The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-09-02

'Twould be as bad as Barnum losing his
giraffe"
The occupants of the first boat were
evidently of the Captains own mind, for
they were eagerly peering over her side,
and into the water.
Suddenly the pilot dropped his glass,
extemporized a trumpet with both hands
and shouted:
"Forrard-forrard One of ems
upi" Then he put his mouth to the
speaking-tube, and screamed to the
engineer "Let her drop down a little,
Billyl"
The sounding party headed toward a
black speck, apparently a hundred yards
below them, and the great steamer slow
ly drifted downstream. The speck
moved toward shore, and the boat, rap
idly shortening distance, seemed to
scrape the bank with her port oars.
"Safe enough now, 1 guess!" ok
claimed Judge Turner, of one of the
Southern Illinois circuits. The Judge
had been interrupted in telling a story
when the accident occurred, and was in
a hurry to resume.
GAS I was saying" said he, she
hardly looked like a professional horse
thief. He was little and quiet, and had
always worked away steadilyat his trade.
I believed him when he said twas his
first ~offense, and that he did it to raise
money to bury his child and I was 60
ing to give him an easy sentence, and ask
the Governor to pardon him. The laws
have to be executed, you know, but
there's no law against mercy being prac-
ticed afterward. Well, the Sheriff was
bringing him from jail to hear the YER
dict and the sentence, when a short
man, with red hair, knocked the Sheriff
down, and off galloped that precious
couple for the Wabash. 1 saw the en-
tire -"
"The deuce" interrupted the pilot,
again dropping his glass.
The Judge glared angrily /; the passen-
gers saw, across the shortened distance,
one of the Chums holding by a root to
the bank, trying to support the other,
whose shirthung in rags, and who seemed
exhausted.
(which ones hurt?' asked the Cap
tain. "Give me the glass;"
But the pilot had left the house and
taken the glass with him.
The Judge continued
81 saw the whole transaction through
the window. I was so close that I saw
the Sherifs assailant's very eyes. I'd
know that fellows face if I saw it in
Africa"
"Why, they're both hurt2" exclaimed
the Captain. "They've thrown a coat
over one, and they're crowdin' around
the other. What the - They're
comm back without 'em-need whisky
to bring 'em to, 1 suppose. Why didn't
l send whisky down by the other boat
There's an awful amount of time being
wasted here. What's the matter, Mr..
Bella" shouted the Captain, as the boat
approached the steamer.
"Both dead" replied the officer.
"Both2 Now, ladies and gentle.
men," exclaimed the Captain, turning
toward the passengers, who were crowd
ed forward just below him, 81 want to
know if that isn't a streak of the mean.
est kind ofluck2 Both the chums gone.
Why, 1 won't be able to hold up my
head in New Orleans. How came il
that just those two fellows were knocked
QUIT"
"Red tumbled out, and Black jumped
in after him." replied the officer. "Rei
must have been caught in an eddy ant
tangled in the old trees roots-clotheI
torn almost of-head caved in. Blacl
must have burst a blood-vessel-his fact
looked like a copper pan when he reached
shore, andhe just groaned and dropped.
The Captain was sorry, SO sorry tina
he sent a waiter for brandy. But tn,
Captain was human-business was bust
ness-the rain was falling, and a big 10.
was across the boats bow, so he shout
ed:
"Hurry up and bury 'em, then. Yol
ought to have let the second boats GREY
gone on with that, and you have gone Oh
with your soundings. They a0as tn
Chums, to be sure, but now they're onl,
dead roustabouts. Below there. Pas
out a couple of shovels i"
"Perhaps some ladies would go dow
with the boat, Captain-and a preacher
too. if there's one aboard, remarked tn
mate, with an earnest but very mysteri
GUS expression.
"Why, what in thunder does the fel
low mean?" soliloquized the Captain
audibly. Women land a preacher
for dead roustabouts What do yor
mean, Nh. Bell?"
"Red's a woman" briefly responde
the mate.
The passengers all started-the CaI
tain brought his hands together with
tremendous clap, and exclaimed:
"Murder will out But who'd hav
thought I was to be the man to find on
the secret of the Carmi Chums? Cues
I'll be the biggest man on the New o.
leans levee after all. Yes, certainly
course some ladiesW go-and apreachel
too, if there's such a man aboard. Hol
up, though-we'n all go. Take you
soundings, quick, and we'll drop th
steamer just below the point, and tie VI
I wonder if there is a preacher aboard
No N responded for a moment; the
the Judge spoke.
"Before 1 went into the law I was tn
regularly settled pastor of a Presbyter
an church," said he. "Im decided
rusty now, but a little time will enabl
me to prepare myself properly. Excus
me, ladies and gentlemen"
The sounding-boat pulled away, an
the Judge retired to his stateroom. Th
ladies, with very pale faces, gathered
a group and whispered earnestly wit
each other ; then ensued visits to eac
others staterooms, and the final regatl
ering of the ladies with two or thre
bundles. The soundings were taker
!; and, as the steamer dropped dow
) stream, men were seen cutting a pat
!, down the rather steep clay bank. TIL
Captain put his hands to his mouth an
shouted.
"Dig only n grave-make it wild
, enough for two."
And all the passengers nodded asset
: and satisfaction.
= Time had been short since the nev
7 reached the steamer, but the Bennett
carpenter, who was himself a marie
r man, had made a plain coffin by the tin
the boat tied up, and another by the tin
q l &ho o7.o-n ,r-o1 1,- T,a e,,l -.