The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1855-06-22
fEEfs s s JuNE 1856

miss the hnmanizing4 influence of kind pa.
rents, and still harder to fall into such hands
as those of BODY Box. But SO it wasAthe
only education he ever, got was the foul lan-
guage OF old Bobby, the only work he ever
did was to walk twice week to Burlington
TO fill old Bobby's jug, the only discipline
exercised upon him was a hearty kick when.
ever he was gone too long, or broke the Jug.
| With this brief sketch OF character, may
lprudently proceed with my story About
the 6rstof May, Bobby Box had a araising,p
and an extra supply ofwhisky was demand.
ed, .sia,. = 80 ~ q, -, - 4. 49,
Starting Jeremy on ahead with the inQ.
| he followed after, having the keg strapped,
to his back, and his ,heavy.riiie on this shouid-
or, looking as much like a palmer as a red !.
faced back woodsfnsn looks Ike anything
else. The precious fluid was duly puf.
chased, and the eainiable pair retraced their.
steps burdened with the load, but elevated
by a considerable portion of its contents
for say what you will fold Box, he would
not refuse others the comfoft that he took.
himself. The journey lay across several
small prairies. and,then wound up by passing
through Skunk river bottom, dense thick
ct of'cane, papaw and othershrubby growth.
The travellers left Burlington in good season
to have arrived home by dark unfortunate
ly, the youth. not being practised in measur-
ing his capacity for spirits, allowed himself
to indulge too freely, and was compelled to
step for some hours in. consequence, a pro,
ceeding that excited the wrath of the pafri-s
arch 20 an unlimited extent: but, whether
he was offended atthe delay, or at Jeremy's.
weakness, cannot at this late period be as
certained. Sunset overshadowed the prairies
before the boy could be sufficiently aroused
to proceed on the journey. Difficulties now
commenced In right, earnest, for there was
Egyptian darkness just as they entered the
bottom. No moon wasin the sky; it never
is on a dark night, when most wanted /; and
as for the stars, though there were thousands
winking over the beautiful prairie landscape,
Tot oneSis sharp enough to wink through o.
a papaM tree, into the thicket The road
was a mere pathway, sometimes travelled by
[oxwagons il istrue---not by such oxen or such
wagons asSapy body ever saw except by
border settlers -but by oxen that can 90
through hardships, and wagons to match.
Our rule in the back woods is the scriptural
one in its most literal interpretion- -"where
the tree falleth there shall it lie'' - and when
one blows across the road we quietly yield
TO the necessity Of the case, and turn, the
road aroundit. 1t is true that Dutchman
once innovated upon our custom by cuttinga
large tree out of theway, but we sneered at
him SO much for bis folly that he never re-
peated it, and since that time the principle
has been universally acknowledged. y
Itfolows, therefore that Uncle Bobby Box
and his nephew, Jeremy Cossit, each nom
pariels in the way of travelling bee-line,
would nevertheless find considerable difficul-
tty in travelling through Skunk.. River bottom
in the dark the more especially as the uncle
had but one eye and the nephew had obfus-
Gated both of his by getting drunk
three hours before. The first catsstro-
phe was the fall of Uncle Bobby over
aswinging grapevine, by which he broke
his gun stock short off; the second was a
flying visit of Jeremy downa sharp rayine,
which cost him the loss ofthejug; the third
was their leaving the path and finding them
selves beyond their bearings, these three fol !
lowing each other in close succession, and
the last Gaping the climax of their miseiies..
Ont of breath at last, the elder Withdrew the
cob from his keg, and commenced to drcwnl
his sorrows as rapidly as possible by getting
drunk, feat he would have soon achieved, J,
had it not been for sharp, ringing sound
which thrilled through the forest, and caus-
ed him suddenly sodrop the keg and spriAg.
TO his feet. For moment all was still, save
the loud breathing of two tersi6ea hearts,
and then arose waiiiRg sound like they voice
of many others crying for their lost babes,
that chilled the blood in their veins. &.
sits young one that's got lost" whis,
pered Jeremy, TO which his svenerableguardian
sternly replied;
n Young one, il S a painter" l
Another and another scream ECHOED
through the woods, and by their increasing
loudness gave token that the animal was
rapidly approaching them. "a
No time wss TO be lost if they would es-
cape ;.but where could they gol to flee was,
impossible; one bound of the animal
would settle that; to climb was even less Sc
cure in the face of a brute whose leap was
thirty feet. seT
"Hunt out hollow cried the old man,
and at it they went. Those Of my readers
who have travelled on the upper Mississippi
have doubtless been struck with the immense
size Of the larger sycamores that range from
six feet TO twenty in diameter. After they grow