The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-06-20
A X.ROADS RAID.

NAsBY TELLS Us HOW THEY PROTECTED
BAsCoM's MONEY UNTIL BAsCoM Hal
HIS EYES OPEN.
The N-Roads had been dry for days after
the ladies made a raid ON Bascom's and
the state of affairs was terrible.
AT last one mornin Bascom's oldest son,
Jehiel, who he'd kept at the Stashen al
Secessionvile all the time for two weeks,
with single wagon, WIZ seen ridin down
the hill urjin the mule to its utmost speed.
"Hooray ~ sed Bascom, cit hez come
at last ~
1mmejitly there wuz change. Deekin
| Pogram riZ, and fallin on his knees said de-
voutly, "Thank Hevins y Issaker sprang
to his feet and Elder Pennibacker and
McPhelter shouted cha ha! with ez
much power as they had left in 'em.
Thank the Lord, the mule didn't baulk.
Ez Of impressed with the Importance NV
its mishen, it come up CALAMITY to the door
and backed up squarely, that the precious
load mite be easily and quickly taken out
1t wuz unloaded safely; the spigot wuz
druv in, bottle wuz filled, we drunk the
revivin draft and wuz saved.
But how to perfect our treasure wuz the
question. Lucindy Gavitt had swore that
she wood bust every barrel Nv likker that
wuz brot to the Corners, and we knowd she
wood keep her oath eff it wuz possible.
lssaker sejested that she be pizened, but
that idee wuz yoonanmously rejected.
"Hev l no friends ?" askt Issaker. edo
700 all hate me ~
A good many other plans wuz discusst
to head off this terrible female, but none
w 'em seemed feasible.
At last l hit it. l sed that we must
guard it with our strong rite arms. Let US
arm ourselves with axe-helves and 60 out
on each Nv the four roads and stop by force
every woman who appears on the streets,
onless it is certain she hez no hostile inten-
shuns. Let us go in twos-eight will
suffice. Let us be firm and intlexible.
Bascom thought the sujestion wuz a
good one.
"Uv COURSE" sed l, "the pickets will
be entitled to their sustenance, gratis, while
in active service"
"Certainly ~ sed Bascom, sat regular
intervals, when no enemy is in site, they
may come in and get refresher and git
back to their deoty.'
Then came trouble which l he'd not
anticipated. Every man in the Corners
volunteered to 60 on guard duty. That
free drink wuz bounty witch fetched them.
1t wuz finally announced that we should
take turns at it. Myself, Deekin Pogram,
Issaker Gavitt, Captain McPelter, Absu-
lum Pettus, Zach Porgeous, Elder Penni-
hacker and Sim McGrath l selected for the
days dooty. l put myself in the first day,
for wanted the first pull at the arrange
ment, hevin' an idea how it would come
out.
The Deekin and l volunteered to take
the post Nv danger, which wuz the South
road, onto which Lucindy Gavitt lived.
We went out and took our stashuns; and
looked up the road and down the road.
"There is no wimmin in site, is there ?"
sed the Deekin.
"Nary," sed /; "the coast is clear"
''Parson, the coast bein clear, isn't it
time that we go down to Bascom's for the
refresher he spoke uv9 This is fearfully
tryin' dooty."
| agreed with the Deekin, that, bein' old
men, we needed suthin' bracin', and down
+lo 4
astonished to see the other six at the bar,
all takn' their drinks.
We got ours and went back, and again
viewed the field. 1t wuz still quiet. Lu-
cndy, wuz, it wuz evident, not yet ready
to move.
"Deekin," sed |, "does the foe appear?'
"Nary foe ~ sed he "the enemy is not
in site"
England expex every man to do his
dooty, Deekin, but hedn't we better amble
gently to Bascom's and git sustainer?
This is fearfully exhaustin'.''
Before the words wuz out NV my mouth
the Deekin he'd made dozen DDS. Iwuz
pleased to see the old man SO active. We
reached Bascom's in a very short time
very short, indeed-and there, somewhat
to my surprise, stood the other six, all
crookn' the pregnant hinges Nv the elbow.
Bascom did not hev pleased expression
on his countenance.
Agin we departed for our posts, and we
peered up and down the road. We saw
suthin' moving ont Nv Issaker's house 1t
WIZ a female. The second look revealed
the muskeler form NV Lucindy. She he'd
her sun-bunnet on and a axe in her hand
"Deekin ~ sed l, "stand firm. That
enraged woman is agoin for Bascom. Let
us acquit ourselves like men,
The Deekins nose grew blooer, but his
lips closed omniously. felt Good depend
on him. But Lucindy didn't 60 out the
front door yard. She he'd come out to split
wood, and she split it, and takin an armful
went back into the house. He wuz nerv-
Gus with excitement.
PEARSON ~ sed the Deekin, "rm all
unstrung. thought the hour NV conflict
had come. This drain on my nervous sys-
tenn is too much. | must hev a soother''
And we went. | wuz frozen With aston.
ishment. The first site that met my eyes
ez we entered Bascom's wuz the other six
a standing back from the bar and lissenin
to Bascom, who wuz gesticulatin wildly.
"This little game is played out" sed
Bascom. You git no more likker NV me
except in the reelar way"
"But Bascom," sed I, "ef we guard
your property, its ez little ez 700 kin do to
keep us in refreshments. Consider our
ardoous servis."
"Bah - WIZ his reply. "Yoove bin
on dooty an hour and yoove drunk four
times, witch is to say thirty-two drinks
in an hour. I've been exercisin a little
arithmetic while 700 wus out tho 700 didn't
stay away long enutf to give me the time
to do a sum in simple multiplication de-
Gently. But in barrel there's about /, 200
drinks-at this rate yoo'd drink barrel in
two days. This looks to me as tho you
WIZ Dertektin VOOr prOperty inSted NV