The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-09-29
''Law, honey, how you skeerd me-
Dat you, Will?"

n luS>. out tn0 III WIZ Dckake III WIZ
a-gitten' close ontcr de time dat turn
him loose
1t began to rain. and VIII and Mat
thew took advantage Of Old Peters
brush-roof 9A i4
Il guess we'll jcs' wait here till 1t
Stacks up little" said Will, as they
settled themselves in one corner II
think it ill stop presently. Hain't yer
goin' to set up de milyens, Uncle Pc
ter?'' - s4
"Dat wo'd honey, but rs been out
en- thump EN- all dis afternoon, en- dere
hain't none err 'em ripe. l sent EN- all
ober ter town syistiddy, dem wot wuz
ripe
Il hab ct 'em wen dey wasn't ies
dczactly ripe"
'.Moughty unhealthy, said Old Peter.
''Dey tell me dat de colry is gittin bout.
en- a green watermilyen am uncommon
bad fer de colry.a
They sat and talked until the rain had
ceased, but the sky was still overcast
with clouds, and the night was very
dark. fS 4
"Ole Dan Tanner, ober on de Ridge.
he's got mighty fine milyen patch, =
said VIII. '.Ice-cream en- rattlesnake
watermilyens, en- some er de finest can
talopes en- nutmegs dat Ieber seed
Dem isnice," said Old Peter. Oar
hain't muffin much better dan good
cantalope er a nutmeg"
''Hain't you plant none er dem ar Pr
Eyes, few. a few, but dey is green
yit"
'sOle Dan, he's Fly mean old cree
ter. I'd like to go ODER dar en- hook
some er his milyens. He's got more'n
he kin sell, en- dey are 'jes rottin' on de
vines. Mat, les me en- you CO..
Eye don't git dis chile away ODER dar
ter-night, yer kin bet on dat
''Tell We wot, Uncle Peter, you's
young en- peert yit. S'pose you CO."
Law honey! wot wo' d de Ks say?
Me a-habin' watermilyen patch, en-
a-goin en- a-hooken' yuther pc 'ples?''
''De folks hain't gwine ter know
nuthin' bout it. Ye see, Ole Dams got
moren'n he kin sell. You kin sell all
yourn, en- it wo'd be good thing ter
go ODER en- git some er Ole Dams, ter
Keep 'em from sp'ilin' on de vines
''Ef we want ter go, Uncle Peter
patch till We come back.
Old Peter was very fond Of melons,
but it is doubtful if he had tasted one
that season, for he was too stingy to
eat any of his own, and therefore it did
not take much more persuasion to in
duce him to go. So, leaving Ring tied,
lest he should follow them, and Mat
thew in charge of the patch, they started
Il hain't nebber been ober ter Mr..
Tanners place, said Old Peter. Fac
is, hain't been ober onter de Ridge t
all since las year, SO I'll jes' let you
take de lead. -
"All right !" said VIII. 1--WE won't
foller de road. Well jes' take de Dutch
cut, en- go cross lots.n
Law y said Uncle Peter, as he stum-
bled over log. ibid we ever see sich a
dark night ez dis yere? Peers ter me
ez ef we're takin' kinder roundabout
course"
Eyes, said VIII, 1--WE skips de worst
part OBJ de hill dis way
They walked on for some time in
silence. Old Peter was beginning to
regret that he had come, for the dis
tance seemed greater than he had sup
posed, and he feared Matthew might
not be diligent in watching the patch.
''Here we is" cried Will, at last.
Creep right up through desc bushes,
en- git ober de fence. Don't make
noise, kaze dey say Ole Dan keeps
gun"
Don't We be afeer'd. chile. Wot We
'spect yer Uncle Peter gwinter kick up
a row TO-, wen he's come ter borry er
watermilyenp Law! hits SO dark /
reckon we'll hab ter feel 'em. Here's
one" he said, laying hold Of large
one.
Hadn't we better git ober de fence
ter eat itp'
''No," said Old Peter; .seat it right
heah, in. de. center OBJ de patch, whar
Ole Dan kin see de Ems in de mornin',
SOS he won't think hit took legs en-
walk off hitse f-kase dot mought skeer
him. Well jes' eat de heart outen it.
en- den wen git another-kaze, yer
know, we wanter keep jes' ez menny
er Tanners miIlyens from sp'ilin' ez we
kim
''Here's another cried Will; zen
here's three er fo' nutmegs.
''All right, Willie. Let yer Uncle
Pete carve 'em. Yer Uncle Peter am
q ole han at de business. He knows
how ter get at der heart err de water
milyen, en- how ter slice de mus 'milyen
in de bes' fashion,
After they had eaten all they could
Will proposed to &c.
"Wait till we squ'sh de green Ones"
said Old Peter
'.Oh, no." said Will; '.le's not do
dat
'.Oh, yes,' said Old Peter, as he
CROPPED about in the dark, hunting for
the melons, and MASKING them with his
feet; ..tain't no fun Of we don't squ's h
de green ones. Won't Ole Dan be mad
in de mornin'? He'll jes' want ter tar
de place down"
Then they heard dog bowling and
barking.
WED better be a-gittin' away from
hcah, spect. Willie, said Old Peter,
leaving off MASKING the. melons; .'ef
Ole Dan WIZ ter tu'n dat dog loose, hit
be healthy in desc parts.
II hear somebody comm Run -
said Will.
Uncle Peter and Will took to their
heels.
.Bangr' went gun right close be-
hind them.
s.Or' cried Old Peter; "oh! oh! does
yer think-he'll-hit us?''
Hes pow'ful ham wild a gum
ao;d Will ssIo hin shoot n Snuirro1 in