The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-06-17
Auntie's Robbers.

Black eyes, blue eyes, grey cycs-thrc'
pairs, all us bright Us diamonds, and all beg
ging as earnestly as did the three littl,
tongues below thcm-for auntie to tel
them Il story.
| "Another story |" exclaimed auntic
"why I've told you t,Vo already to-day"
81 know it auntie," said black -eyet
| Will, always ready with an answer, "bu
you see how it rains 80 we can't play out
and 'sides-I guess don't feel very wei
-my head kinder aches"
"And we're dreDte tired playing in the
nattic," put in blue-cycd baby Bcss, and
do want to JUS cuddle in somebody's arms,
and I'll keep jus rs still rs any little mice. y
'She'd think you're big enough to say
attic stead Of nattic," muttcrcd Robbie,
the owner of the big gray eyes; 'but say
auntic, won't you tell us robbcr story ~
eyes, yes, auntic, Il robber story" cch-
ocd Will, while Bessie 'cuddlcd" in aun-
ties arms and prepared to be frightened by
the horrors to come. "Can't you think OF
true robbcr story with lots of fighting in
it ~ he added
Auntic, like the little old man, had to
''scratch her head and Think for she could
not say ''No" to the little plcaders
"a true robbers story he said smiling,
'well III do the best can. I'll tell YOU
about a band of robbers that once lived in
Il country long way from here" (Bcssie
gave great sigh of relief ut the last words
Ga long way from hcrc.') "rhey were
big, ugly-looking fellows, regular savagcs,
like all the people of those countries They
did not have nice houses like ours but lust dug
holes III the ground, piled in lot of cocoa
nut husks, torn into strips, TO answer for
beds, and that was all the furniture they
cared for. They drank salt water instead
OF fresh water like ours and used to carry
about with them wherever they went two
bags, of skin which they filed every morn
ing in the ocean, which was near their
home"
"Why did they carry water around with
them all the timex" querried viii.
"Well, think they wanted water very
often, and being away from home much of
the time, they wanted to have It handy, "
replied auntic. cit is in that country the
cocoanuts grow, which you children arc 80
fond of-and these queer old robbers like
them even better than you do, for they
would not eat nothing clse."
'No bccfstcak, auntic 2" asked Robbie
Becfslcak was the chief Of his diet.
'No, they were vegetarians," replied
auntic; 'thats what people who eat no
meat arc called. But did you ever sec any
cocoanuts as they grow on the tree, chill
drcn2"
"I have" shouted Rob, eagerly; "lhe
mish'nary that preached in our Sunday
school showed us one. You couldn't sec
tho nice white part that we eat at MI, only
Il big brown thing, with 'nawful hard shell
covered with funny kind of stuff do
know what you call it-hair, guess"
eyes, said auntic, "and that hair IA
you call it, is what the robbers used for
Dcds, and the white part inside is what
they ate, and rs they had no tools, no ham
mers, knives or axes with which to break
the hard Shells they used to climb up the
cocoanut trees, and fling the big nuts down
os hard as they could throw them: This
geucrally broke the shell; and they could
dig out the fruit"
'But, aumtic, tell about the fighting
part" said viii. a.tN..
ooh tho fighting part !" said auntie.
"Well, these fellows were always called the
robbers, yet most of the fighting was done
by another tribe, and they had funny way
Of fighting, too. They did not know how
to make anykindof weapons, but really they
needed none, for they had immensely
large, strong hands, and when they fought
they would seize their enemy with terri
bic grip and then run off-leaving the hand
and arm still clutchcd in the flesh of their
foes"
"Why, auntic, you don't mean that they
could take their arms off-rcaly," you
aren't telling true, auntie"
'But ] do mean just that-only you see
the loss of an arm was not much to one of
these fellows because new one would
grow in a little while"
''Phol you're just making that up, aun-
tie, said incrcdulous viii, struggling his
shoulders
Not bit of 1t Willie, it's all real hon
est truth, replied auntie, laughingly.
"3ut real mon don't have new arms grow
when their are cut off-'causc don't you
know that one-armed bcggar that came
here yestcrday2 He said his arm was shot
off In the war--and that was ever'n 80 long
ago."
"Ah, Willie, boy. did not say that my
robbers were men, They aro robbcr-
crabs, and every word told you about
them Is true" laughed auntic, "but
haven'4 tlmo to toll you any more, for the
supper bell will ring in five minutes, and
six little hands must bo washed, and three
little heads be brushed, SO rs to be ready in
season." ,.g sou
"But did they carry tho bags of salt wat.
F0r, auntie2" questioned Will.
"Ycs-thcy have two large bags or sacks
attached to their bodies, which they kcer
constantly filed with salt water" replied
auntic as she trotted off up stairs with baby
| Bcss pick -a-back.
EleDhRntiue Surgery.