The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-02-08


his back towards Mr.. Robinson, "pcrhaps
the oxcn had taken a mug Of hot Zip be.
fore they vcut into tho woods a
BY this timo Major Grant began TO feel
q little suspicious that no might lose his
bet, and was setting all his wits 10 work TO
fix on aquostion SO direct and limited IN
its nature, that il could not fail TO draw
from Mr. Robinson pretty direct answor.
lie had thought at first Of making some
simple inquiry about tho weather; but now
he felt convinced that. with Mr. Robinson.
the weather was very copious subject
He had also several times thought Of asking
some question in relation to the beverage
they we've drinking; such as, whether Mr..
Robinson preferred Zip 20 hot sling. And
at first he could hardly perceive, if tho
question were put direct, how it could fail
20 bring out direct yes or no. But tho
diseurSive nature of Mr. Robinson's clo-
quenoe on Hip had already induced him to
turn his thoughts in another direction Tor a
safe and suitable question. At last he
thought he would make his inquiry concern
ing Mr.. Robinson's lamenoss lIe would
have asked the cause OF his lamoness, but
the thought occurred to him that the cause
might not be clearly known, or his lame
ness might have 5ecn produced by com
plioation of causos, that would allow too
much latitude for n reply. He resolved
therefore simply to ask him whether his
lamencss was in the leg or in the foot.
That was question which il appeared to
him required short answer. For if it
were in leg, Mr.. Robinson would say it was
in his leg; and If it were in his foot. he
would at once reply, in his foot; and il il
were in BOTH what could be more natural
than that he should say, in both? and that
would seem to be the end of tho story.
Having at length fnlly made up his mind
as to the point OF attack, ho prepared for
the charge, and taking careless look at
his watch, he gave the Doctor a sly wink.
Doctor Snow, without turning OF appearing
to move, drew his watch from beneath his
wrapper so far as to soc the hour, aud re.
turned it again to his pocket.
MIR. Robinson, said the major, 'ir may
presume to make tho inquiry, is your lame
ness in the leg or in tho loot?'
well, that reminds me, said Mr.. Robin,
son, taking a sip from tho tumbler, which
he still held in his hand, that reminds me
Of what my old father said 10 mo once
whom ! was u boy. Says he, Jack, you
bloCkhcad, don't you never tell where any
thing is, unless you can first tell how il
como there The reason of his saying il
was this. Father and was coming, in the
steamboat from New York TO Providencej
and they was all strangers on board-we
didn't know one of EN- from Adam. And
on the way, ono of the passengers missed
his pocket-book, and begun TO make q great
outcry about it. lie called the captain and
said there must he search. The boat
must he searched, and all tho passengers
| and all on board must DO searched. Well
tho captain he agreed to it; and at 1t they
went, and overhauled every thing from
one end of the boat to t'ottcr; but they
couldn't find hide nor hair of it. And they
searched all tho passengers and all the
hands, but they couldn't get no track ont
And the man that lost tho pocket-bo took
on and maize great fuss. lie said it WASH
50 much OH account of the money, for there
wasn't great deal in it, but the papers
i'll il were of great consequences tohim, anc
he offered to give ten dollars to any bod,
| that would find it, Pretty soon after that
| was Gxn' ZIP fathers berth little. where
he was going 10 sleep, and | found the
| pOcket-bOok under the clothes at the head
of the berth, where the thief had tucked
it away while the search was going on
So took it, ticklcd enough, and run to thu
nan, and told him had found his pocket
! book. lie catched it out Ot my hands, anc
says lie, "Whero did you find it?" Says
"Umler the clothes in the head of my faith
ers berth,
In yonr fathers berth, did youl" says he
and he give me a look and spoke so sharp
| jumped as if was going out of my skin
Says lie, "Show mo the place."
So run and showed him the place.
"Call yanr father here" says lie. So
run and called father.
SNOW Mister" says he to father, Z"
should like tok know how my pocket-bool
come in your berth"
81 don't know nothin' about it, say
father.
Then he tbrned to mo and says lie
"Young man, how came this pocket-bool
in your fathers bertll?"
Says I, IL can't tell found il there
and that's all ku1w about it,"
'Then he called tho captain and asked
him if he knew MS. The captain said ht
didn't. Tho man looked ut us mighty sharp
| first TO father, and then 10 mo, aud eyed III
from top to tse. Wo wasn't either of Us
dressed very slick, and we could tell by
his looks pretty well what ho was thinking
! At last he said he would leave ii TO the
passengers whether. under all circumstan
ccs, he should pay tho hoy the ten dollar,
or not. ! looked at father and his face wai
rs red as blaze, AMI | see his dander be
| gun to rise. lie didn't wait for amy Of tht
passengers to give their opinion about il
! but says he to the maA "Dod-rOt you
money! il you've got any y|moro than yor
want you may throw il into the sea fol
what care; but if you offer any of it t.
my hoy, III send yOu where a streak o
tightening wouldu reach you in six months
That seemed TO settle the business; the
man didn't say no more to father, and mos
Of the passengers hegHn 10 look as ii they
number of times after that on the passage
| see the man that lost the pocket-bool
whisper to some of tho passengers, and theI
| turn and look at father Aud then fathol
would look gritty enough to bite a boar
nail off When We got ashore, as soon as
VIC got little ont OF sight Of folks, father
catched hold of my arm and gave it a mos
awful jerk, and says he, Jack, you block
head, don't you never tell where anything
is again, unless you can first tell how il
come there. .
Now it would be about as dihralt, con
timed Mr.. Robinson after q sigh
pause, which he employed, in taking
sip from his tumbler, for mo t.
tell TO q cert inty how | come by this
lameness, as it was to tell how the pocket
book come in fathers berth. There was Z
hundred folks abroad, and We knew soDJC
of 'em must a put it in; but which ont
twas il goGld have puzzled a Phlladel