The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 183?-1840, 1839-11-15
From the New Orleans Picaynne.
Reuben Small.
OR, TIE Z Ed 0UTWITTED.
q TRUE STONY.

i OR, THE YANKEE 0UFWITIED.
TRUE STORY.
/ hi 4 plsasent southern town, soiourned
Reuben Small, schoolmaster "a restless, "a.
dayer01s Ind iYidual- rho some years pgeRi-
Gus to the date 0f our story, had emigratedI
from some where aloug-shore, In the land Of
steady habits. Now, Reuben having, like
most ofhis countrymen, the organ Of acquis-
itiyeness remarkably developed, and not
content with the emoluments derived from
his literary station, drove as large and prof-I
table business ii the watermelon line. The
year ia question, his melons were remarka-
bly, fne, and were in great demand. Reu-
ben guarded them from infancy to the full
Efruition of nleIonh0Od with a parents care.
He nursed each embryo, and saw with pain
4 blossom nipped by bug or worm; and oh!
how he gloried When he stood among them,
| like fatherin the midst Of his children, and
saw their stripped backs grow broader and
roundeT, beneath the genial influence Of the
summer sun. AT length It became evident
to Reuben that wolves entered his fold:-
each morn some six or eight striped backs
were among the missing, leaving no trace
of their former location behind them, save
an oval impression on the ground, like the
print Of departed hog in a mudhole This
was not to be borne. Reuben gloried 10
his melons, and thought of the dollars they
would have brought him; and his spirit was
stirred to vengeance. Determining to place
the remainder of all danger before exc
cutting his scheme Of revenge, he plucked
all that were ripe, Or nearly so, and placed
them away carefully IN an upper room Of his
domicil. Unfortunately for him, this move !
ment was observed by an idle wandering
boy, tone of the thieves) who, suspecting
his intention, fastened to communicate il |
to his They alarmed &C the pros |
pect Of loosing their plundeF, and determiu-
ed to out-Wit the master, Immediately held |
a secret council, in which a plan was sug-
gested, and plot laid; the result win be found
in the sequaL
Night had thrown her mantle over the /
earth and all honest people were 1t home,
when Reuben, anticipating foFay and
chuckling over his. ingenuity, unaware that
his plan was discovered, and armed with loa-
ded pistols, emerged from bis back door, and
creeping along the shadow, at length dePo-
5ited himself and bis 'sartillery' insthe fence
corner determined to blaze away at the
irst intruder upon his premises. All was
mouse or cricket disturbed the
silence, but Reuben slept not. .Solitary
Ind alone" he sat, like grim sentinel on )
lone beleagured rampant, unconscious that
he enemy wore at his gates Alas! could :
Re have beheld the scene lransacting on the
Other side Of his house, how would his
,lood have boiled within his veins Slowly =
md silently party Of fifteen or twenty boys
pproach the window, III Indian file;a lad
Ter IS planted, the window is raised, their y
eaders enters, line is formed, and melon z
fter melon is passed from hand to hand, like
uckets at a FIRE, till all are safely deposited
d the valley below, to be removed at leis-
ire. The enemy departed unseen aud I'M
card, the garrison slumbefed undisturbed, Z
1hile Reuben, unconscious Of his loss, kept =
uaFd on the other side. Hour after hour =
assed, but all was still; the full moon had &
limbed to her meridian; the stars Winked, i
nd Reuben nodded, when, lol 4 wandering 8
lckass, mistaking him for slumberins bro. =
Ter, put Els head over the fence 10 salute q
i'm lifting up his trumpet voice, he poured 8
bee-asc,n into Renben's affighed ear Y
,euben started, stumbled, and fell--bang,
ang, went the pistols; away ranthe jackass, y
Id away ran the schoolmasteF, the one y
inging up against board fence, and the =
her aeainsl his own kitchen door. Reu- q
ms face was soon deluged with blood 9 81 81
I, as IS usual ia such cases, his organ Of ~ ~
nelIing struck first AtIFighted, bruised ~
d dirty, he scrambled IN, struck j light, II
lshed his face, and started to bedS in bis
u there, Be passed through bis room III
lieh he had deposited bis much loved me 1s.
ls Asingle glance told him that they -
ire gones the open window pointed out ~
) way Of their departure. Truly "misfor. ill J,
aes never come alone
70 this day Reuben thinks the whole af- Rle
! was CON Quoted by the devil and his imps ~
the young chaps having flown away with ~
Imelons while the Old 'un beloved ID bis 9 ,.-
!. and Knocked him down by 4 kick on the ~
se with his club foot. AS q confirmation II.
he truth Of The story, he isreadY 80 aus. ~
/ that the marks Of the hoof were next sue
rning distinctly visible outside The fence s1N
0 that the devil started Of ii q fash of Us
ltnino. with two distinct claps Of thunder one
wing smell of rhinestone behind him.
Fo those who have read our story, Il Il t .s
dent that tie lightning, thunder and ~
nstone proceeded from the pistols, inyo. ~
tarilY discharge by Reuben That the
IS had outwitted the Yankee, and two -.
xsa Is bad ghtsned one another. ~
I he following is TOO good nol lo Be copied
! from that Feposify os good things, the
Atlas. we WON'T indulge Ia hofFid ~
-. ~ ~ 81