News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-01-09
The Old Settler.


Shots" the "Waftings from Will
Gander," the s'Spravs from Spront,
Clearing, and other jottings, and ha,
come to the ''Blaring Ridge Biz
yards" The Old Settler was Twins
back in the splint-bottom rockins
chair with his eyes shut, quietly
listening. The first jot under thu
'sBlaring Ridge Billiards" was as fol
lows:
GA reliable citizen of the Ridge saws
he saw wolves prowling around thi.
neighborhood the other night. Ho fol
wolf hunt!"
"W'ats that?" exclaimed the Ole
Settler, opening his eyes and coming
bolt upright in his chair. Peleg read
the jot again.
cha! hal hal" laughed the Ole
Settler. ''That's the bes' thing I've
heard in a coon's age! A reliable cit.
zen O. Blarin' Ridge has seen wolfs
prowlin' 'roun' thar, has he? That's
better, b'gosh, thin anything the Clar.
ion Blast ever had in its Laugh an
Grow Fat cOlyum. Now, if the chan
that writ that had jist said that wol1s
was prowlin' rOun' the Ridge, I'd ha
thunk good deal but said nuthin.
But wen he says reliable citizen seen
'em L can't keep still. Tn mowt be
setch thing ez VOLTS prowlin' roun
thar, but eZ for reliable citizen, that
won't go down. TIL hain't been a re-
liable citizen on Blarin' Ridge for
better'n forty year! Read that ag'in,
Peleg, an let me bust a laughin' ~
Peleg read it again, and the Old Set
tier laughed. After he had subsidized,
Peleg said:
''Do you think there is wolves over
TO the Ridge, grandpop?"
''Sonny," replied the Old Settler,
'fwolfs hain't no durn fools. They
know their business, and Consistently
know th't they hain't got no business
foolin' 'roun' here in these days. First
place, thur bounty o % sot on their
heads, an that's agin 'em. Mex place,
tn hain't nuthin' for VOLTS to do now
adays in none o. our deestricts, like tn
was in the good OF days o. Sugar
Swamp. Watts VOLTS fer, anyhow ?
Pll tell We wat they'm fer. They'm
to prowl aroun' in the wildee wilder
nest an watch their chances to gether
roun' the cabins o. them this had the
grit to build cabins thar, an to scratch
at the door o. the cabins, an rattle at
winders, an howl and yell fer the set
tier an his family to come out an be
eat up. Leastways that's all th't ever
heerd VOLTS was fer. But tn hain't
none O. that wildee wildernest no more
not in these parts, an the poor VOLTS
don't heY no show to gether 'roun' the
cabins an howl an yell to be either let
in or else fer the cabiners TO come out.
I'd jist ike to see that reliable citizen
o. Blairn' Ridge th't says he see them
VOLTS. If he was billed down I'll bate
a. bar'l o. pork agin a sap auger th't
he'd come out one part citizen an nine
parts Blarin' Ridge red eye, an COM
mon leetle every day jar on that de-
coctiOn II make Teller see VOLTS an
wildcats and fiery dragons all the
wun'st b'gosht' mighty, an know it
Read that agin, Peleg."
Peleg was growing trifle weary of
the Blaring Ridge Blizzard, but he
read the jot once more, and his grand
father roared again, and said he hadn't
inj'yed anything SO much sence Bill
Rapsy lost his ear in bar rassel.
$50 they'm gointer hoe fer wolf
hunt, be they?" said the Old Settler.
I.Wull, they'll hef to hoe, and they'll
hef to keep on hoeing, b'gosh, till they
git clean through to Rooshy fore they
strike wolff"
The Old Settler laughed again.
Peleg laid the paper aside, and was
soon absorbed in literature more to his
fancy. The mirthfulness of the Old
Settler ceased by and by. He glanced
with some astonishment at Peleg, who,
with both elbows on the table and
cheek resting on each hand, was por-
ing over a book that lay open before
him. The Old Settler rocked very
hard for a moment. Then he sat still
and shuffied his feet on the floor. He
coughed. He got up, lit his pipe, and
sat down again, making a great hustle
in doing it. Peleg never raised his
eyes from his book. Presently the Old
Settler said, sharply:
..Peleg, I'll bate yer gointer asst me
if l ever had any experience with
wolfs!"
s.No hain't grandpop," said Peleg,
quietly, without moving from his posi-
ton.
If the Old Settler hadn't taken his
pipe from his mouth just as he dig 1t
would have fallen out, for the calm
disinterestcdness of Peleg so affected
him that his jaw fell, and he gazed
with staring eyes and open mouth at
his grandson. 1t was some time be-
fore he recovered himself. He took
few whiffs at his pipe, and then said,
insinuatingly:
s'Did We know, sonny, th't L Killed
nine woif5 at wunst' fore L were a ten
year-oldE
mo" replied Peleg, coolly, looking
up for the first time and putting his
finger on the line TO keep the place
where he was reading. "Why, that
pretty good, grandPop-"
Then he resumed his reading as be-
fore. The Old Settler actually had TO
catch for his breath. He could scarce
" believe his eyes or his ears. He sat
for spell staring about him, and was
about to fetch Peleg up all standing,
when a suspicion flashed across ms
mind. Had Maria been belittling his
recolIections of Sugar Swamp to Peleg,
and giving the boy points:
ePeleg," said tie Old Settler sternly,
.swbar's yer gran'mammy
..Meetin', "replied Peleg, reading on.
uHas she been sayin' anythin' p'tlc'-
lar TO We lately?" asked the Old Settler
..Ye-e-e-ess, !" replied Peleg, shifting
uneasi!v in his chair, and glanclng
nuiekly from his book to his grand
father and as quickly back again.
gIIahI she has. hey?" exclaimed
the old Settler. "W'at did she say to
..Sbe-shc-she told me that if she
If sIe-if she ketched me at 1t again
sbe'd-she'd-she'd rattle the toe nails
off o. mel" replied Peleg, reluctantly
.Kelched We mt wat, We Young sar-
pint?, demanded the Old Settler.
s.Tyin' the cats tail to an old roost-
er.s leo to see which'd fly most, fur OF
feathers" said Peleg with a sly g lance
at his grandfather, as he resumed his
1Did We do it, Peleg?" said the Old
Settler, eagerly, and forgetting. all
about his perplexity and his suspicious
(Which flew most!" -.
4sFeathers, ;" replied Peleg, win no