The Opelousas courier., 1891-05-09
THE TWO ORCHARDS
By AUSTIN C. D

solomon WaGtS n stephen Greer
were two well-to-do farmers, and they
both owned good orchards. Their fruit
was mostly of a choice kind, and not only
found a ready market, but commanded q
high price. One thing vexed Mr.. Greer
exceedingly, and was a constant source
of annoyance. No sooner did his fruit
begin to ripen on his trees than nocturnal
and diurnal marauders commenced petit,
d~epredations IN his choicest CRAFTS.
ttlt is very strange" muttered Green tt
his wife, ''that those scamps will c~ontinu,
to rob my orchard. Only night before
last old Towser tore the clothes nearly of
frcm one Of the villains, and from the
marks Of blood that I found on the fence.
l should think somebody must have got
pretty severely bitten; and yet last night
some ore was in the orchard again. ]
declare, it's enough to make one run
mad"
'fIt is curious" answered the wife,
"and I'm sure / can't see into it. How
is it with neighbor Watts's orchardl'
"That's just what puzzles me. They
. don't trouble his fruit at all, and he
hasn't got any dog, either; and what's
more, his fruit is some of it better than
mine, and more exposed, too. Just lei
mt catch one of 'em, that's all.n
''It's too bad, certainly" uttered Mrs,
Green for she knew not what elseae
say.
Gather" exclaimed one of the boys,
who came running into the house,
"Towser's dead. Just as stiff as a logl'l
"Dead!'
"Yes,-out in the she'd"
An oath escaped from Green's lips, a:
he leaped from his chair and fastened to-
the shed. There he found his dog-a
real bull. dog, that he had bought on pur7
pose to bite those who troubled him.
dead, to use his own expression, "as !
d%oor-nail.n This was the most severe
cut he had yet experienced, and for {
long time his mingled feelings of rage
and chagrin rendered him literally fran
tic. He knew at once that the animal
had been poisoned, by the froth that had
collected about the mouth; aud he vowed
vengeance most dire ON the perpetratof
of the deed, if he ever found him.
1t was several hours after the above
event that the family were seated by the
supper-table. 1t was already slightly
dusk, yet not SO dark but that the dis
tant landscape was visible.
"By crackee, dad, exclaimed one of
the boys, whose attention had been di.
rected towards the orchard, athere'
somebody down in the corner HOOKING
apples"
MIR. Green leaped from the table, pui
on his hat, and then Selling a stout whip,
he hurried from the house. He distinctlt
saw two young fellows under one of hill
trees, and having gained the road, hi
carefully crept down upon the other side
of the wall, until he had reached a point
opposite to where the two boys,-fof
boys they were-were filling their pocf
kets with the fruit that had fallen upon
the ground.
"Ahal my young scampst' shouted
Green, as he leaped the barrier, GIVE
caSght ye, have I2p And as he spoke!
he seized n of the unlucky youths by
the collar, and commenced beating him
most numerically.
TN teach ye!" he growled, shaking
the crying boy.
20 don'tl only picked up a few
O, / won't
"You won't, won't yea No, I'll BIZ
bound We won't. There, take that, and
that, and"
Before the next word escaped his lips,
Mr.. Green felt himself hit in the side by
a stone which had been thrown from the
road by the boy who had escaped. The
excited man let go his hold and sprane
for the wall, but he failed to catch the
nlmble urchin who had assaulted him.
and in the attempt he lost the one Id
had caught. When the farmer reached
his house he was not only enraged but
he was really miserable. The ill-feelinR
he had cherished Ind poisoned eyerF
fountain of feeling and his soul was the
very gall of bitterness. Before he went
to bed that night, he had sworn that BIZ
would get a bear trap and set it in his
orchard.
ssCan | have a few of your apples, sir2''
asked q traveller, of Mr.. Green. The
applicant vas way-Worn and wearys
and he sat down upon a stone near thS
orchard wall, where the farmer was al
work.
mo-" returned Green. II don't raise
apples to give away
The traveller arose from his seat and |
Kept on his way. A little further on he
across the orchard of Mr.. Watts
de stopped and looked over the wall.
There were many apples lying upon the
and he got over to pick up d
lew, not noticing that the owner was
lear at hand.
GOOD day, sir, 7 said Mr.. Watts ap-
oroaching the spot. Are you travelling,
Yes, sir, 7 returned the stranger.
suppose a little good fruit must bel
heering such d day as this, especially
when one IS weary Just step this way.
Il. Here are some apples much bette
nan those. And as he spoke, WattaI
up his two hands full and ex,
ended them to the traveller.