Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-10-11

|
| for each new conner
| And now, having a shelter to return to
each night, Little Joel betook himself to
his favorite pastime, and departed each
morning with his gun on his shoulder
and his dog at his heels. Game was
| plenty; he seemed to have reached the
''happy hunting grounds without passing
through the valley. The mellow cry of
his hounds was IA better music to him than
the dull 'clack," ..clack," of the wood
mans AK. While other settlers felled
trees, burned brush and prepared the
land for crops. he stole silently through
the forest on the slot of the timid deer, or
sat on decaying log listening to the black
squirrels bark, or musing, with his dogs
nodding at his feet.
What were the subjects of his sylvan
reveries no tongue can now tell, for his Is
| long since silenced; but neither his mus
ings nor his efforts as NimrOd resulted
in supplying his household or putting
the finishing touches upon his new resi-
dence. His oxen had been sold and the
proceeds eaten out; and every available
article of property he possessed, except his
| gun and his dogs, had gone to supply the
pressing wants that made themselves felt
even i'm the wilderness. His wife was
quiet, unpretending and uncomplaining
little body, that was set down as cipher
| i'm all his calculations. If he enjoyed a
days hunting, she was supposed to have
participated i'm the recreation; If he came
home tired and vexed, she was expected to
worry and grunt if he lived on from day
to day, so did she, but to what end or pur-
pose he never inquired.
The Yankees have word that has a
world of meaning i'm it, which no other
people make use Of Ii is ''shiffless;" and
Little Joel filled the definition of that word
- chock-full.' The neighbors were not
slow i'm noting this. Industry was the
general rule among the early settlers. to
which Little Joel formed. too striking an
exception to be overlooked, and his case be-
came the subject of consultation in every
knot and coterie. Some expressed sympa-
thy for his wife Others condemned idle
ness on general principles; and all were
disappointed and annoyed that one OF their
number should so utterly fail in the true
mission of a settler. the clearing up of so
much of the forest as fell to his share rs
one of the community, and contributing
TO the general Improvement OF the country:
So spring went by. the summer passed
away. and autumn came in, and still Little
Joel's house remained unfinished still no
trees were felled. no logs were piled, no
smokes assembled giving signs of a growing
clearing about the homestead.
One morning i'm early autumn, Little
Joel came out of his house equipped for
his daily excursion to the woods. lie
bore i'm his hands his trusty rifle, and his
dogs skipped and fawned about him, eX-
pressing their mute joy in all those natural
and significant ways which supplied with
them the want of articulate language. Bu'
Martha followed him to the door and re
/ quested him to cut a little 1ire-wood beior,
: going away and he leaned his gun ag:ihs
n stump and commenced to cut some limb;
from fallen tree.
He did not have far to haul his wood
The great trees stood thickly about, ant
: when occasion required he could fell one
J from the stump into his own doOr-yard
His dogs ceased their antics at this tln
: looked for postponement of the real busi
: ness Of the day, and sat mOOdily upon thei
haunches, turning impatient looks alter
: rately ut their master and toward the for
| est where there canine elysium lay.
3 Suddenly the dogs rushed forward
barking fiIriOusly at a stranger who wa
: seen approaching the house along the road
| Little .Joel. with some difficulty, called oi
: his dogs, who retired reluctantly, backin.
{ down towards him. with their hair stand
ing forward and their teeth exposed, ant
(, the stranger advanced and gave the usua
e salutation. lie was tall and welleull
D man. dressed in the fashion of the back
: woodsmen. somewhat Drowned by eX
: posure, and possessing bluff and heart,
: address, which was calculated 10 inspir
f confidence rather than awaken distrust.
Y "A fine brace Of dogs you have here,
i he remarked. attempting to pat the neares
: one on the head, who resented the fimil
d iarity with surly growl IA line par {
r dogs. Do they hunt welly'
!, ..Yes, they do that!" said Little Joe
/ who took pride in his dogs-he had littl
u else to take pride in
"Well, now," said the stranger, '.wher
did did you get them? Not about here
: reckon!"
mo, brought them from the old Ba
= State" said Joel, somewhat exultingl,
Ie ..They were raised in Hatfield, and are
? the Billings stock. / wouldn't take Il
q money for 'em."
II .Wouldn't you, nOw!' said the strange
+ I'm sorry to hear that. L liked the
&c dogs from the first time L hear 'em gi'
u tongue, as ! was coming up the roa
What will you take for them, any way!''
~ Il don't want to sell EN-" said Joel,
!, !, resolutely, looking at his unfinished hou
" and unimproved premises.
IA The stranger noticed the look, al
10 turned his eye over the place for the fir
7. time, apparently.
Is "Why, how long have you been her
~ You have but just moved in!' he inquire
"a mo. have been here nigh on to s
~ months"
I'd "What! and not got any clearing don
re and vour house is unfinished"
~ Ill have not been very well, I" stan
81 mered joel, hesitating little at the fib.
.Oh, am sorry to hear that: Go
~ lhealthy country, though; you'll be
;! right soon. But about them dogs
r. wouldn't mind giving you good trade
,o 'em.n
" The word " trade " attracted Little Joe
81 attention. So long as the stranger on
H. =, talked of buying the dogs, as if the matt
m was question of dollars and cents,
- made little impression on his audit'
~ But what Y ankee, especially If he were
- ~ " shiftless" " Yankee, ever heard the wo
ooc trade without feeling a responsive thri
vi So. Little Joel, while he could not &C
-