The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-07-14

lem! All, all lost-gone in q min!t!-
Oh, how, leetle Jed and Sarcr Ann, ken |
I meet yeou?"
This ontbarst from the tall Yankee
took us all by surprise. We could not
imagine what had happened to cause him
so much alarm and grief, for the tears
we're flowing down his brown weather
beaten cheeks
"What in the world has happened to
you, sir, to cause you 80 much distress Z
You are certainly not lamenting over
that rent in your carpet-bag?" asked l,
advancing to where the Yankee stood.
ooh, no! nc! Holy Jerewsaem, ef
twas nothin' else but that Oh,murder,
murder-I darsn't hardly think on't!-
There's poor little Sarer Ann, teelin' so
proud, and talkin' to poor Jed about our
fine new home in the prairies, jest like
me an her us't to do, an here, on Jew
dasil, is hull quarter section of the
neatest land in Iowa gone to eternal
smash
The poor fellows feelings now com
petely mastered him, and he hid his face
in his hands and sobbed like a child
His last words, however, gave me clue
to the mystery, and taking up his carpet
bag, commenced hauling ont shirts,vests
and handkerchiefs, all thoroughly water
soaked,til at the bottom I found care
fully rolled up bundle.
The Yankee had now controlled his
grief, and stood near, with his hands on
his knees, bending over me in breathless
Isuspense. Unrolling hickory shirt, l
found within large brown paper parcel,
and within that handkerchief, carefully
lpinned, and within it package done up
in newspaper On opening the news
Ipaper found what expected to find
from the irst,viz: land warrant Of 100
acres of government land, all snug and
dry.
1t is almost useless to attempt to de-
scribe the extravagant JOY of the Yam
kee. The moment he saw the land war
rant was safe and sound, he gave q per-
feet howl of delight.and snatched it from
my fingers, he pressed itto his bosom as
he might have done Sarer Ann haG she
been present, and with tremendous
strides he commenced pacing back and
forth across the room. II seemed to be
impossible for him to stand still mo-
ment.
"Glory| cried he, "glory to the most
highest! Sarer Ann, all our savin' an
scrimpin' amt in vain! Go on with
your wort--plan and kalkerlate! Take
little Jed on your knee and sing. In the
evenin' when you go out to milk, look
to'rd where the sun is goin' and think--
thar I've happy hum! Your Peleg's
thar: he'll hev the land and be happy
yet! The steers is saved the shoats is
all right! the heffer, too, and old Bar
ney's bound to count! Oh, fellers, you
see in your midst happy head of a fam
ily-yer witness joyful human
"If you will excuse my interIapttssagg
you,sir, and il it is fair question" said
I, show did you come in this sorry
pickle ?"
Excuse the question? Sarting, sar:s !
ing Tell yer the bull story in a min. /,
give the hull particulars full account.
Jewdas! what narrer escape that quar-
ter section did hev"
"Well. but let US have the story"
Yes; sarting, sarting. Well, gents,
my name is Peleg Snodgrass, son of Mr..
Snodgrass from down in Maine"
"Never mind that-tell us how you
got so wet"
"Yes, sartin. Well, you see, back
h'ar, bout mile beyond Nokernoseofi
Creek, l wus walkin along as gay as a
lark, lookin' abeout over the prairies, AM
thinkin heow beautiful the great All
Bein' had made the world,an' what awful
taters this sile would raise, when I saw q
| big drove of cattle jist one side. wur
admirin heow fat and sleek they wur,and
lookin' at the good pints, when an al
mighty great brindle bull jumped out n
the tall grass, and begin to shake his all.
fred great curly head, and beller, and
switch his tail, and paw the sile over his
back. ] concluded it best tew let on like
l wern't afeard, and so began to whis
tie Rake her deown, SAL and other good
tunes, thinkin' as heow I'd slip past the
blasted old cuss; butjis as 1 got opper
zit,he gin snort and begin to walk lords
me, stoppin' once in while to fetch a
rake in the sile with his forefeet 1 put
in few quick steps beout then, but was
afeared to run, cos l knowed cf l did
he'd feel encouraged. Putty soon he
begin tew come on the trot, and then let
out in a kinder canter. Then he riz tew
a lope, and seeiu it wur no use waitin'
for him to quiet,I jist loosened these ere
legs of mine and come down to my best
time.
81 looked abeout fur suthin' to climb
but there l wur in the cussed prairie and
not a pea stick to be seen nearer than o
mile ahead; heow l did want to stop
right there and cuss the blasted prairies
| gin glance over my shoulders and
see the everlastin cuss, with his nose
down and tail up,comin' jist on the dead
lay down, and l let my legs out another
notch. The chase was nip and tuck till
l got near the creek, when saw the bull
maxim leetle grain the best time-he
were only about hundred yards behind
me. Lord, Jehossyfat! but felt queer
ish when l wur sartain he wur gainin il
give me such 8 skeer that my heart APP
peared to dissolve in dish water, and my
legs kinder lost their feelings and would.
MT run. Bat could see lot of trees
ahead lee:le ways, and eff / could hold
eout three minits longer Id be to 'em. |
looked back, and the sufferin' Moses if
the bull weren't in twenty feet of me, his
eyes all green, and his nostrils looked
! like l might put my head in 'em, land as
red as bolt of new fannin. | got al.
most to the creek, when l found the tim.
Der wur on the opposite bank from me,
and the bull so close could almost feel
his breath on my back; / thot of my
family in that offel time ;sez i, Farewell,
little Jed, and you Sarer Ann, my gentil
companion Jist at that instant see a
stump on the bank of the creek, and
made spring for it, expectin' to get on
the top ont, but it happened to be hol.
Ter, and landed inside. just had room
to squeeze down in it and get my head
below the top, and not darn bit too
soon was in, for as my topnot went
down, Mr. Bulls head came up whack
rrnI ,,nff fhn 4