The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-11-03
OLD PETER GREEN'S wATERMEL

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1t was commonly supposed in the
heighborhood that old Peter Green wal
not SO honest as he might have been
Whenever any of the neighbors missed
n roll of butter, chicken or a little
corn, it was not unusual to hear some
one remark:
II suspect Old Peter Green knows
something about it,"
If Old Peter was asked bis opinion as
to who the thief could be, he would re.
ply:
II do'no, I'm sho'. faint fer me
ter say; but 1 'pect it wuz some Niger,
en- / want yer ter understah' dat Niger
don't alus mean black pc pie neider, ca
yen fine out eff We look in yer dicshun-
ary."
Old Peter attended a watermelon
patch one season, and was indefatigable
in his attention to it. Day and night
found him at his post, under shelter
that he had built of brush to keep of
the sun and rain, armed with an old
gun, with which he was SO dexterous az
to be able to shoot black-bird on the
wing.
This feat always greatly astonished
one of his boy friends, who used to
borrow the old gun and practice with
it at mark on the barn-door; but he
was never able to hit the mark, and
often missed the door.
1t was Old Peters dexteritv with this
gun and the known fierceness of his
dog Ring that preserved his watermel-
ons, and permitted them to grow and
ripen unmolested.
Over on Vinegar Ridge, about two
miles from Old Peters patch, lived
Will and Matthew Black. They had
had patch themselves the year before
and at the time had strongly suspected
Old Peter of having something to do
with the disappearance of some Of their
finest melons, and after the season was
over had come into the knowledge of
facts that convicted him beyond .
doubt.
''Neber you min, Mat" said VIII
one day. "Old Peter he hook our mil
yens las year, en- mebby SOM er his'n
vii! creep off some er desc yere dark
nights.
''Hit don't seem ter me dat wo'd be
jes' de right way ter do"
well. mebby it wouldn't; but, least
ways, it don't look ter me like ez eff it
wo'd be wrong ter take nuff ter pay
you en- me back fer wot he took las
year"
ibis yerc chile low dat he hain't
gwine ter bodder none err Ole Peters
milyens, kase he don't want no bullet
a-whistlen pas his year, en- nodog toof
in his leg, We know"
''Mout watch till Ole Peter 90 ter
Sleep said viii. as
"'Peers like ez eff he dom nebber 90
ter sleep, en- eft he do, Ole Ring he'd Be
dar, en- yer hain't gwine ter fool Ole
Ring much, femme tell ycr.'
"Mout glib Ole Ring dog-button. y
"Mebby some folks Is mean 'nuff ter
pizcn yuther folkses' dogs. Dis chile
hain't, en- he wo' dn't hab no 'sosashun
wild NO niger dat wuz."
Eli, hi, wh-o-o-pyr'
''Wot's de matter wild We nowp''
''Jes femme tell yer. rs done tho't
er sufiin' dat's amos too good ~ cried
VIII, clapping his hands. s.Ts got q
little game dat l lows IL git away wild
Ole Peter bad"
And then and there he unfolded q
plan by which they were to get even
with Old Peter, that met with instant
approval by Matthew, and they deter
mined to carry it into execution rs soon
rs favorable opportunity offered,
Old Peter sat under his brush shell
ter. dark clouds were looming up on
the horizon, and night was approach
ing.
Il low dat we's gwine ter hab bad
night, Ring, !" said Old Peter, address
ing his dog. DE signs am all faborable
fer fallin' wedder, en-, ef l ain Z mistaken,
we's gwine ter git rain. and dat TO-
long; but low we won't git much
wet onless it come down powsful heb
by. Lissen, Ring. wot's datP 'Peerd
ter me ez if I hearn somebody talkin'.
Keep yo' sharp eye open. Ring, kaze
dis ycre's gwine ter be = moug6ty fine
night ter hook watermelons. I wish /
didn't hsb ter watch dis patch. dat l
dug. Wot's de matter wjd yo', Ring?
Wet 20 h6wlin' en- baEkip' bout! I