The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-09-22

hard, you could see what it had been
Sam thought it a wonderful work of art
He carried it off to the back gallery
steps, and sat down and ate it begin.
ming at the edges, and eating up to the
mark. until he had a round piece just
the size of the coin, with the impression
on one side. Then he played with that
awhile, and finished by eating it, also.
Time now hung heavy on Sans
hands. He began to think, or study, "
as he would have expressed it, about
what he would do next.
What he did next was to lay his
" four-bits" down on the ground near
the steps, and then walk off round the
corner of the house. Directly he came
back, walking slowly, and looking about
as if he had lost something. He kicked
among the grass with his feet, shaded
his eyes with his hands, and appeared to
be very anxious.
Lemme see,' said he, II come long
dis way yestiddy, an reckon / los, dat
p..dcc. =
mus done dropped it out my pocket.
Wonder if anybody picked it up
Lawsy! l done found it. Right under
my eyes Eff it had been snake it
would ha' bit me. | nebber seed de like
sence OF Hecky was a pup!7 So say.
ing, he picked up the money with great
demonstrations of JOY. Then he laid it
down in another place, and marched off
as before
This time, however, the play turned
out differently. There was a venerable
Shanghai rooster that strayed in the
yard that everybody called " Old Jack"
He was very old and very cross, and he
and Sam were deadly enemies. Many a
fight had they had, and, although sam
generally got the best of it, Old Jack /
used to give him great deal of trouble. I
Now, Just as sam went around one
corner of the house, Old Jack stalked /
around the other, closely examining the
ground, in quest of "a beetle or a worm,
or some other agreeable delicacy of that
sort. The bright piece of silver attracted
his eye, and he advanced toward it. He
had not yet determined whether or rot
it was good to eat, and was about to be-
gin a closer examination, when back
came the owner. At sight OF his foe.
Did Jack seized the coin and ran intend
ng to carry it off and inspect it at his
eisure
Sam set up a tremendous yell, and
gave chase. Old Jack ran first in one
direction and then in another; but find
ng himself closely pursued, he took
'efuge beneath the smoke house. This
like nearly all houses at the
outh, was raised from the ground on
mall pillars about a foot high, and Old !
lack had gone under it, with Sans
money. He dropped it on the ground
nd crowed loudly, "adding insult to t
injury"
sam begun to cry, but thai tri-
mphant crow changed the current of {
is thoughts. He resolved upon meas /
res of war. v
elF dFFo i s5Ripaelf uEsiih pt9R rP4seQPPia, he
lid Jack, however, did not appear to !
lind it much. 1t IS hard to throw cob !
obs under house with any degree of
orce or precision. Sam discharged all /
e could find, but in vain. Then he
at down and scratched his head.
"Ts gwine to git dat money, some
ow," said he; "Fs jes' got TO hab it,
hore, and dare's no use talkin' bout it
IL Jacks got to git out from under dar; C
on heered me! l amt a-foolin' now" :
So Sam got down on the ground and a
egan crawling under the smoke-hOuse. O
Whether old Jack dreaded a combat 7
n such close quarters, or whether he c
ad fully satisfied himself that the half T
ollar was too hard to be digestible, or T
fhether he was influenced by both con- 7
iderations, is unknown; but when lie f
aw Sam, he rushed out from his retreat, I
eaving the silver piece behind him. c
But Sam was too quick for him. He I
rasped old Jack by the leg, and scooped '
Up his coin with the other hand. c
g" Oar dat's business. Dis oil rooster t
sarves to hab his neck broke. I'll fix '
i'm, fore long" said Sam, as he ran ,
oward the house with olG Jack in his
lands But suddenly changing his
mind he dropped the rooster and pulled
lis halfdollar from his pocket. - 50. I
Nicholas. :