The National tribune., 1892-12-01
pippins would eat plumb fine. eff he done


and let dem pippins erlone ?'' said Sister
Jackson. DE pa'son lobed te treat his
frien's te watennellons, an | don't reckon
his ha'nt would pose our tekin' er few Jes' te
keep up our sperits on dis solemn 'casion."
Br'er Waxhide conceded freely with Sister
Jackson views and the upshot of the matter
was that the soITowing brother, followed by
the sympathetic sisters, Jackson and Johnslng,
set off forthwith in the direction of the de-
ceased divine's watermelon patch.
The dialogue touching Job RobisOn's super
stitious proclivities gave Venus Sarcoxie an
idea. She arose from the bench as the trio
passed her on their way to the melon patch,
and entered the cabin.
She was opposed to Jobs taking so much
authority, without consulting her or her
mother, who was inside the cabin; then, she
was not ready to forgive him for having
married another, hard as he had suffered by
that union, and she resolved upon a plan,
which, if speedily carried out, she hoped and
believed might drive him away.
Snatching sheet off the bed, she crept out
of back kitchen window, and cautiously
picked her way through 1. burdock thicket
toward the orchard.
A rude rail fence around the orchard made
an inclosure for the hogs. Job had just
cleared the fence and was rapidly filling the
basket, which he had brought, with apples,
when, happening to glance over his shoulder,
he saw an awful-looking object that made his
knees quake aud his blood turn cold.
Elevated Oh the big rail fence, only few
yards away, was figure in white flowing
robes, waving its arms slowly, as if seeking
to drive away the apple culprit.
Job WAS satisfied it could be no creature of
fl,iS earth. i'm faef fhera WIS hT,t one thOu ht
in his distorted imagination, that was that it
must be his Uncle Exodus Sarcoxie's spook.
One thrilling morlent Job Robson gazed,
as if transfixed, at The fiightful object, then,
basket and fruit alike forgotten, he started
away across the orchard, as fast as his shaking
limbs would carry him.
Giancng back he saw with fresh horror that
the awful apparition had descended from the
fence and was disposed to pursue him.
On and on he ran, stumbling over the
gnarled roots of the trees, until he reached
the other side OF the inclosure. He attempted
to vault tie fence, but his muscles were too
f1ight-weallened to carry him over SO he
started away III another direction.
He could hear distinctly the terrible
object in white tearing along after him, but
he dared not so much as glance back, lest it
blast him with its uncanny breath.
Suddenly he ran headlong against the
trunk OF a tree, and came violently to the
ground.
His first inclination was to cry aloud for
help, but his voice died away in a hoarse
whisper. He could see the apparition fiutter
ing along almost upon him.
At that trying moment. however, Job felt
his strength slowly ebbing back to him. The
ground was thickly covered with fallen APP
pies, and as the ghost floated toward him, he
prepared to defend himself
Gathering upan armful of the hard wind
falls he let drive directly at the approaching
specter.
The first charge took immediate effect in
the stomach of the ghost the next struck
violently on the ankle this ghost happened
TO have those parts of the human anatomy,
and uttering a very genuine howl. Jobs
spook went imbing painfully back the way
it had come
attack, he armed himself with windfalls and
pressed deliberately after the ghost
1t now became the ghosts turn to retreat
There was wild racing and chasing among
the trees in the orchard, the spOok performing
some very peculiarpranls for the disembodied
spirit OF so eminent divine as Exodus Sar-
coke, of Green Turtle Rayou.
Despite the crippled ankle it might have
got of all right had it not been for an acci-
dent, which changed the whole complexion
of the affair.
In the orchard were several deep hog-wal-
lows. Some of them were of liberal dimen-
sions and filled with water from the heavy
rain Of the night before.
With shrill shrek that echoed wildly
through the orchard and reached the ears ofthe
watchers at the cabin, bringing them rushing
toward the scene of disaster. the luckless
spook went fioundering into one of the largest
of the wallows.
When the foremost of the vigil-holders
reached the fence around the orchard, the sill
very moonlight gave them a clear view Of Job
Robson assisting limp, despoiled figure out
of deep hole.
They were not long in recognizing in the
despoiied and dripping figure the late pastors
niece Venus Sarcoxie.
How dis happen, Job Robison?" de-
manded one of the watchers, harshly.
Job was equal to the occasion, and with
desperate resolve to save his own and Miss
Sarcoxie's reputation, he answered:
Miss Venus jest KEN down in de orchard
te holp gedder de pippins, and had de solemn
choly misfortune te step inter one oh dem
nasty hog-holes hyer."
Satisfied with the explanation, the brethren
walked back to the cabin, leaving Job and
Venus to follow more slowly.
Venus, " said Job in a soft tone "you's
done scar me pow'ful Wot TO- yos play
spOok on me?"
"Oh, 'cause!' with crest-fallen express
sion only half-vailed by the moonlight
Cause why, Venus?"
g amt gwine te tell yo's."
~ know, cause yo's like me yit, an yo's
aimin' te mex me de happies' niggah on dis
side de Bayou. OATS de reason, F" said the
conceited fellow
And Venus never corrected his view Of the
ghost business, and when he urged her to be
Mrs. Robson No. she promptly complied
with his wishes
The Boy Sharpsbooter.
81. Louis Globe Democradl
speaking of good rifle shots" said John
Hawkins, II wore the gray at Antietam in
1862, and the prettiest shooting ever saw oc-