Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-02-20

l. HIS was IbNtitblOn IOI WHICH L WIS
not prepared, and 1 requested JEFF to
enlighten me, when / was informed
that he had persuaded his employer to
advance six months wages, and, fur
ther, that he had sold his mothers
twenty-five dollar COW to the butcher
for thirteen dollars, and still further,
that he had slipped her watch from un-
der the pillow, and it was then in the
recesses of his clothes.
Elated at this evidence of his accom-
plishments rs a member of the "Dis-
NAL Band VI mean the "Band of the
Dismal Cave VI embraced him and
pressed his hand with that grand elo-
quence whose only voice is silence. /
promoted JEFF at once. He should be
next TO me in command.
And in order to fit him as a member
of the band, after going through the
formalities of the oath myself, handed
JEFF my dagger and commanded him in
the opulence of stage bombast to
swearW The oath was peculiarly
blood curdling one, with the collateral
maneuvers of drawing the dagger three
times across the throat, and making as
many plunges over the region of the
heart, which was to signify what the
swearer hoped would befall him if he
should ever betray his chief. Satisfied
of Jeff's loyalty, handed him Der
ringer. one of pair had purchased,
and cautioned him to keep a sharp look
out, we took secluded road out of the
village, and entered the woods on the
way to the station to board the early
morning train.
We had proceeded about half mile
when suspicious noise of breaking
twigs was heard short distance in
front of us, and advising jeff to take
care of himself while looked after the
enemy, ran back two or three hun
dred yards in search of tree. Of
course there were trees all around but
| have always been considered eccen-
trically fastidious, and couldn't think
of compromising my official dignity
and personal valor by coveting the first
| tree | came across. No, | wanted to
get where L could hold the enemy at
bay, and finding tree of size that
would enable me to accomplish this
bold resolve, ascended it with more
rapidity than grace.
didn't want to lose any time in
meeting the foe.
had reached a height of about sixty
feet, and was still prospecting upward
for place where | could command by
sound the enemy's position, when
heard a voice through the darkness,
and apparently on level with myself.
"SayP"
"WellP"
"It's the parsons old blind mule"
In few seconds was on the ground
and called to JEFF:
"Where are youP'
"Up'n this tree. Where are youP"
"Just about to surround and make
the hireling horde a prisoner" and
while JEFF was coming down l stood
under his tree, deluging him in a tor
| rent of abuse, and immersing him in a
river of whitening sarcasm.
"Jef," said in effect "I will take
the earliest opportunity to reward your
bravery. There is no knowing what
heights you may reach in our profess
sion when you come to deal with des-
perate men, since you have attained
such conspicuous altitude at the ap-
pearance of a miserable mule, and
blind mule at that. The exhibition of
your courage, JEFF, convinces me that
| ought to resign at once in your favor.
Don't you think, jeff, that you had bet
ter return to your motherP You
shouldn't be away from home nights.
A nice member of the Band of the
Dismal Cave you are, when you leave
your chief to cope single-handed with
possible danger. However, as this is
the first offense, l will overlook it, but
if it is repeated, remember, you shall
be ignominiously expelled from the
band"
JEFF swore he only went up the tree
to discover the exact nature and where
| abouts of the danger, when he would
come down and annihilate the whole
camp. accepted this colossal lie and
commended him for his sagacity, and
we proceeded on our way, conversing
enthusiastically of our prospective life.
AT the end of two hours we made the
pleasing discovery that we were lost,
knowing not the direction from which
we had come, nor anything of the To-
cality in which we were. Over this
predicament the callous heart of the
Border King" gave way, and realiz-
ing the awful desolation of his sur
roundings, and thinking of his COM
Portable bed at home, and of the Sc
curity there, he dropped a bitter tear,
which fell on the leaves with such a
lonesome sound that others quickly fol-
lowed to keep it company. The "Red
Hand" was also whimpering audibly;
and though neither of us dared express
it, the thought uppermost in the mind
of each was that he would give $780,
600 if he were only at home. Thinking
of nothing else at the moment, we
al Afh IoI
pressed them warmly; but our hearts
were too full of sublime misery to utter
word. 1t was finally agreed, how
ever, to make a bed of leaves and so
pass the night, at the prospect of which
we both shuddered; but there was no
other recourse, and half an hour found
us resting side by side, when jeff soon
fell asleep, giving his eyes and cheeks
salt water bath before dropping off.
His rest was uneasy, for his occasion
al remarks indicated that his mothers
COW was rambling through bis dreams,
and he was making terms with the
butcher for her recovery. l listened
until my eyelids got heavy, and soon
was in the midst of a herd of horrible
nightmares, the largest of which was
astride, when laundering noise in the
distance awoke me, and | discovered
in the gray dawn of the morning that
we were not three hundred yards from
our objective point, and the early train
was then coming.
Arousing jeff l acquainted him with
the fact, when our bold designs received
strengthened impulse, and we hurried
to the station, the train coming up
minute later.
Personally, 1 prefer that this narra-
tive stop here, but that would be unjust
to the reader, who may have risked his
or her sanity by proceeding so far, and
l give the rest. The first person TO step
Oft the car was my father, followed by
Mr.. Dobson, Jeff's mother appearing