The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-24

let an waited. He'd doze a little an then
he'd wake up, an he rolled an tossed about
tell purity nigh day. He want Uneasy, SO to
speak, but he wuz mighty restless. orc
door-bam-baml bam-ban! He want
skeered. but he got right weak. His mouth
got dry, an a big holler place come in his
stomach. lie seq ter hlsse'f, sezee, 'Shorely
that's Grandsir Death at the door, Then
he kivvered up his head an shuck all over.
'Twan't long TO the knock come agin-
'Bim-bim! bim-bim! BIN!
sole Man Know-all thought his time wuz
lone come. certain an shore, an so he hol-
Tered out;
"'Come I'M!
"The door opened, but stedder it's beln'
Grandsir Death, it wuZ a little Niger boy.
Ole Man Know-all seq. seZee-
"'What you want this time er night"
lt'The little niger boy SEE sezee, Nanny
sent me arter some fer
"Ole Man Know-all told i'm ter come in
an git it. The little niger boy went in an
started ter the fireplace.
"'They amt no chunks thar SEE Ole
Man Know-all. Go git a shovel
/" Don't want nc shovel seq the little
Niger.
How you, Rwine ter take itT sez Ole
Man Know-all.
"Ole Man Know-all turned over an
| watched i'm. He went ter the h'arth, filled
the palm er one hand full or dead ashes,
picken up q fre-coal this way
SuitinR the action to the word. Mr.. VIM
berry picked up a glowing coal Of fire,
it around rapidly and then neatly trans
ferred it to the bow of his pipe, where it
''The little niger picked up the coal
that way" Mr.. Wimberly continued, 'an'
then he started out. Ole Man Know-all
hollered at i'm.
"'Hol' ONT sezee; "how you gwine ter
kindle q fire from jest one coal?'
EASY enough seq the little niger.
"Ole Man Know-all jumped mp an fol
lowed i'm, an when the little niger come
ter his mammals house he got two fat
pine splinters, picked up the ooal or fire wi
'em jest ez Of they'd "a been tonRs.
whirled it onoe-t or twioe-t aroun' his head
nm thar wuz the blaze.
".Wsll,' sez Ole Man Know-all, Tn
mighty glad Grandsir Death gimme the
go-by last night, cause I've larnt sump'n
new. An reckon, Of ] keep my eyes
1--WE saw folks that thought they
knowd it all,' said Mr.. Pruitt, AN j,
most lnginer'lly happens that ali what they
know wouldn't make the linin' fer 9 bugs
nest"
Maxwell joined. or thought he did, and
then the cabin and all its occupants seemed
TO fade before his eyes. He seemed, as in 4
dream, to hear Mr.. Pruitt say that he
wished to the Lord that his little boy wal
as healthy and as wsll-fed rs the boy from
town, and Joe thought he heard the de-
serter telling his companions of the des'
perate condition in which he found his wife
and two little children, who were living in
a house remote from any settlement. Th
lad, much interested in the recital, opened
his eyes to ask Mr.. Pruitt some of the par.
ticulnrs. and, 10! it WAS morning. The fire
was out and the deserters and the negroes
had disappeared. In the east the SKY
glowed with the promise of he sun, thu
birds were singing in the old apple trees
and tho cows were lowing. In the distance
Joe could hear the pillow hands singing al
they rode to their tasks, and when thu
sound OF their song had died away b.
thought he could hear, ever 80 family, tht
voice of Harbert calling his hogs.
Mink had told Joe where be was and hov
to get home, and he had no difficulty II
finding his way.
[To BE CONTINUED. ~
CnpyriOht ~ l