The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-11-18

Il
evidently harder than the common
corn, and it would Weld more corn and
n more iodder py one-half to the acre, we
thougnts AT least we were enthusiastic
70 try 1t. So we now asked Jim and Ed
70 give us one OF the seven kernels to
Eplant next year. -
f Considerably to our surprise and
greatly to our indignation, they refused.
BUT the Carroll boys had been think
4 ing, or perhaps their father or others
nad told them, that, as the corn was a
new and superior variety, they would
De able to make money by raising and
selilng ltfor seed So theyswould not
let us havesse much as a. single kernel.
lest we should be rival sellers and come
IN Tor share of the profits.
They had a perfect legal right to keep
= it all; yet Tom and did not take that
view, and we were so indignant as often
TO speak of them as ''pigs!''
H. The matter made a sad breach in our
hitherto friendly. relationsss The heads
OF the two families took no notice of the
quarrel; but we boys did not speak to
4 each other for over year. We grew
thoroughly imbitteredA Aalf the more so
that we had formerly been so intimate.
But worse difficulties followed. 20 Sd : :
Next spring Jim and Ed planted the
-rseven kernels with great care. They
could net PVT it. in their garden, .lestait
should nix with the sweet corn. nor vet
out in the field on ther west side of the
'ffoad, where the ordinary corn was. So
they reserved a little plat, about s rod
square, in the wheat-field on the east
.kside Of the road, up next the linelwaIf
This plat they dressed richly and plant
ea the seven kernels in three hills. 1t
was warrn, sheltered spot S~S s.se9
But just as the shoots were breaking
the ground, the crows, or one crow, lit
down. on, the plat ione Sunday morning
before breakfast and pulled up all but
Two OF the spears, which were Just
breaking 9ground.xsr.r
| My brother and I were made aware
OF this disasternext amorningsby seeing
jim and Ed putting up horrible
| scarecroweli in the plat, and I fear We
were not very sorry on account of itss
The two remaining Kernels, however,
came up and grew with the same vigor
and strength which had marked the
growth of the stalk among the potatoes.
Tom and 1 often watched them from
our side of the line-wall Later in the
season, Jim and Ed set stakes about
them to support thema inscase. of "a vie-
flent shower. Both stalks fiatured and
had each two fine large iearsa.ats
From August till into September, the
boys used 70 come out every day to See
that the corn had not been molested.
Already the yshuck had begun to crack
Oft from the ears, showing thes fieli
dark red tint
One morning near the 10Th of Sep
tember, they, went out and found every
kernel shel1ed off the cobs, On tie stalks.
and gone; nor was there a track or. a.
trace to indicate the character of the
robber. Probably two more iy al angry e1. BOYS
could not have been found in the whole
sState .k5ass 4. .aefzq .YagT-F Il
The next. thing, in fact the first thing
Tom and heard was that jim and Ed
had charged us with; taking the corn;
that they had called us thieves in pub
lie. All the neigh boring boys were
talking OF the matter. 50 -, - . ,lf 81
We felt outraged. To call, a boy a
thief is decidedly worse than calling
him hegs sWeskne ne more than
they what had become Of their corn.
Even our parents we're. l think, a little
offended about the charge; for no father |
likes to have his son called a thief. |
| remember,oprx folks asked us about
it and that finding Tom andsf realiysf
knew nothing about the com. father
-bade us keep very Duct and make nb |
threats. saying tnt thestruthm ight ere
long come out.
October and the greater part Of No
vember psseds rIhe rdays had> now1
grown very short, and the weather was +
biting cold But snow had not vet
come; and enc afternoon which had t
rather more sunny, fathershad set
Tom and me grubblng up some sumachs
in the east Held We made q pile of |
these, ready for burning. 4 sps-
Down next the aline-wall there had |
lain, on our side. an old red oak log,
for some years !, ga. ,.,ss ,..i s. - 800.
This oak had stood nearlyson the line
and had been felled because it shaded
SO much tillage ground. The trunk
had been left lying where it. fell. But
it was now good deal decayed. Father
bade us take the oxen and drag it up to
our pile. This we did just at sunset;
esHu eHcu aCt ~ WOEkk4O SkHtt Itsltp. III
order tosthr6w it Oh the brush.pile, to
burn. ~ Svt. ss4
We had been pounding away at it for
some ninutes, wksnA there suddenly
larted eqt Of ashelele the end a little !.
striped Squirrel, or NchiPmhnk. " The
little CREATURE rydely awakened from
his winter torpor, by our heavy blows,
took refuge ina nearistonsepile.
We supposed it might have nest in
side tie bld 46gs sBu5s~eF~efes hardly p
prepared :, for, the sight that met our
eyes when at last we got the log open; I
there, inside it. nicely packed in punk,
together. AwAhesf fully half a peck OF
wheat was that red corn-nearly a
quart kernel of it, dare say!
/ We. shouted, ..st r,..s ss-si-. y z~-yl
Then we called father.
/ He laughed we'll - i'sa.Ta' E'l4slassss I.
Don't touch it, said he.
Then he eealiee Mabel / ourlittlesister,
and bade her run down to " peighbor
Carroll aand ask him and the boys to
some up as quickly as. they could.
On our stepping back from the log :