The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-09-05

them young uns on my hands to take
keer Of, an me with only one arm, fur
my left shoulder wer' swelled ez big ez
a mussmelon.
." wer' lookin' at them redskins,
fur they'd come out tn bushes by this
time, an wonderin' what I'd do; an,
boys, never felt so mean in my life,
when 1 felt little hand on my should
er--th' well one. 1 turned round, an
thar wer' Polly standin'.
"Jim,' says she, Il amt a bit
skeered with you looked n her eyes
for moment, an got ez bold ez
brass. 1 bent down, putin my arm
round her, an kissed her, an eff you'll
b1ieve me Polly kissed me back"
"Now, Jim, you know that amt
true" said Aunt Polly, with a con-
scious smile, her cheek slightly redden-
ing as she spoke.
"I begs your parding, my DEAR"
said Uncle Jim, with an elaborate wink
at the rest of us, intended to assure us
that he firmly held to his theory; "I
outer have 'membered you don't give
in t. that ar. However, at any rate
you didn't object, did YEP"
"No, DEAR" said the old lady, with
a placid smile.
II looks at her for a moment, an I
says:
q" Polly says I, 1 loves you, darlin.'
"Dog gone me eff she did't put her
head down on my shoulder an begin t.
cry. l didn't know what t. do.
"'Polly,' says 1, SIS you skeered,
darlin' p
"She lifted up her head an says,
soft-like, her head bent down:
"I die willing, dear, to hear you
say that. I'm cryin' Jim, cause I'm
so happy
"Now l wer' happy, too, happy as
bar n honey tree, but didn't feel
like cryin'. Not much, boys. 1 felt,
sore arm an all, ez tho 1 c'u'd lick all
the redskins this side of the Rockies.
1 never did feel so good ez did then.
kissed Polly agin, an then prepared
for work. By this time them Injuns
had made up their minds ez to
what they'd do, an a few on 'em
come up t. tn house to break in.
They know'd tn old man wer' away, it
seems. I'm glad t. say ez how three
on 'em didn't go back, for Tom settled
one an fetched two, restin' the rifle
on tn logs an Polly loadin' fur me.
TIL rest, they got out. L s'pose it
wer' too hot fur 'em. TIL next thing
wer' flight of arrers agin' tn logs, but,
hlncC Ai1n'f
Then ther' wer' lull kinder for a
time, an at last seen some fire arrers
fly out. They'd taken tufts of grass,
wound 'em round the arrers, an shot
'em off blazing. AT first they fell
short, an wharever 1 c'u'd see a red
skin I'd fire, gener'ly hurtin' the chap
aimed at. But arter a while they
moseyed round tn clearin' to
tn side nearest tn house, an
here they'd fire them arrers from be-
hind trees, so 1 didn't see EN-.
"Bimebye one of 'em lit, an fust
thing knowed, tn roof were on fire.
Now, l were considerable bothered
bout this, fur had no water to put
tn fire out, ar eff l had, / c'u'dn't
work much with one arm. L were
studyin' on it, an them reds were
yellin' outside, when all of sudden
my eye fell on long pole in one
corner.
"That 'ar roof were made of shakes
-slabbed-out boards, you know-an'
they was pinned to tn beams. Ipicks
up tn pole. an putin it agin tn
burnin shake, tn hull lot of us heaved
Bimebye tn shake give an slid off.
"Wall, were delighted l kissel
Polly an tn two gals, an shook hands
with Tom. 1 calculated that we'd
shove off shake soon ez it got on fire
an knOwed' tn logs w'u'dn't burn
L told Polly to get mattrass, an gel
under it, SO ez to be safe eff any arrers
fell through tn hole, but she put tn
young uns thar, an stayed out herself
Said she weren't goin' to let me be IL
danger, a. she outer it. Pears to mt
now ez this were kinder foolish, bu
then thought it were just like Polly
an in course what Polly did wer,
right"
I'D do thesame now, Jim," said tn,
old lady.
"I b'lieve you w'u'd, 1 b'lieve yol
w'u'dl WAL, boys, time slipped on
an every chance Tom or 1 got we'C
fire, an sOmebody'd get hurt. toll
Tom an Polly an the gals to keep
sharp lookout, fur 1 were feared of
run-in by tn reds. Sure enuff, 'bou
10 o'clock they come. Fust thing
knowed they were batterin' away a
tn door, an they got it down.
"Wall, it peared t. me ez tho
went crazy just then. l ketched hol
of an ak standin' thar an set mysel
in that doorway an eff you'll bliev
me, ther wern't no Injun ez come il
My arm never thought bout m
arm at all till it wer' all over"
"Jim stood up ther' in frunt of us,
broke in Aunt Polly, with kindlin
eyes, tan it seemed to me ez if he &C