The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-08-21
SAM.


this place found out that would be
obliged to make a journey Of about
thirty miles through the woods on
horseback in order to reach the spot at
Which my survey was to begin. This
was evidently caused by mistake Of
the official who had given me my or,
ders, and there was nothing left for me
to do except yield myself to my fate
and make the trip as best could Ac
cordingly hired the best pony to be
found in BogviIle, which pony, by the
way. was as pitiable a looking animal as
1t has ever been my misfortune to ride
However, resigned myself to the in
evitable, and the morning after my
arrival at Bogville saw me travexng
slowly through the woods mounted
upon the pony, which had named
Lazarus.
The day was excessively hot, and my
steed seemed to creep The woods
were thick and black, and the little
road was overgrown with underbrush
Trailing vines festooned the path, and
evinced an irresistible propensity for
catching me under the nose and almost
unseating me. My temper gradually
got the best of me, and | gave vent to
it freely. as there was no one within
hearing. More and more slowly did
Lazarus move along the path, and
soon saw that he would be unable to
finish the trip that day. In vain I
swore at HMM vain | thrashed him
he accepted both with Indifference
About ten of the thirty miles yet re-
manned, and l could plainly see that
Lazarus would lie down in a few min
utes. Still | forced him on and we
still advanced, but slowly.
was just trying to reconcile myself
to the unpleasant thought Of passing
the night in the swamp when | heard a
sound. So unexpected was it that
l reined in Lazarus, and listened.
Again heard it, and this time I recog
nized the source of it. 1t was some one
playing on the banjo. Here slight
interruption was caused by Lazarus
suddenly lying down. Freeing myself
from the stupid little beast, and giving
him kick as farewell walked in the
direction of the music, which had be
gun again with redoubIed strength. In
a few minutes came to sharp turn
in the road, and just then the banjo
performer began singing. stopped
and listened The words were those Of
an old minstrel song, and the voice was
evidently that of a negro boy. He only
sung this one verse:
Oh, Sam, you put that banjo down,
You good fur nothin lazy houn,
Oh, Sam!
Go drive the pigs in out the rain;
Milk the COWS for Liza Jane;
Liza's got the hoopin cough
The old mans drunk in the stable lof,
Oh, Saml
The song wound up with a wild flour
ish upon the banjo, and the playing
ceased. Turning the bend in the road
l saw the performer. He was, as ex-
pected, ~ negro boy, and looked about
sixteen years old He had not seen me
yet, and | was able to obtain a good
view of him.
He sat upon a rough picket fence,
beneath the spreading branches Of an
enormous oak surrounded by thick,
trailing vines and looked positively
weird. He was bareheaded and bare
footed, and was dressed in pair of
trousers and a shirt, the size of which
suggested the idea that they had been
made for much larger person His
face was almost devoid of expression.
but his large, black eyes had a strange,
wild look in them that was in keeping
with his surroundings His lean, mus
cular appearance betokened one whose
life had been passed amid rough sur
roundings, and the nervous grasp of his
fingers that clutched his banjo indi-
Gated highly strung temperament.
The instrument upon which he had
been playing he now held idly in his
hand, and | noticed that it was silver
mounted and apparently of elegant
finish. His hat lay before him upon
the ground and was apparently as
much too large for him as his other
clothes His eyes roalned restlessly
around as though seeking something,
10 knew not what.
At last he saw me, and, jumping
down from the fence, he grasped his
hat and started to run called out to
him, and stopping he looked at ne
with tilnid, frightend glance, while
into his eyes came that hunted, suspi-
cious look that is the peculiar charac-
teristic of the insane. | approached
him slowly and held out my hand. To
my surprise he took it and stood lock
ing at me with his large staring eyes.
When asked him how far was from
any house, he said;
TIN Sam. Mars Arfur sabe my life.
Some day give it back to him. Sam
got no life; it b'long to Mars Arfur.
He live yonder.
Wrenching his hand away from me
he turned and fed swiftly down the
path, and in few minutes was out oil
sight. returned to where left Laza
rus, and dragging the shaggy little
pony to his feet ! mounted and fol
lowed the direction taken by Sam. A
ride of fifteen minutes brought me il
sight of a farmhouse standing apon 6
little elevation short distance from
the road. Passing through the oper
gate | rode mp to the front porch, upor
which stood a white man. while by hii
side stood the queer negro boy, Sam
Disinounting. assembled the few step
that led up to the gallery, and, intro
ducing myself 10 the owner, begged
I permission to pass the night The gen
7 tleman welcomed me cordially anC
b5de me make myself perfectly a
home. His name, he told me, was ar
thur Delon, and he was the proprieto