The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-05-28
The UnweIcOn.e g est.
BY ANNIE A. PRESTON.

sCHool Ill NcSI NOrHelu, Mass. Inc old
log school house stood upon a bank
above, but quite near, the well-traveled
road leading from Greenfield to BratIle-
boro'. A little foot-path led up to it,
winding among the shining, graceful
brakes, low, tangled BURBERRY bushes and
fragrant sweet fern.
One still, balmy afternoon, just after
the school was dismissed, and the
scholars came marching in an orderly
manner out of the school-room, a portly,
good-looking man, riding on a large
white horse, was seen emerging from the
edge of the pine forest, Just above the
school-house, and gallopng 'leisurely
down the road towards them.
The children stopped their singing and
fastened little, thinking to form them
selves into line, as was the very polite
and pretty custom in those days, and
make their manners" to the traveller as
he passed.
The gentleman gazed at the row of
bright, eager faces with evident interest.
Just as he reached POINT nearly in
front of the log school-house where the
children were standing, he suddenly
refined up his horse, and, in loud voice
of command, shouted
"Halt! Stand where you are every
one of you! Don't move stepW
The children were in great terror now,
supposing the stranger to be an Indian
in disguise, or a Hessian soldier, or a
government official of some sort, who
was intending either to scalp, kill, or
take them into custody forthwith.
They were paralyzed more by wonder
ment than by the command given them
by the stranger.
The "school-mistress," as the teacher
was called at that time, hearing this
ringing piece of authority, ran to the
door, while the children stood frightened
by the roadside.
"Stay where you are, madam! You
step out of that doorway at your peril"
Quickly dismounting from lis horse,
and throwing the bridle-rein to the af-
frighted boy nearest him, the stranger,
with his short, heavy riding-whip in his
hand, ran rapidly up the stony path to
the school-house.
The scholars were now in greater trepi-
dation than before. They were sure he
was going to do some injury to their be-
loved school-mistress, and could only look
at her, the stranger and each other, with
palIid faces and round eyes.
Miss Stephens stood her ground brave
Iy. She looked at the approaching
stranger with steady eye and without
the least outward appearance of fear.
AS he neared the lower doorway, how
ever, instead OF raining down vigorous
blows with his riding-whip upon the de.
fenceless head and shoulders of the
school-mistress, as the children fully ex-
pected he would, he suddenly stopped,
and taking hold of the smoothly-worn
white boulder used as a door-stone, he
rolled it away from the door. Back of
it was large rattlesnake.
The man, with two or three we'll
directed, sharp and rapid blows with the
stock of the whip,,,killed the reptile. His
given to the schoolmistress as a memento
Of her narrow escape.
81 we'll knew the peculiar warning
sound that this snake always gives"
said the gentleman, smiling pleasantly
around the little group now gathered
about him.
ats singular whirr reached my ears
in spite of the sound of your many voices
singing | could not determine at first
where the dangerous fellow was lurking,
but thought each of you would he safer
to stand where you were.
"Stepping upon the stone of course
Jared it, thus disturbing the snug quar-
tiers of his snakeship, and be told, in the
only way he had to communicate with
others, that it would be best to leave
him to himself"
~ have heard that sound nearly
every day since school began" said
Miss Stephens, "but had no idea what
it was"
awe have all heard it," chorused the
scholars, "and we called it little Jack
a-litchin' in his Ratchet, and comm Up
his bean-staIk from China We've all
put our ears down there ever so many
times, and listened to hear how fast he
was coming; and he hitched in with his
Ratchet and up he comes SO much to-day
that we expected to find him settin' here
tomorrow morning, sure, when we came
to school,"
"Your escapeis almost miraculous. He
must have been quite contented with his
snug quarters or he would have shown
himself before now" said the gentleman
as he turned to remount his horse
Good-day to you, madame. Good-day
to you, scholars"
"Thank you most gratefully" said
Miss Stephens.
"Good-by, and thank you kindly
echoed the children.
And "Thank you, thank you, thank
you," foated on in the still summer all
to the ears of the horseman, until he hat
crossed "Stillman's Brook" and STRUCK
again into pine woods Youths Com
panion.
! Where Nancy Is Made.
chop l hear some New York boy
saw. "nO need to tell lis that. Every