Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-10-27

FootS not Iar from the mouse. HaViHg uHoWH Ht
vest on the ground, and rolled up his sleeves, Mr.
Keeper commenced chopping off the log about
, eight feet from the but. %
It was ehard job,'' Sampson afterwards said
and as the came pouring down upon him, he
was quite exhausted and heated before the frs
"cut'' was off. Leaving the main portion of the
trunk hanging by s:chip' to the stump, in ordel
that blocks might be placed under it, to keep ii
from falling quite to the ground, Sampson struck
his axe into the log, and began to look for shady
place to sit down. q
4 Near by grew stately Eastwood, from the roots
of which sprung up luxuriant growth of shoots
surrounding the parent tree. Rejecting that these
4 would not only shade him from the sun, but also
serve as protection against swarm of flies, he
determined to find resting place among them
and began accordingly, to push them aside, in
search of the most comfortable spot.
At that moment the chrping of squirrel attract
ed his his attention to the vast mass of earth which
adhered to the upturned roots of the fallen tree.
The little animal was sitting on the summit of this
mass, talking saucily to Mr.. Keeper, who think
4 ing of the corn it would consume during the COM
ing Autumn, picked up club, and with well
aimed blow, knocked it into the deep cavity left
/ by the exhumed roots of the tree. Mr.. Keeper,
with an eye to pleasing his little nephews, jumped
the mud, and having thrown it down by his vest,
proceeded to ensconce himself in the bushes.
+ Mr.. Keeper found most comfortable spot where
he was quite concealed from the sun and flies; and
there leaning against the ancient basswood, he in
dulged in reverie, in which nice widow, de-
| lghtful family of children, cider in the evening,
and gooseberry pie for dinner, were charmingly
mixed up together.
| Mr.. Keeper was startled from his pleasant re-
Elections by dull cracking sound, in the direction
of the tree on which he had been ;chopping; and
pushing aside the bushes, he saw the "chip' break
ing, which he had left the log hanging to the
stump. r. 7.5 (.
j" There goes the log to the ground, . he NUT
tered with some impotence. s.s-ss-
No sooner had he spoken, than the trunk drop
ped of, and instantaneously the hugh mass ofroots
and earth overbalancing the stump, which was no
longer attached to the tree. turned slowly; back
and fell with dull, heavy report into its original
bed. .sys ~ s@sgE
!" The dogs! . muttered Sampson, sit is lucky
I didn't happen to be picking that squirrel out Of
the hollow just at this time! . ,ssss-...
And he shuddered to think what horrid death,
to be crushed under an ayalanch ofroots and clay.
Mr.. Kepper,s however, sat still, and was soon
lost in another reverie, from which he was arous-
| ed by most extraordinary occurrence.
It afterwards appeared that Joe Symes, the
near by, had twice or thrice cast his eyes in the
direction of the fallen tree. Hearing the sound
of Mr.: Keepers axe no longer Mr.. Symes looked
shortly AFTER and saw that worthy in the hole
under the roots of the tree; and in little while,
startled by a smothered conclusion, he looked
again, and beheld the stump turned back. At that
moment Mr. Bunker appeared, and inquired for his
brother-in-law. Both looked in the direction of
4 the stump, and seeing nobody, Mr.. Symes sudden
/ exclaimed 4. -e-srza-.,z s-.-ss
- vowi - >--.szz.
i g Whatl''
| 81 bet Keepers been ketched under the butt OF
that tree! . ...-z=.-,ss-
Mr.. Bunker thought it could not be; but Symes
assuring him that the last time he saw Mr.. K,
he was in the hole, both ran to the spot.
" Good Lord!' cried Symes, "here's his jacket
there's his axe-I VOW! he's goner!
This was the. exclamation which aroused Mr..
Keeper He looked through the bushes and held
his breath. #e- zsz3.<-< :
Impossible !" said Bunker, nervously.
q Where's Mr.. Keeper then!' demanded Symes.
/ "Why he's walked off, suppose"
g Walked of-walked off in brillin' sun, with
i out his hat! Look here!''
IS Symes picked up the old bachelors hat close
by the Eastwood bushes, where Mr.. Keeper had
dropped it on going into his retreat
81 declare that looks bad!n muttered Bunker.
4 = Mr.. Keeper was on the very point of showing
himself, to end the joke and have a grand laugh
over it, when Mr.. Bunker made the remark that
1T looked bad.
4 Now Mr.. K, could not have the least objection
to having any man say, such state of things look
ed bad. He himself would have been deeply i'm
pressed with the conviction that it looked bad had
he been under the stump. Yet the manner in
which Mr.. B. made the remark, according to Mr.
KS way of thinking, looked bad in itself. To be
brief, Mr.. BIS countenance and tone expressed 9
satisfaction which he could not conceal; and Mr.
= K. thought he would just try the experiment o.
sitting still.
"Look's bad! Guess it does!'' cried Symes
f. and he swore Shy George that if Keeper wasn'
under the stump, he was, and that it was kind O
duty they owed the "old feller,'' to dig him out.
/, sDig him out! 'twould take an age!" mntteret
Mr.. Bunker, rubbing his hands-probably to keel
the flies off. Tell you what, Joe, if he's there he'
killed. and it isn't though little diggin' wo't
) save mans life. So we may well make Ger
tain he's there before we begin.'
0 ssThere! to be sure he's there. I'll go for tn,