The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-21
THE HAUNTED DRAGON.
~. Mem orLenn. Time s Democrat.

90 :, ,twasn't till her 10th year that my
1lS.Lo- oould bring herself 20 kiss a grave
DIGGER. That accounts, maybe 1or my De-
10 norm rickerty and with other drawbacks
.se+ only made father the fonder. Weather
limiting, he'd carry me off to church
"a act me upon fat stone, with his coat
$500 under, and talk to me while he
delved.
.,d lower, till his head played hidey-psep
,r,tb ma over the graves edge, aud at last
"a bs clean swallowed up, but still dis
-o,-sinv or calling up how he'd come upon
--onderFul towns and kingdoms down under
,.ornd and how all the kings and queens
tbsrs in dyed garments, were offering him
meat for his dinner every day OF the week
~ he'd only stop and hobbynob with them
and all such gammut He prettily dotted on
ms-tbe poor old ancientl
Rnt there cane day--a dry afternoon
4, t6s late wheat harvest-when we were
-, IN the church yard together, and though
Sa,bar had his tools beside him not tint
Aid he work, but kept travishing back and
Sorth one time shading his eyes aud gazing
ort 10 sea. and then looking far along the
pivmoutb road for minutes at q time. Out
nv Braddou Point there stood little,
Ssndv.rigged craft, lacking lazily 10 and
20 With her mains'l all shiny yellow in
the sunset. Thought didn't know it then,
sbe was the preventive boat and
her business was to watch the hauen;
Sor there had been a brush between
bsr aud the Unity lugger, a fort
night back and a preventive man
shot through the breastbone, and my
mothers brother, Philip, WAS hiding down
in the town. l minded, later, how that the
men across the vale, in Farmer Tresidders
wheat field, paused every now and then, as
they pitched the sheaves, to give look up
toward the church yard, aud the cleaners
moved about in small knots, causeying and
oIanclng over their shoulders at the cutter
out in the bay; aud how, when all the field
was carried, they waited round the last
load. no man Offering TO cry the Neck, as
the fashion was, but lingering till sun was
near down behind the slope and the long
shadows stretching across the stubble.
''Shsn't thee go underground to-day,
fstherF says l at last.
He turned slowly round and says he:
mo, sonny. Reckon usll CLIMB sKyward
for a change"
And with that, he took my hand, and
pushing abroad the beltry door began to
climb the stairway. Up and up, round and
round we went, in a sort OF blind mans
holiday, full of little glints of light and
whiffs of wind where the open windows
came, and, at last, stepped out upon the
leads of the tower and drew breath.
There's two-an'-twenty parishes to be
witnessed from where we're standin', sonny,
if ye've got eyes," says my father.
Well, first l looked down toward the
Al 40 kav Ill
and then l fell TO counting the church
towers dotted across the high lands, and
seeing if could make out two and twenty.
Twas the prettiest sight-au the country
round looking as If twas busted with gold,
and the Plymouth road winding away over
the hills like a long white tape. | had
counted thirteen churches, when my father
p tinted his baud out along this road, and
called TO me:
Look ZEE ous yOnder, honey, an say
what you seeW
II see dust" says l.
"Nothin' elsea Sonny, boy, use your
eyes, for mine be DIM"
~ see dust" says again, SAN suthin'
in it, like tin can"
"DragoonerSln shouts my father; and
then, running to the side of the tower fac
ing the harvest field, he put both hands to
his mouth and called:
what have 'eei What have 'eOp-very
loud and long.
"a neck-a neckp came back from the
field, like as if all shouted at once-dear.
the sweet soundl And then a gun was fired,
ald craniag for ward over the coping, l
saw a dozen men running across the stub
bic and out into the road toward the hauen !;
and they called as they rau: "a nsok-a
neckm
"Iss," says my father '''tis neck sure
huff. Pray God to save en-! Come,
sonay-"
But we dallied up there till the horssmsn
were plain to see, and their scarlet coats
aud armor blazing in the dust as they came.
And when they drew near within q mile,
and our limbs aehed with coughing-for
fear they should spy us against the sky
father took me by the hand and pulled hot
foot down the stairs. Before they rode by
he had picked up his shovel and was shovel
ing out grave for his life.
Forty valiant horsemen they were, riding
two-and-two (bY reason Of the narrowness
OF the road and a captain beside them
men broad and long, with hairy top-lips
and all clad in scarlet Jackets and white
breeches that showed bravely against their
black ar horses. and jet black holsters,
thick as they were wi dust Each man had
a golden helmet and scabbard Tapping by
moon. juggling from his horse's cheek strap;
u d was the number on every saddle, me m
ing the Twelfth dragons.
Tramp, tramp, they rode by, talking and
joking, and taking no more heed of me-
that sas upon the wall, with my heels
dangling above them--than If I'd been a
spring OF stone crop. But the captain. who
carried drawn sword and mopped his
face With a handkerchief, so that the dust
ran across it in streaks, drew rein aud
looked over my shoulder to where father
was digging.
'SergeaatI' he calls back, turning with
a hand upon his cropper, "didnt we see
ngger like this atop O. the tower some way
back.n
The sergeant pricked his horse forward
aad saluted. He was the tallest, straigh t-
ess man in the troop, and the muscles on
DIS arm filed out his sleeve with the three
stripes upon it-a handsome, red-facsd fell
low, with curly black hair.
Says he: THAT we did, sir-a man with
Sloping shoulders and boy with goose
leck." Saying this, ne looked up at us with
a grin.
I'm bear it IN mind" answered the Of
icer, and the troop rode on in a cloud of
DUST, the sergeant looking back and smiling
as If twas joke that he shared with US
ell, TO be short, they rode down into town
as night fell. But twas too late, Uncle
fhlllp having had fair warning and plenty
Vi time TO fee up toward the little secret
NOD under Mabel Down. where none but
TWO families knew how t. find him. All the
Town, though, knew be was safe, and LASH
ms OF women and children burned out to
use the comedy soldiers hunt ia vain till 10
O'Clock at night.