Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-09-14

me up to the sittin' room, wliar we sot dowr
and took good look at each other. She look
ed polished enough to tempt feller to bite q
piece out on her, and had all sorts of good
things made up to say when chance offered
and here the chance wur, but cuss me eff could
get out the first mutter Whether it wur skeel
at the idee of the old Frenchman, or bilin' uI
Of affecshun for his darter, that stuck in my
throat so tight I'm unable to swar; but thar
wur, like a boat fast on sand-bar, BLOWN
some. but maxim mighty little headway.
"'Vat is de matter wiz you, Mounseerr
said Marie: you look vair much like de leaf in
Won grand Storm. all ovair wiz de shake"
"Wrll,' says ], i do feel as ef wur about
to collapse a flue or bust my biIer, for the fact
of the matter is. Marie, they say your OLD dad
dy's tiger and eff get caught here tharll be
suthin' broke-a buryin' instead of weddn'
not that I am the least mite skeered for myself,
but the old man might get hurt and l should
be fretted to do any such thing
"'Oh, mon annie, never be fear fur him, he is
Won great, strong as vat you call de gentleman
COW ?-von bu but, mon Dieu vat shall
do wiz you: suppose he come, eh! lie will
cut you into bits all ovaf!'
's'But, my angel ses |, he shant ketch me,
for I'll streak it like fast boat the moment
hear steam from his scape- -pipe-the old man
might as well try to catch a Mississippi catty
with thread line as git his fingers on me-
had no sooner said SO than bange went the
door below and old Fecho,. juicy as melon,
came teelin' his way up stairs, mutterng, like
small piece of fat thunder, and swearin' in
French orfuly. | know'd thar warn't much
time to spare, so histed the winder and back
ed Jest as was about TO drop, Marie says to
iptr tbo
and instanter shut the winder. Nv har riz on
I'll tell YOU what. boys, souse into the Mis-
sissippi in ice time warn't half as cold as her
warnin' made me- sIt was so eternal dark that
l couldn't begin to tell which side of the build
ing wur on, and that war an all.imporant per-
ticnler, for twas just three stories high on one
side, towards the Hollow, and it warnt only
one on the other side next the hill-in course
all the chances wur in favor Of the we'll being
on the low side. I'd gin all had then to know
which side was watin' below for me. look
ed up, as hung on, to see if thar warn't a star
shinin' somewhere, jest to give a hint of what
was below but they'd all put or their night
caps, and wouldn't be coaxed from under the
kiver; then I'd look below, and listen, until !
made sartn in my mind that | could hear the
droppin' of water, somewhat about fifty feet be-
low me Old Fecho was tearin' about
through the room, and rppin' out French
oaths in an uncommon rapid manner, and de-
clarin' that he knew some one had bin thar, for
he'd been told so. Two or three times he ap-
peared to be rushin' fur the winder, and the
little gal would coax him back again, and then
he'd cuss the Yankee Doodels, and grit his
teeth most owdaciously Well, eff warn't in
an oneasy situation all this time, then I'm more
than human; my arms jest stretched out to |
about yard and half in length, and gin to |
cramp and get orful weak. j couldn't fur the |
life OF ME think on any prayer I'd ever heerd-
at least, just as one hand was givin' way its I
hold, thoft of short one | use to say when |
a younker, and mutterin Here drop me down I
deep, ! pray the Lord my bones to keepp | |
sot my teeth together, drew long breath,
shut my eyes, and let go!-whip? r-r-r-ip
bang went-as | supposed-about fifty I
feet; and didn't holler, when lit and ro!ed |
over, and the water soused all round me
Murder Oh, git me out!-oh 900, murderr
"The people came rushin' out Of their hou-
ses, with lights; and sich another jargon Of
questions as they showered at me-askin', all |
together who'd been stabbin' me +? What wur
the matter? and who'd hit me Z. opened my
eyes to- tell 'em I'd fell from the third story. !
and broke every bone in my body; when, on
iookin' upthar wur the old Frenchman and his
darter grinnin' out Of the top winder, about ten
feet above me The fact wur. boys. Id drop
ped out on the hill side of the house, and jump
I'd down just four feet from whar my toes
had lit on the edge of water pail.
ind it flowed about me when fell over! Arter |
Did Fecbo told them the joke, they pretty nigh I
busted hrlin' at me- / crawled off, arter
irin' Il volley at old Mounseer of the hardest
lind of cusses. and from that day to this ha'nt
zone courtin' in French hollow !"