or the bowie knife. Why, sir, I'll betcher the Cunnle's Rot not less than two revolvers two bowie knives on him right now. Such a man for secretin' concealcd weepins, and a-hidin,oi 'em in a various mannerall over his person I never did see, s'elp ■ me!" "Killed many around here?" I asked. "No. Can't say he has. Bnt he left a reg'lar graveyard out in Texas. You see, he only came here some fivé orsixyears agoto take the plan tation, when his father died and left it to him.. So he has'nt been hero very long." "Is it true that he is so deeply in dobt?" "That's nothin'," enorted Mr. Duke. "It's jest as he says. Whila the people have coniidence ifs all riitit. The Cunnle has been unlucky in his speculations, and the keavds always go agin him, but ivhat's the difference? His word's as good as his bond?" I went to bed and dreamed that the Colonel had been sued, and that he had shot the plaintifï dead in the courtroom, and had been serenaded tiv his entliusiaatic fellow citizens. une next mornmg i ñau not neen on the piazza fi ve minutes before Colonel Arper made his appearanse with j eral companions. They were fresh from the bar, and had all been drinking heavily. As they passed me the Colonel spoke , in an angry tone to one of the party, , a stranger who had evidently just ; rived. "If your reniark was personal," he said, "111 be blanked if I don't " "Personal," answered the , etly. "Take it that way if ït suits yon I am sure it is all the same to i me." The shock partly sobered Colonel ; Arper. He sta&igbtened himseli and : threw his hand back to his hip pocket. ■'For God's sake," whispered Mr. : Duke to the stranger, "take keer. The Cinnle's wild this mornin'. He'll kill you if you don't apologize." "I've sized him up," said the stranger. "Let him alone. I can clean out a dozen like him." Everybody feil back to give the two men a clear field. Colonel Arper drew his pisto!. "Your hand is shaky," sneereii the other. "Go and take another drink." Arpers face turned pale. The stranger looked at him with an air of cool contempt. But only for a moment. Before we could realize it, he w.alked up to the colonel, snatched his pistol from him, and then conld we believe our eyes he deliberately slapped the desperate man's face, not once, but twice! Kor was this all. The cool stranger threw the colonel s pistol at his feet' and walked off with an elastic step down the street, whistling as he went. "Gentlemen," said the Colonel, staring at us, "this means blood!" "No, it don't" said Zeb Duke. "but it means business. I'vo put up with your airs long enough, you triflin', cowardly fraud. You jest plank down what you o we me and git!" "Why, grear Goddlemighty, Zeb!' "Will yon pay up, Cunnle?" Arper muttered something about the first of the month, and without another word sneaked off, leaving hia fellow-citizens looking at each other in speeehless astonishment. I never saw a town so completely torn up as Perdide was in the next half hour. One feature of the business surprised me beyond measuie. Pedder brought six suits against Arper that very day. All the merchants followed. For a week it fairly rained declarations, bilis in equity, attachments, suits tor damages, garnishments. eic. The effects were far reaching. Men whose sole claims to credit consisted in certain bits of paper sigaed by Arper were sued right and left. The place appeared to be in the hands of the sheriff, his deputies and the baiiiffs. As the panic spread, J accidently detected Zeb Dukü in the act of running of most of his liqüoi and tobáceo to hide thein from his creditors. Every stage brought merchants and lawyers to lookafter their claims. It was evident that the Colonel's fall had hopelessly ruined the entire town. I left before the trouble was over, and leit without seeing tho Colonel. It was rumored at the time of my departure that he had slipped off to Texas. At any rate he disappeaved. After the panic at Perdido itwas not safe for him to remain.