The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-01-24

And | am seeking quiet"
81 should not have known that you
were here, sir, if you had kept quiet. -
"And if you had kept away from this
| place you would never have known but
that was quiet" -~
| Here he took up his flute and began
to blow dismal tune, which 1 took to
| be melancholy signal that the con-
versation, so far as it concerned the
venerable troglodyte, was closed /
ventured to make another remark, but
the mournful tones of his long yellow
flute were the only reply 1 received.
Returning to my horse, after discover
ing way by which | could lead him
down to the valley, / continued my
hayward course. The sounds of the
flute followed me, and even after | had
crossed the river, which my faithful
horse swan like duck, | could hear
the melancholy wall of the old man S
lugubrious overture. | had not pro-
ceeded very far, after crossing the river,
until came to a large log house built
close against the side of mountain. 1t
was the first house l had seen for some
time, and as was not likely to see an
other one very soon, l dismounted, tied
my horse to a sapling, and opened the
rude gate with the intention of knock,
ing at the door, when an enormous doc.
that loolzedatIllifore like a ion, bounded
from behind an ash-hopper, and came
at me with a roar. | sprang on to the
fence and climbed up grapevine de-
pending from tree, Just in time, too,
Tnt | IN
he stood on the fence gazing at me.
You Bose!" yelled a voice, "come
here, sab. Don't pay no 'tention to
him, stranger. He only wanted to
skeer you a little"
HE has succeeded" l replied, with
out placing enough confidence in the
man explanation to trust myself to
descend within reach of the dog.
$50 way from thar, tell you, sab, -"
throwing an iron wedge against the
fence. The dog jumped down and
trotted away, and /, thus assured of
protection, left my perch and joined the
man in the yard.
"How do you do, sah?" said he, ex-
tending his hand.
Gas well as a frightened man could
well be, " | reioined.
.'Wall, he wouldenter hurt YOU even
if he had gotten his mouth on you. He
amt got no teeth. He is gittin' along
in years and has fit coons till his teeth
air about all gone. Come in"
followed him into the house. In
front of small fire in a great fireplace
sat a woman and a girl. They arose
,,rbo,, ,t,o IN, -o,,,.,,, ,,r,- =, =. 4
bad looking, and the girl was positively
beautiful, with flashing black eyes and
hair as dark as the gathered gloom of
midnight.
told them my name, after which the
man said: "My name is Redman jeff
ries; this is my wife and this"-with an
air of pride, imagined-''is my daugh-
ter Lentie. Set down an make yourself
at home. / don't know your business
and | amt keen to know; still if it's all
the same to you, WY jes' tell us why
you air in this here neighborhood, any
how"
/ told him that 1 was seeking health
and that | thought could find it among
the mountains.
chats whar you show your sense,
my fren'. When a man is out huntin
health an fails to find it 'mong noun
tains like these here" waving his arm
in sweep of illustration-''w'y then
he mout as well go home an turn his
boss loose, fur he amt goin' to find it
nowhar. Mother, KANT you an Lentie
stir your stumps an git the stranger
little bit to eat while | go out and look
at home, now, my fren'. | want keen
to know your business, but sence you
have been so kind as to tell us, wy we
want to make some sort O. return We
don't have visitor onc't in year, and
when we do, we wants to make him
comfortable. Don't we, mur?"
Yes, Redman."
Don't we, Lentie?" .
eyes, sir" ...
Thar, knowed it,"