National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-13
A pERILous SITUATION.
Uncle Ike Puts Up a Job on tho
witches-Power OF the straddio
Bone OF n Chicken.

bnolo Iho Puts UP Job on tho
wItches-Power OF the straddie
Bono OF n Chicken.
Opic p. Reed, IN nc Arkdusa,O Traveller
"Uncle Ike" said young Mulkittle,
seating himself on a box in tho old mans
cabin, "the other day you said that If
would bring you something moro TO cat
you would tell me oil about the witches
that couldn't hurt you cause you put
tho pully-bono Of chicken straddlo Of
your nose.
"Tibber sho', did, honey; tibbor sho'.
Tole yer bout grabbiu' dc bag o. gol' dat
'longed ter do witches, didn't II Yas, an
bout losin' de pully-bone. Wall, arter I
had went back ter do place where had
fust seen de witches an couldn't fine 'sm,
'gunter mako sinorsl sarch At las
/ foun' whar do had gone inter cave an
'cluded ter 20 back homo an como wild
or whoelbar' 80 i could tako do gol' erway.
tolo my brudder bout do fack, but i
wouldn't let him kno' whar do cave wuz,
'cas OF he had dun larnt do pully-bone
capcr frum gran daddy, he'd hussle out
dar an git do gop hisself case no wuz
much DER raskil.
"Naixt day sot out. got tor de cave
widout anybody seein' me, an walked In.
HHull ROno Iur WnCn nteTu no WllGuCb
er whinin' an or dancin'. l wuS mighty
brave, case 1 had de pullybone pulled
down tight obor my nose. Putty soon |
come in sight DER fro, out In or opeu place,
an roun' hit. do witches wuz or shakin'
dar skirts an or dancin' fit tor kill daa-
selfs. How do, ladies2' 81, marchin' up
ter do 1rS. Da bust out inter big laugh.
Laugh ON do udder side O. yer mouf
d'reckly,' 81, an 1 put my fingers on do
pullybone an pressed IL down on my
noso Come, ladies, whHr's dat gol 2"
| Er loud cookoo sorter noise caused me ter
| turn 'roun' au' look in do drockshun DER
dark hole in do wall o. do rack. De quiv-
erin light O. do fire made shadows dance
in do dark place, an fur or few minutes
j couldn't SEQ nobody, but putty soon
seed or great big black head. or face oil
wrinklcd up like one o desc heah cor
dians, an or mOuf dat would SGT or pus
sons tooth o. fear on do kecnes' sortcr
edge. She wus do witch queen, an thinks
l ter myself, Of 1t want fur dis pullybone,
do sight o. dat moust'us oman woup mako
me dance or mighty skeery Jig.
"'Cook-oo,' said de old oman, whut yer
let dat man fool round yer fur2 Doan
yer SEQ dat no ain 'vided wild de
Charm o. de kink an, de XII ko kunk;
Wild de chink an dc chi cho chung
"DOn dar roso or mighty s9uawl, an
for l knowd IL dad dun grabbed me, flung
me down. an wuz tying inc wild or ropc.
Den do truth flashed on me. Dat raskol
bruder O. mine had stoled my bone, made
one outen hickory wood, an put IL In my
pocket. shot my eyes an guntor pray.
Thought it was all over wild me. De ole
queen cummod an grinned in my face
an' or horrible ole oman wild or twisted
jaw kicked mo on dc head wild her
spindlin' heel an mado me think dat do
walls o do Babylon wuz mighty fas'
orumlip' erway. Da put mo inter or dark
hole an shet mo up. 1t wuz SO dark dat
/ couldn' 500 my ham befo' mo. Turnin'
round, peered ter look erway off yonder,
an seed suthin' like or big rod eye comm
slowly toward me. Closer an closer, till
II stared me in de face. Oh, it wus awful.
,, / couldn' git outen do way, an, prossin'
itself agin mo, 1t busted an scalded me
wild hot water. cried wild or loud voice
, an den l heerd do witches or popping
der jaws tegedder an or laughin'.
| knowp dat de- neber woup lot me out or
dat cave, an dat da wuz gwinc ter keep
me tor hab fun wild. The naixt day do
took mo ont in tho big openin' O. do cave,
burnt me wild red hot switches an don
, let me walk 'roun' keepin' do mouf O. dc
! cove shot so couldn' got out While |
. wuz waikiki 'roun' seed or ole hsg wild
or lot or aigs in her apron. She wuz
gwine ter bile en- fur do queen. While
she want lookin' / stole one an slipped
d. erway tor dark corner. i tore do linin'
outen my coat an mado nest an put de
q aig in it. Den L lain down an blowed
- my bref on dc aig. Ebery day, den
- airter dad git through habin' fun wild me
by burnin' an pinchin' me I'd lay down
by de aig an blow my bref on il. One day
:. while feelin' ODER dc preshus thing foun
dat it was pipped. Whit joy filled my
heart. AFTER dis | went out wild more
grace ter git my rashuns o. punishment
but / didn't let do witches sec dat
. wuz hope up. Putty soon do chicken
b hatched. How l did keep it hid, an
' how fed it on bread crums. Ono mornin'
l heerd de ole queen say, Put on de biz
!. kettle, an we'll seal dat Teller ter death.
. Dis wuz mighty bad news, ease do chicken
want big ernutI, but l had ter make de
trial. so killed the po' little thing, picked
dc meat often its pully-bono. an had jos
finished do job when de witches come arteI
:; me. Clampin' dc bone on my nose, sprung
i up. / neber seed SIGH or scatterin' in my
,. life Some % 'om run ergin do rocks an
butted dar heads open. Do ole queen
i, heerd de noise an stepped outen her darl
II corner. Den she flung up her hans an
II hollered SO loud dat do big rock fell orway
}. frum do cave door, an, maxim or break
=, l run out inter de passage an wuz soor
:, inter daylight"
/. 'Didn't you get the gold?" asked the
N boy.
n "Bless yer life, l wuz SO keen ter gil
a erway from dar dat neber thought erbou
!, do gop. went back, but nober coul
. fin do place"