The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-26
A PERILoUs SITUATION.
How Old Ike Succeeded in Gaining
 Hts Liberty.

Cncle Ike" said young Mulkittle, seating himself on box in the old mans cabin, the other day when l brought you the apple dumpiins' after you had prayed for 'em, you said that if would keep a sharp lookou. an bring you some thing more to eat you would tell me all about the witches tha, couldn't hurt you cause you put the pully-bone ofa chicken straddle of your nose"
 "Tibber sho', did, honey tibbet sho'. Tole yer bout grabbin' de bag O gol' dat 1onged ter de witches, didn't |? Yas, an 'bou, losin' de pully-bone. Wall, arter had went back ter de place whar had fust seen de witches an couldn't fne em, 'gunter make gineral s'arch. At las ioun' whar da had gone inter cave an 'cluded ter go back home an come wid CT wheeibar' SO coul take de gol' erway. ,ole my brudder bout de tack. but wouldn' lei him know whar de cave wuz, case ez he had dun rarnt de pully-bone caper rum gran'daddy, he'd hussle out dar an git de gor hissef. case he wu. much O CT raskii.
 "Naixt day so, out. go, ter de cave widout anybody seein' me, an walked in. hadn' gone fur when heerd de witches CT whinin an CT dancin'. wuz mighty brave. case had de pully-bone pulled down tight ober my nose. Putty soon come in sight O CT fire, out in CT open place, an 'roun' hit, de witches wur CT shakin' dar skirts an CT dancin' it ter kill dasel'fs. How do. ladiesT sI, marchin' up ter de fire. Da bust out inter CT big laugh. Laugh on de udder side O yer mouf d'reckly,' s'l, an put my fingers on de bully. bone an pressed it down on my nose. Come, ladies, whar's dat gol'T Er loud cook-oo sorter noise caused me ter turn roun' an look in de dreclshun O CT dark hole in de wall O de rock. De quivenn' light O de fire made shadows dance in de dark place, an fur CT few minutes couldn' see nobody, but putty soon seed CT great big black head, CT face all wrinkled up like one O desc heah 'cordians, an CT moai dat would set CT pusson's. tooth O fear sn de keenes' sorter edge. She wu1 de witch queen, an thinks l ter mysef. ef it wa'n't fur dis pully-bone, de sigh, O dat monst'us oman woul' make me dance CT mighty skeery jig.
 Cook-oo,' said de old oman, whut yer let dat man fool 'roun' yer fur. Doan yer see dat he ain 'vided wid de
 Charm O de kink an de ki ko kank.
 Wid de chink an de chi cho chung
 Den dar rose CT mighty squawl, an fore l knowd it, dad dun grabbed me, flung me down an wur tying me wid CT rope. Den de truth flashed on me. Dat raskel bruder O mine had ssold my bone, made one outen hickory wood an put it in my pocket shet my eyes an gunter pray. Thought it was all over wid me. De ole queen eummed an grinned in my face, an CT horrible ole oman wid CT twisted jaw. kicked me on de head wid her spindlin' heel an made me think dat de walls O de Babylon wuz mighty fas' crumlin erway. Da put me inter CT dark hole an shes me up. I, wuz so dark dat couidn' see my han befo' me. Turnin' 'roun' l peered ter look erway of wonder, an seed suthin' like CT big red eye eomin' slowly toward me. Closer an closer, till it stared me in de face. Oh, Ii wuz awful couldn' git outen de way, an press itself agin me, if busted an scalded me vid hot water. cried wid CT loud voice an den heerd de witches CT Poppin' der jaws sergsdder an CT laughin'. knovd dat da neber woul' ies me out CT dat cave, an dat da wuz gwine ter keep me ter hab fun wid- De naixt day da took me out in de big openin Q de cave, burnt me vid rcd hot swisches an den let me walk 'roun', keepin' de mouf Q de cave shet % cou;dn' git out While l wuz wzlkin' 'roun', seed CT ole hag vid CT lot q aigs in her apron. She wuz gwine sez bile em fur de queen. While she wa'n't lookin'. .told one an slipped erway ter . dark corner. tore de linin' outen my coat an made a nest an put de aig in it. Den laid down an blowed my bref on de aig. Ebery day, den, airter dad git through habin' fun