The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-09-18
STEALING wATERMELoNs.

A man in a country town took great plea
cure in having neat garden. He had al
kinds of vegetables and fruits earlier than his
nsighbors. But lhieving in the ne GLIB Jrhood
annoyed him damaged his trees, trampled
down his flowers, and hooked" lis choicest
fruits. He tried various ways 10 protect lis
grounds but his wstch-dogs were poisoned,
aud his set-traps caught nothing but his fat
sest fowls and most favoIite cat.
One afternoon, however, just at night fall,
he overhears couple of mi chieyous boys
talking together, when one of them says:
Nv. al do you say, Joe? Snail we come
the grab over them melons tonight? Old
Swipes will be snoring like ten men before
twelve o'clock"
The other objected. as there was high
wall to get over.
"Oh, pshaw p WAS the reply "I know a
place where you can get over just as easy
know il like n booL. Come, joe let's go II. -
The owntr Of the melon patch didn't like
the idea vi being an eaves-dropPer but the
conversation SO intimately c''ncern' d his incl
ons, which he had taken 50 much pains to
raise, that he kept quiet, and listened TO the
plans Of the young scape gr"c,s, 50 that he
might make it some what boihcrs ONE for them.
Ned proposed to get over the wall % the
south side, by the great pear tree, aud cut dl-
Iectly across ~ the summer house, just nor h
of which were the melous.
Joe was a clever f,llow, who loved good
fru, exceedingly, and was as obstinate as an
ass. Get him once started TO do llin.. and
he would stick to it, like mudturtle t. a
negro's toe. The other didn't care o much
ior the melons as for the fun cf getting them.
Now hear the o ,ner's story:
"I made all needful preparations for the
visit put in brsds pretty thick in the scant-
ling along the wall where they intended to
get over uncovered large wa,er.yat tha,
had been filled for some time, from which, in
dry weather, | was accustomed to water my
garden dug a trench foot deep or so, and
placed slender boards over it, Which were
slightly covered with dirt, and Just beyond
them some little cords, fasten, lightly, son e
eight inches from the ground. l picked all
the melons cared to preserve, leaving pump,
kins and squashes. about the size and shape
Of melons, in their places"
The boys were quite right in suprosing it
would be dark but they missed it little in
infeiring that " old Swipes," as they called
little fun as well as they, and when the time
came, from his hiding place he listened
"Whist, Joe don't you hear something?''
I think that it was very probable they did,
dor hardly were the words uttered, than there
came sound Of forcibly tearing fustian.
"Get of my coat tail p whispered joe
:" There goes one flap, sure as gun Why,
get of. Ned"
And Ned was of, and one leg ofhis breech-
60 besides and then he was "ah".ing, and
"oh"-ing. and telling Joe that he believed
there were nails in the side of the WALL for
something had scratched him tremendously
and torn his breeches all to pieces"
Joe sympathized with him, for he said
"half his coat was hanging up there some
where"
They now started hand-in-hand, for Net
believed he "knew the way" They had ar
rived a little beyond the trees, when some
thing went swash swash into the water
vat.
A sneeze ensues, then the exclamation,
Thunder ! that water smells rather old! ;
Ned wanted to go home at once, but Jot
was too much excited to listen for a momen
to such proposition.
"Never heard anything about that cisterr
before; the old fellow must have fixed it OF
purpose to drown people in. Curious, though
that we should both fall in it,"
They pushed on again for the melons,
Presently they were caught by the cords, an,
heaulong they went into a heap of briars, an,
thistles, and the like, which had been place,
there for their express accommodation.
Such gettin' up stairs !" muttered one.
"Nettles and thistles how they prick +
exclaimed the other.
They now determined TO 60 on more eau
tiously. At length they arrived at the patch
How thick they are, Joe Come here
There's more than dozen fat ones righthere!