The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-02-24
renewal of the mystic sounds, and again their merry chatter was resumed.

chock fuller goodness that ne spill tTufeS eb'y time yo' Joggle i'm, ef he hain't libin' whar he got big chimbly, an he's so pore dat he hain't got no stockin' to he back, 'taint no service to i'm"
 "Wharfo, Rufus!"
 "Wharfo': ease, 'cordin' 10 de story de law don't Tow dis here raindeer gemblem ter cum in de house no udder way 'oeptin' froo de chimbly, nor cram de stuffin' in no udder game-bag on'y jes' stockin'."
 '.Aebbe yo'm right, Rufus, but pears me dat whar deys fokes like you'n me, dat hain't got no udder faults 'cept not habin' no stockin's, dar would'n be no fuss ef we'd dangle up suffin' dat's got strong 'zemblance to de stockin : now dars dem coonskin bags dat nanny takes ter keep de sassengers ln-'pears like dem oughter fit de 'casion.'
 Again the mysterious '.lingle-jingle, jingie-lingle" interrupted the grave dc bate, and again the dusky faces were turned toward each other with expres- sions of unutterable amazement This time the merry sound continued much longer than before, but seemed neither to advance nor recede, while, as at intervals il would drop a,.link in is tingling chain, there was tone of pathos in it which the boys felt. but couldn't quite ascrbe to anything in the material world. Once more the bells were voiocless, and though the silence which ensucd was long unbroken by the listening darkies. little by little the mystic influence wore away, and Rufus agaln resumed the thread of discourse:
 "Cutfie" said he, '.ef yo'm torking bout dis bizness on pussonal ground, wid de ldee o rangin how we uns kin 'tiee dis yar Sandy Claws to make us a visit. you fust gotter perSide chimbly dat's big 'nough ter let i'm froo, an dat haint de kin dat's roostin on de shanty whar we'm libbin'.n
 "Whario', Rufus again in,erposed Cuffie.
 "Wharo' ?" echoed the somewhat per- turbed philosopher-"wharfo' why ain't yo' got de gumpshin ter see dat de Sandy Claws we seed in dat ar pieiur' book coodn possmbly scrouge hese'f froo sich skimpy ehimbly as dat ar one we're got. Don yer member der stummick dat boomed out from his west so pre- car'aus dat yo' ,traid ter teteh him fo' fear dar'l he sp.osion. an duk yer spose t4t ar kin drif down dc chimbly we does our rookin foo. Go way. eh!lc, Haint de ia,' apeuen; d., liark dar's dem bells }insiIa.
 safc ennagh the sane sileefy tongues were itci shGus the frosty air with their qeaiai maSic. and ,t5igmg through the saes flakes with | ncAowneSs that seemed in Harmony with the soft messengers that huified them along. Jingle c-langie, lin- ale-Iangle. lngle-langle. -changeless in volume, ye, always swec, and mystical
 the sounds came sweeping through the wooded asleS 10 the now thoroughly tas- cinated boys. and before their chimes had sled they had already laden with wood and seizng the pole, commenced drag glng the vehicle along in the direction of the bells as he exclaimed
 Elf da,s Sandy Claws. an Sandy Claws haint comm dis-away, dis ehile's goin' dat-away, an he's gwlne ter tell him toe dat he haint got needer stookin' nor chlmbly ter fit de 'casion.'
 ''No'm struck dc right idee sho' nough. Rufus " shouted Cutiie. as he lent hand at the sled. and with no lag gard pace the two made their way to a quite unfrequen,ed road just around the bulge of the mountain base.
 The Jingling of bells continued long enough 10 guide them to the open, and within view of the road. and the sight that met thelr gaze found little eNplana- ton Tn the excited uterances of Rufus.
 'Dars Santa Claws, io sartaIn. Dem rendeers o hlssns been balky. an dey's trapped de ole man in sich onconscia- be naborem dat et desc chlllens hadn't been 'roun' dar'd been heap O yawin' stoCkins hangin Ioun in tie mornn.
 Although not the Santa Claus of the picture books. the individual occupying central position n the wreck. the boys hau discovered w.ls ro less Il person than NaloT H.. the santa Ciau, for whom the people were waiting ia the pGbhe hail | few a.,es away The es4dcuees oi i..n- away were apparent on ali side> oi hIm fragments oi t s.eigh wc,e slrewn about
 the body of the yehIe.e .e IF enc d ec- ton. one oi the shat.s n n'aGo;her an. the runners percaed upon convenient teacS post; wh.c the maioT himself. with . Stnns oi heilS m his hands. winch he was rlngirs with d! the vIgor he could com- u,and. MS pcrched upon a robe. garns with tender concern. upon well i-ban- dased foot tha; lut,cd our horizontally before hlm. His appearance justified his being mistaken tor the Christmas deity tha, Rufus had proclaimed him 10 be for his long white beard. rendered double hoary by its treigh, of snow, deepened the contrast of ruddy cheeks and nose whose unprotected prominence the bleak winds had keenly dealt with. while his rotund frame appropriately ambitious a, his lower vest buttons. heightened the resemblance which had occasioned the exclamation that announced hls discov- cry. His greeting to the boys was very cheery one. and spoke volumes for his sanguine temperament.
 'l knew those bells wouldn't talk in vain. he said. flor the Lord thinks too well of the kind of business ,ha, santa, Claus IS employed in to le, his abilities go 10 waste in the woods when there's plenty for him to do somewhere else