American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-11-14

table. We had planned to eat our din
| ner there and now as we Numbered about
| we card voices in that direction
~ can see smoke, too" said Dan; =" it's
| some of those hunters from he city, and
| they've taken our dinner"
| Let's go and make 'em give It up"
said Nick, ficrcely. I'm not afraid of
| EN-"
| Liberty or DEATH" whispered Dan,
and with clenchcd fists we crept eau
tiously through the bushes to recon
hotter.
There were the robbers in full force:
eleven of them. laughing, talking loung-
ing about, evidently enjoying the trick
they had played on us. And there was
our dinner spread in tempting array
upon the rock, great frosted cake
in the middle, and a brown pyramid
at each end. One of the robbers was
| brewing something, whose fragrdut
breath meant nothing but coffee, and
another was tending a fire of glowing
Goals that winkcd and snapped with
cheerful assurance over the rows of po-
tatoes bcdded in its ashes.
"Just done to "A turn" said the cook,
poking out one of the brown, dusty fell
lows, " now if those boys are not on hand
soon"
Whoopr with a yell like band of
Mohawks ''those boys" charged down
upon the robbers, who screamed aud
giggled and talked all together, just like
girls in furry.
We had such fun planning it ALL"
said a robber with brown curls; Jimmy
Ford brought us up to the wood road in
his wagon; you'd have heard the old
thing squeak if you hadn't been making
such a noise yourselves, and we got all
your baskets"
sit down, gentlemen dinner is cook
Iv,rr IA, \, oh
laying the smoking potatoes around the
table on green leaves.
All, those potatoes! do you know how
we ate them? First you roll them in a
leaf and squeeze them gently until all
inside the brown shell is like flour. Then
you break open the end, drop in little
salt and butter and spoon out the white
flakes. The brown pyramids proved to
be fried chicken, and in less time than L
like to tell their bones were scattered
far and wide"
| have been to many a feast in my day
rare viands served upon costly plate, in
elegant banqueting halls, where the air
wonderful music came softly from
some unseen musicians. But | have
never sat at any feast like that in the
little green glen with the saucy jays
screaming around it, tie blue sky over
head, and the autumn sunshine fill
ing and Frightening it. / have
never sat with merrier guests than
the woods ring with shouts and
laughter as they told their stories and
sung their songs around the gray old
rock
Ladies and gentlemen" said Dan,
waving chicken bone in the air, a
move three cheers and a tiger for the
robbers that stole our dinner, and hope
they'll do it again"
The cheers were given, plenty OF them;
nobody stopped to count
And move that you invite the rob
bers to your next nutting party" said
Alice Noble, because it's awful mean
of you to 90 off and have all the fun;
and next time we steal your dinner We'll
eat it into the bargain" More cheers,
and the matter was considered settled.
That evening when we struggled. down
to the wood road lame and tired, we met
Jimmy Ford waiting with the big wagon
to take the girls and the chestnuts home.
Goals fust," said the old fellow, "and
then if you chaps can stow in anywhere
yer welcome. It's easy goin' deown
hill"
Of course we piled in. There never was
a wagon too full to hold another boy, and
Jimmy tipped his big hat on the back of
his head and sang, as we logged along
the stony road, an old Revolutionary song
Ye free born Americans stand up for your rights,
Well drive these Highlanders all to the kites
Here and there as we went on one or
two would drop off to take short cut ,
home across the pastures. and when the
last boy climbed over the wheel and the
last bag was carried out the sun was low
behind the hills. Half an hour more
and the light was gone from the top of
the mountain, and then, according to the
customs of those Puritan days, all I'M
necessary work ceased, for the Sabbath
had begun.-Lihle Corporal.