The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-08-22
THE PIONEERS.

and the whipping7post, with ITS COM
,panion, the stocks, were not yet sup
planted by the more modern but doubt
FIJI expedients of the public prisons.
Natty followed the oonstables to the
place Of punishment. A constable
raised the upper part of the stocks,
and pointed TO the holes where the old
man was TO place his feet. Without
making the least objection to tho pun
ishment, the Leather-stocking quietly
seated himself on the ground, and suf-
fered his limbs TO be laid in the open
ings, while the constable yet held the
upper part of the stocks, Benjamin
also very deliberately seated himself
by the side of the hunter, and placing
his legs in the two vacant holes Of the
stocks, he said
snow lower away, master consta-
bic, lower away, / tell ye! lf-so-be
there's such n thing hereabouts as a
man that wants to see a bear, let him
look and be id, and he shall find
two of them, and mayhap one of the
same that can bite as well as growl."
"But I've no orders to put you in
the stocks, Mr.. Pump" cried the con-
stable; "You must get up, and let me
do my duty"
"You've my orders, and what do
you need better to NEEDLE with my
own feet? so lower away, will We, and
let me see the man that chooses to
open his mouth with grin on it,"
Natty sighed, and gazed about him
on the crowd, that already began to
dispense, and which had now diminish
ed greatly, as its members scattered
in their various pursuits. He looked
wistfully at Benjamin, deeply seated
anxiety seeming to absorb every other
sensation, and to throw melancholy
gloom over his wrinkled features,
which we're working with the move
ments of his mind.
Presently Hiram Doolittle, attended
by lothian, stalked out Of the crowd,
across the open space, andapproached
the stocks. The magistrate passed
by the end where Benjamin was seat
ed, and posted himself, at safe dis
lance from tho steward, in front of the
Ieather-stocking. Hiram stood, for a
moment, covering before the keen
hooks that Natty fastened on him, and
suffering under an embarrassment that
was quite new; when, having in some
degree recovered himself, he looked at
the heavens, and then at the smoky
atmosphere, as if it were only an or
binary meeting with friend, and said,
In his formal, hesitating way
"Quite a scurcity Of rain lately; l
some think we shall have a long
drought ont"
The air with which Mr.. Doolittle de-
delivered this prophetical opinion WAS
peculiar to his species. 1t was jes-
uitical, cold, unfeeling. 1t quite over
came the restraint that the old hunter
had been laboring to impose on him
self, and ho burst out in a warm glow
of indignation.
"Why should the rain fall from the
clouds" he cried, "when you force the
tears from the eyes of the old, the
sick, and the poorl Away with ye-
away with ye! you may be formed in
the image Of the Maker, but Satan
dwells in your heart. Away with ye,
l say! l am mournful, and the sight
of we brings bitter thoughts"
Benjamin raised his head, at the in
slant that Hiram, who was thrown of
his guard by the invectives Of the hun
ter, unluckily trusted his person with
in the reach of the steward, who grasp
cd one of his legs, with a hand that
had the grip of vice, and whirled the
magistrate from his feet, before he had
either time to collect his senses, or ex-
ercise the strength he did really possess.
Benjamin wanted neither proportions
nor manhood in his head, shoulders,
and arms, though all the rest of his
frame appeared to be originally intend
ed for very different sort Of u man.
He exerted his physical powers, on the
present occasion, with much discre-
ton, and as their positions were q
great disadvantage to his antagonist,
without at all discomposing the stew
ard, the struggle resulted, very soon,
in Benjamin getting the magistrate
fixed in a posture somewhat similar tc
his own, and manfully placed face tc
face.
'Pve logged many hard thing
against your name, master, and now
the times come to foot up the days
work, dye see: SO square yourself
and we'll soon know who's the better
man."
"Jotham !" cried the frightened
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ! call in the con
stables. Mr.. Penguillium, / command
the peace-I order you to keep the
peace"
"There's been more peace than love
atwixt us, MASTER" cried the steward
making some very equivocal demon
'strations towards hostility; $50 mint
yourself! square yourself, say! de
you smell this here bit of o sledge
hammer"
''Lay hands on me if you dare 7
exclaimed Hiram, as well as no coult
under the grasp which the steward helc
on his throttle-''lay hands on me
you dare /"
III ye call this laying, master, 20,
are welcome to the eggs" roared tn
steward.
1t becomes our disagreeable duty t.
record here, that the acts Of Benja
L