Then he went up to Traylor and said: "What did you do with my niggers, you dirty sucker ?' "Men from Missouri hated the Illinois folks them clays and called 'em Suckers.

We always call a Missouri man a name too dirty to be put in a letter.

He acted like one o' the Roman emperors ye read of.
"'Hain't you a little reckless, young feller ?' Traylor says, as cool as a cucumber.
"I didn't know Traylor them days.

If I had, I'd 'a' been prepared for what was comin'.
"Traylor stood up nigh the barn door, which Brimstead had closed after we backed the wagon out.
"The young feller stepped close to the New Salem man and raised his whip for a blow.

Quick as lightnin' Traylor grabbed him and threw him ag'in' the barn door, keewhack! He hit so hard the boards bent and the whole barn roared and trembled.