Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-11-04
Jimmy Butler and the Owl.


township of Buford, ti,Iius taste Of a song
as merry young fellow as liver took the road
Well, trudged on, and on, past many pills.
int place, pleasin' myself wild the thought that
some day might have place OF mo own,
wild a world Of chickens and ducks and pigs
and childer about the door; and along in the
afternoon of the sicond day get to Bnford
village. A cousin Of me mothers one Dennis
O'Dowd, lived about sivin miles from there,
and wanted to make his place that night, Sc
| inquired the way at the tavern, and was
lucky to find man who was going part OF
the way an would show me the way to find
Benrb. Sure ho was very Kind indade, an
whin l got out of his wagon he pointed me
to 20 straight south mile an bali, and the
first house would be Dennis's.
"An' yours no time to lose now" said he,
for the sun is low, and mind you don't get
lost in the woods"
"is it lost how" said I, that III be gittin,
an me uncle as great navigator as liver
steered ship across the thrackless say' Not
bit of it, though I'm obleeged to yc for your
kind advice, and thank yiz for the ride"
An wild that he drove off an left ME alone.
/ shouldered me bundle bravely, an whist
lin bit of time for company like, pushed
into. the bush. Well, went long way
over bogs and turnin' round among the
bush an trees till began to think ] must
be well nigh to Dcnnis's. But, bad cess to
i'll all Of sudden I come ont OF the Woods
at the very identical spot where Started in,
which knew by an ould cfotched tree that
seemed to be standin' on its head an kickin' up
its heels to make divarsion Of me. By this
time 1t was growing dark, and as there was
determined to keep straight south this time,
and no mistake. got on bravely for
while, but cch hone och hone! it got SC
dark | could not see the trees, and bumped
my nose and barked me shins, whio the
mskatics bit me hands apd face to a blister
an after tumbiins and stumblin' around till
| was fairly bamfoozled, sat down on log
all of a trimble, to think that l was lost en-
tirely an that may be lion or some other
wild crashur would dcyour me before morn
ing.
Just thin | heard somebody long way
of say, Whip poor VIII" " Bedad! seq
|, I'm glad it isn't jamie that's got to take it
though it seem it's moro in sorrow than il
anger they are doin' it, or why would they
say, poor VIII ?" an sure they cant be In.
jan, baythin, or nasur, for it's plain English
that they arc ahher spakin. May be they
might help me out o this, so | shouted al
the top Of my voice, "A lost man| Thin |
listined. Prisintly an answer came.
"Who Whoo Whooo ?"
Jamie Butler, the waiver?" Ger ], as loud
as could roar, an snatcbin' up me bundle an
stick, | started in the direction OF the voice
Whin thought had got near tho place
shouted again. "A lost man."
"Who Whoo Whooo." said voice
right over my head.
"Sure," thinks I, it's mighty quare place
for man to be at this time OF night; may be
it's some settler scrapin' sugar of a sugar bush
for the childre'ns breakfast in the mornin'.-
But where's VIII and the rest Of them p All
this wint through me head like fash an thin
| answered his inquiry.
"Jamie Butler, the waiver, sur" scz !
"and if it would inconvenience yer honor
would yez be kind enough to step down an
show me the way to the house Of Dennis
0'Dowed ?"
"Who Whoo Whooo !" scz he again.
"Dennis O'Dowd . ser I; civil enough, and
a dacent man he is, and cousin to the own
mother"
"Who. Whoo Whoool !" sez he gain.
"Me mother" sez /, and as fins woman
as liver peeled a billed pratie with her thumb
nail, and her maiden name was Molly
McFiggin."
"Who Whoo Whooo !"
"Paddy McFiggin bad luck to yer deal
ould head. Paddy McFiggn, say-do ye
hear that An he was the tallest man in all
the county Tipperary excipt Jim Doyle, the
blacksmith"
"Who! Whoo Whooo !"
"Jim Doyle, the blacksmith" sez / aye
good for nothih' blaggusrd nagur, and if yez
don't come down and show me the way thi:
mint III climb up there and break every
bone in your skin, ye spalspeen, SO sure as nc
name Jimmy Butler :"
"Whol whoo Whooo" scz he; as impi-
dent as iver
said niver word, but lavin' down me
bundle and takin me stick in me teeth began
to climb the tree Whin | got among tile
branches, looked quietly around till saw a
pair Of big eyes jast furuinst me.
whist" sez I, and I'll let him have a
taste of an Irish stick" and wild that lei
drive and lost me balance an came tumblin
to the ground, nearly brcakin' me neck Sid
the fall. Whin came to me sinsis, bad q
very sore head wid lump on it like goose
egg, and half of me Sunday ccat-tail torn of
intirely. l spoke to the chap in the tree bu'
could git niver an answer at all, at all.
Sure thinks J. be must have gone home tr
rowl up his head, for by the powers, didn't