The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-03-04
Uncle Joe's Story.
ssTINHIs was how it was," began Uncle


ey in. Them was the days afore green
backses, an bank-notes was no great
shakes ef they got too fur from home. So
land buyers mostly kerrid what they he'd
in specify, which they commonly did in
belts bucl5led round their bodies-a dodge
the robbers soon got up to, an the fust
thing they did when they got holt of a
chap, was to look for his money belt.
"Well, kissed Mother, an bid her
goodbye one mornin', an sot out to hunt
new home for us, kerryin, the price of it
with me in hard cash.
"Nothin' wuth mentionin' happened
till one night stopped at q cabin, an axt
for lodgin's.
"You can hev 'em, was the answer
that is, providin' you don't object to
sleepin' double, for another strangers here
afore you"
81 didn't egsac'ly like the idee but
houses were scarce in them parts, an not
carin' to resls goin' furder an farm wuss,
l lit, an talzin' my saddle-bags on my arm
led my critter round to the stable, the
proprietor showin' the way, an when Ole
Roan'd ben looked arter, we went into the
house.
"T'other stranger was settin' by the
fire an give me sharp look as l come
for'ard.
Good-evenin',' sez i, an he sed so
too.
"Neither of us sed much more till arter
supper, which the settlers wife brung in
soon. The coolkin' want ekal to Moth
er's but hunger, you knows, good sass for
emmy cook'ry.
"T'other stranger, noticed, KEEP
watchin' me sharp. l didn't fancy his
looks much (; but arter spell he made up
to me quite friendly an sociable like, an
it was always my way to meet that sort O.
thing halfway.
"He, too, was on the lookout to buy
an we compared notes on the subjec' till
| bedtime Our host was one O. them sort
O. chaps that listens good deal without
sayin' much, an his wife looked as eff she
durstn't say much eff she would.
"We paid our bills afore goin' to bed
T'other traveller sed he was goin' to start
afore day F.; but as our roads lay but little
ways together / concluded wouldn't rise
so soon for the sake of only that much COM
pany. Sun up was early. enough for me.
sour sleepin' room was one eend O the
cabin petitioned off by itself.
"It's long time sence you an me slep'
together sez the stranger, when we was
both ready to lay down.
1850 'tis,' sez 1; (which side do you
take? ?"
"Front, sez he, 'ef it's all the same to
you"
"All the same sez /, jumpin' in.
"The stranger follered, an / don't
know what he done, but l soon fell
asleep.
81 don't know how late or early it was
when woke up, feelin chilly like. The
moon was shinin' bright through the win,
der. The clothes was turned over from the
front side O. the bed, and there stood my
bed-feller, leanin over me with a big knife
in one hand, fumblin' at the buckle o. my
money belt with t'other.
"Of course you grasped the arm that
yielded the knife with one of your hands
and the villains throat with the other ~
"Well, no, didn't"
"You cried out, them"
"Not that either"
"Well," continued Uncle Joe, 81 lay
as still as a mouse till that pesky critter
ondone my belt, and slipped it from ondel
me, which he did so gently that bar'ly
felt it, wide awake as was. Then hi
pulled the cover over me, an tuckin' it il
as careful as mother could a done, HI
buckled my belt around him, finished
dressin' and slipped out"
"And you lay there and let yourself be
robbed without uttering word p
81 didn't see no good in spealzin', ;
said Uncle Joe "I knowed he'd sock hi
knife inter me eff l so much as cheap'd
an take the chance O. cuttin' his wa,
through the landlord arterward, eff so b
he woke up. No-I didn't say a word
but jest turned over an took another nap
an in good time got up, an mounted Oh
Roam an rid of, jestas If nothin' happened
got to my journeys end that day, an
bought my land the next"
"But your money ?"
"oh ! that was all right" said Uucl
Joe.
"Why, didn't the robber get it?"
ffTIa got the hell - IIncla Ioa anewered