Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-01-22

for his brother-in-law. Both looked in the direc-
ton of the stump, and seeing nobody, Mr. Symes
suddenly exclaimed
81 vow p
''What p
81 bet Keepers been ketched under the butt Of
that tree p
Mr.. Bunker thought it could not be but Symes
assuring him that the last time he saw Mr.. Keep
per, he was in the hole, both ran to the spot
Good Lord p cried Symes, here's lis jacket
there's his axe-I VOW he's goner..'
Impossible p said Bunker, nervously.
where's Mr., Keeper, then?" demanded Symes.
"Why he's walked off, suppose
''Walked off-walked off in brillin' sun, without
his hat? Look here p
Symes picked up the old bachelors hat close by
the Eastwood bushes, where Mr.. Keeper had drop
ped it, going into his retreat.
81 declare that looks bad p muttered Bunker.
Mr.. Keeper was on the point of showing him
SELF to end the joke and have grand laugh over
it, when Mr.. Bunker made the remark that it looked
bad.
Now Mr.. Keeper could not have the least obiec-
ton to having any man say such state of things
looked bad. He himself would have been deeply
impressed with the conviction that it looked bad,
had he been under the stump. Yet the manner
in which Mr.. Bunker made the remark according
to Mr.. Keepers way of thinking, looked bad in
I
tone expressed a satisfaction which he could not
conceal, and Mr.. Keeper thought he would Just
try the experiment of sitting STILL
CLOCKS bad Guess it does y cried Symes
and he swore "by George that if Keeper wasn't
the under stump, he was, and that it was kind of
duty they owed the ''old feller," to dig him out
'Dig him out 'twould take an age !" mutter-
ed Mr. Bunker, rubbing his hands-probably to
keep the flies off. Tell you what, Joe, if he's
there, he's killed, and it isn't as though a little
diggin' would save a mans life. So we may as
well make certain that he's there before we begin
| '"There to be sure he's there I'll 90 for the
shovels,' exclaimed Joe. ''By George, he was
the best fellow in the world p he added with emo
ton. "I,ll bring the shovels-or don't you think
the oxen will pull the stump over? I'll bring 'em
and try it p
Symes ran off, while Bunker remained looking
compacently at the stump.
1.-The dogs!' muttered Keeper, giving way tc
the momentary fancy that he was in the bad pre-
dicament supposed; eff you stand there, yonl
never get me out Why don't you get to dig
ging? ?"
Bunker walked around the stump, endeavorine
to look under it, where the ends of the roots pro
truded, and finally exclaimed, loud enough for his
beloved brother to hear
4 "Buried, sure as guns y
cam I?' muttered Keeper. "Ho there comes
Jane l wonder what she'll say?''
I Mrs Bunker came running to the spot in ter
rible state of excitement.
Dear me p she gasped, "Joe says Sampson.
under the stump!'
"Well,'' said Bunker, 81 s'pose he isl
"Spose he is ?" groaned Sampson.
ooh, what shall we 90 cried Jane, greatly
} agtated. "Gracious, how horrid Can he b,
got out +? How long has he been here 90
,ouo euouOb VIII PuDker EtrTba nj,
} devil must be stone dead. Of course it's horrid
butwe oughtto be thankful thathe has made has UHL
ooh, yes, Sampson was a cautious man, he wa
prepared" sighed Jane, "and if he was to b.
snatched from us we ought to be thankful that h
didn't marry first. Well! well! he was good boy
{ if he did have his faults p
"Was I?' growled Sampson in the bushes.
S ''The widow Brooks may go to the devil now,
:. said Bunker, with grim smile, and long breath
t "Oh she may, eh?'' thought Sampson.
Ito be sure, that odious match is off my mind
sighed Jane. ''We it's probably all for the best
e He couldn't have lived many years, you know
t Couldn't! Wen see p muttered Sampson
e ''And it's some consolation added Jane NOR
r calmly, toknow that although we have lost Samp
It son, our children provided for. Oh! here come
k Joe with the oxen . My poor dear brother! oh
e save him Joseph! He may still be alive
Possible p whispered Sampson, hoarsely.
S "Quick, Bunker help me whip this long chat
, round the top of the stump cried Symes.
Y Fudge they can't pull it," said Bunker.
O 'Theres no use if they can growed SamE
e son, stepping from the bushes; Il don't die 5
j, easy !''
n Good Lord here he is!'' cried Symes, droppin
the log chain.
t. 1.-The devil p muttered Bunker, changing coul
h tenance. "Oh, my dear Sampson p he addeC
n recovering his self-possession ''you rejoice m
it heart | never thought you under TIL
D, stump, but STILL IL felt anxious
le 'My dear, dear brother p exclaimed Jane, rul
l. ming to embrace him 81 was afraid you We
" hurt"
h ''And that I wasn't married hum p sneert
to Sampson, putting on his vest, sulkily.
lie 'My dear brother p began Bunker, depreca
O. ingly, "'you have made
''My will know it p walking off.
re "But where are you going?'' asked the anxio
i'd Bunker
n ''To inform Mrs. Brooks that she has your pc
E. mission to go to the devil p
g, ''My dear brother-I meant"
" "You meant to consign her to me To be sur
You called me an old devil l am glad, my n
e. bleminded sister, that the odious match is off 20
on mind. But it happens to be on my mind, hea
nd as you supposed this cursed stump was on 4
}" body"
to Jane sobbed on his neck, but Sampson push
her away.
IT. ssYou consoled yourself with the recollection
my will, when you thought was dead" he mi
in tered "and now that am alive, you are incc
-th solabIe Here, Joe Symes, he cried, to the We
at dering laborer, "here's my handful rememt
ell YOU. Throw that log chain around Bunker, a
L AZ 4 aofo I'll \