Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-17
SAN.


this place found out that | would DO
obliged to mako Journey Of about
thirty miles through tho woods on
horseback g. order 10 reach the spot at
which my survey was TO begin. This
was evidently caused by mistake Of
tho official who had given mo my OF.
dcrs, md there was nothing left for me
TO do except yield myself 20 my fate
and mako tho trip as best could. Ac-
cordingly hired the best pony 10 be
found In Bogvillo, which pony, by the
way, was as pitiablc n looking animal as
II hAs ever been my misfortune to ride.
However, ] resigned myself TO the In.
eyitnble, and tho morning after my
arrival at Bogvillo saw mo travelling
slowly through tho woods mounted
upon tho pony. which had named
j.azarua
The day was excessively hot, and my
ftccd seemed 20 creep Tho woods
wore thick and black, and the little
road was oycrgrown with underbrush.
Trailing vines festooncd tho path, aud
ovinccd an Irresistible propensity for
catching mo under tho nose and almost
unseating me My temper gradually
got the best Of me- and ! gave vent TO
IL freely. M there was no one within
hearing Moro and moro slowly did
Lazarus move along tho path. and !
soon saw that no would DO unable 10
finish tho trip that day. In vain
swore at HMM vain thrnshcd him
Tho accepted both with lndlncrcnoo
About ten Of tho thirty miles yet ~
manned. and I could plainly 500 that
Lazarus would lio down In few min.
utoS Still / forced him on and wo
still advanced, but slowly.
& was just trying TO reconcile myself
10 tho unpleasant thought Of passing
tho night In the swamp when heard "a
sound. So unexpected was II that
i rclned In Lazarus, and listened.
Again heartlii, and this time rccog.
nllcd tho source Of Il. II was some one
playing ON tho banjo. Hero slight
interruption was caused by Lazarus
suddenly lying down. Freeing snysolf
from tho stupid llttlo beast, and giving
him kick ms farewell, walked In tho
direction Of tito music, which had be-.
gun again with redoublcd strength. In
u fow minutes came 10 sharp turn
In tho road. and Just then tho banjo
performer began singing. l stopped
and Listened. Tho words woro those Of
an old minstrel song, and tho voice WIS
evidently that OF negro boy. lilo only
sung this ono versoi
! Oh. Sam. yOu put that banjo down.
Oh, kaml
You good fur nothin lazy h0un.
Oh. saml
Oodrivo tho plfs In out tho RAIN
r. MIX tho cows Tor Liza Jane;
Lisas got u.s hoopn cough,
Tho old mans drunk In tho stable lot.
Oh. SAM
Tho song wound up with wild flour.
ish upon tho banjo, and tho playing
ceased Turning tho bend In tho road
! saw tho performer lilo was, ns OK.
poctod. a negro boy, and looked about
sixteen years old. lilo had not seen mo
yet and was ablo TO obtain "a good
Wow Of him.
lio sat upon a rough picket fence,
beneath tho spreading branches Of an
enormous oak, surrounded by thick,
trailing vines. and looked positively
weird. lilo was bareheadcd and bare
footed, and was dressed In a pair Of
trousers and n shirt, tho siEo Of which
suggested tho idea that they had been
made for much larger person. Ills
face was almost devoid Of expression,
but his large, black eyes had strange,
wild look In them that was In keeping
with his surroundings His lean, mus.
cular appearance bctokonod ono whose
lifo had been passed amid rough sur.
roundlngs, and tho nervous grasp OF his
fingers that clutched his banjo indl.
Gated a highly strung temperament
Tho instrument upon which no had
been playing ho now held IDLY In his
hand, and | NOTICED that Il was silver
mounted and apparently OF elegant
finish His hat lay before blm upon
tho ground sand was apparently as
much too large for him Ms his other
clothes. Ills eyes roamed rcstlcssly
around as though seeking something,
he know not what
At last no eaw me-, and, Jumping
down som tho fence, ho grasped his
hat and started TO run. called out to
him, and stopping no looked at mo
with tinid, frightened glance, while
into his eyes came that hunted, suspl.
clous look that Is tho peculiar charac.
teristlo OF tho insane. ! approached
him slowly and held out my hand. Tc
my surprise he took It and stood look.
ing at mo with his largo staring eyes
When l asked him how far was from
any house, hc saldi
I'm Sam. Mars Arfur sabo my life.
Some day give It back to him. Sam
got no life; II b'long 10 Mars Ariur.
lie live yonder"
Wrcnchlng his hand away from mo
he turned and He'd swiftly down the
path, and In a few minutes was out OF
sight | returned to where left Iaza.
rus, and dragging tho shaggy little
pony TO his feet mounted and fol.
lowed the direction taken by Sam. a
ride OF fifteen minutes brought mo In
sight OF farmhouse standing upon
little elevation a short distance from
tho road. Passing through tho open
Snte rode up to tho front porch, upon
which stood n white man. while by Ills
side stood tho queer negro boy, Sam
Dismounting, assembled tho iow stems
fhnA lnd ~. A.. Al. Ill -