Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-01-15


without meeting human being or seeing
human habitation, came at length by sud
den turn of the wood road, to a miserable
shanty,' in the centre of small clearing
of what had originally been black jacket
thicket, whence the only sound that pro-
ceeds is the discordant music of broken
winded fiddle, from the troubled bowels of
which the occupant is laboriously extorting
the monotonous tune of The Arkansas or
Rackensack Traveller Our traveller rides
up to within few feet of the door, which
was once the bed frame of cart body, now
covered with bear skins, and hung upon
two big wooden hinges
After much shouting the inmate appears,
fiddle in hand, and evidently wrathy at
being interrupted in the exercise of his art.
The following colloquy ensues, the indefat-
igable fiddler still playing the first strain of
The Arkansas Traveller which, in fact,
he continues, at sudden intervals, until the
dialogue, as will be seen, is brought to an
unexpected conclusion. If this be not
seeking lodgings under difficulties we
should like to know what might be legitl-
mately so considered
Traveller Friend, can | obtain accom-
modations for the nj ght with you p
Arkansas Artist No Sir-'nary conn
modation.'
Traveller My dear sir, L have already
travelled thirty miles to-day, and neither
myself nor my horse has had mouthful to
eat; why can't you accommodate me for the
night :?
Ark. Artist lest case it can't be did.
We're plum out of everything to eat in the
house. Bills gone to the mill with the last
nubbln Of corn on these premises, and it
will be nigh onto the shank of tomorrow
evenin' afore he Gums home unless sutthin
uncommon happens
Traveller You surely have something
that 1 can feed my horse; even few po-
tatoes would be better than no food
Ark Artist. Stranger, our eatin'-roots
gin out about a week ago SO your chance
is slim thar
Traveller. But, my friend, | must re-
main with you, any way. | can't 20 any
further whether | obtain anything to eat
or not. You certainly will allow me the
shelter of your roof?
Ark. Artist AT can't be did, old hoss.
You see, we've got only one dried hide on
the premises, and me and the ole woman
allus occupies that 4; so whar's your
chance :?
| Traveller Allow me to hitch my horse
to that persimmon tree, and with my saddle
and blanket I'll make bed in the fence
corner
Ark Artist Hitch your horse to that
/ 'simmon tree? In horn. Why, you must
! i
/ that's me and the ole womans only chance
4 for 'simmon beer in the fall of the year
/ If YOUR horse is so tarnal hungry as you
say he is, he'd girdle it as high up as he
could reach afore mornin' Hitch your
hoss to that tree, | 'spects not; no, no.
stranger, you can't come nary such dodge
as that
Our traveller seeing that he had an orig
inal to deal with, and being himself an
amateur performer on the instrument to
which the Sc tier was so ardently attached
thought he would change his tactics. and
draw his determined not-to-be host ont a
little before informing him of the fact that
he. too, could play Arkansas Traveller,
which once being known, he rightly conjec
turcd would be a passport to his better
graces.
Traveller Well, friend, if can't stay
how far is it TO the next house ?
Ark Artist Ten miles: and you'll
think they're mighty long ones, too, ator,
YOU git thar. | came nigh onto forgettin
to tell you, the big creek is up; the bridge
is carried off; there's nary yearthly chance
to ford it; and if yer bound to cross it
yerll have to 20 about seven miles W
stream, to ole Dave Lody's puncheol
bridge, through one of the darndest bambo,
swamps ever you see. | reckon the bridg
is standin' yet-'twas yesterday mornn'
though one end has started down stream
about fifteen feet or sich matter
Traveller Friend, you seem communi
cative; and if it's no offense, I'd like Il
, know what you do for living here ?
Ark Artist No offense on yeartl
stranger; we jest keep grocery.
Traveller \ grocery, Where in tn
name of all that is mercantile, do your Gus
toners come from? Your nearest nei ghbo
is ten miles distant !?
Ark. Artist-'The fact is, me and the oil
woman is the best customers yet but W
'spects these diggings will improve, and il
course business will improve too. How
sever, we do suthin now, even. Me an,
, the old woman took the cart t'other day
went to town; we bort Il bar'l whiskey
and after we come home and gin to coun
the balance on hand, we found thar wan
but list one solitary pickayune left, and a
the ole woman allus carries the pus, i
course she had it, Well, l sot the bar
| agin one side of the room, and shortly arte
the ole woman sez Suposin you tap you
: eend of the bar'l - and | did; and sh
bought drink. and paid me the pickayun,
Pretty soon, begun to get dry, and say
/: Ole woman, spozin you tap your cen
, of the bar'l ? and she did and then sh
sells me drink and the way that picka
e yune travelled back ards and ior'ards owe
: the bung of that bar'l, is caution to ther
, as loves red eye But, stranger, losses
apt to come in every business !; and me an
the ole woman has lost some in the grocer
line: and I'll tell you how twas. Tha
\ bow Bill, our oldest son, he see how th
s ticker was goin', and he didn't have mar
red to line in the retail bisiness: so Oh
;, night he crawls under the house. and taI
a the bar'l atwixt the cracks in the punched
= floor, and | rally believe he's got more tha
4 me or the ole woman either; the good-fo
4 nothin' vaeabond, to come the giraff ov,
S his natural born parents; it's enutf to max
!. a man sour agin all creation; that boy
j be the ruination of us yet. He takes
= = trickery jist as material as hungary 'po
:. : sum takes to hen-roost. Now, strange
!, what on yearth am l to do p He bea
! mo and the ole woman entirely