The Opelousas courier., 1893-10-14
After a while he noticed Ike anxious

After a while he noticed Ike anxious
ly examining the bough they were rest
ing on. When the old man looked uI
his face was ashy.
"Marse Rob-" he whispered. Hi
voice BhooAin spite of his brave effort
to steady it. Rob looked at him 81
lently.
''Marse Rob, dis here limb crackin'.
Look darn He pointed to a rift neal
where it joined the trunk. 'It can't
hol' us bofe up much longer
Rob gazed in dumb, questioning de.
spair into the negroes face.
cit can't hol' us bofe, but it kin
boil you, young marse! Ye're little n
light; it'll bar yo' weight. Yer MAJ
trus'n you to me, nj mus tex keer
on yer. I'll DIES let go n drap.'
With a wild sob the boy flung his
arms around the old negro;s neck.
so Uncle Ike! she didn't! she did,
nit lied to you about il Mother
didn't trust me to you-she never knew
I was coming! You shan't die for
me! I don't deserve it! 1 don't! I
don't!"
"Well, den, Marse Rob, you trus'n
yo'se'f to me, n dat's de mo- cause |
sh'u'd tex keer on yer. I couldn't go
home widout yer, n tell ole marse n
mis- / lef' yer to be eat up ny dem
varmints. Icudn't do it eff I had de
chance, n I amt got no chance. But
de limb II bar you up be yo'se'f, n
dem creeters moughf go off after dey
Rob seized the old man more
tightly.
"'N' den you kin swim ter lam
easy" Ike went on. "'Tain't no ways,
hardly. m eff yer does get safe to
LAM honey, don't yer try to fine yer
way out'n de swamp. Des you ontie
my ole mule, n he'll lead yer straight
home. N when yer gifts to be a man,
young marse, yerll tex keer O. de ole
oman n de chillun's, n neber part
EN-, fur ole Ike's sake"
AS if they heard and understood,
three or four alligators here reared
their ugly heads from the water, and
fixed their dull, cruel eyes on their
expected victim. The old man shud-
dered violently and turned his eyes
way.
ooh, stop! stop" cried the boy.
"Only look to what you're going. Oh,
hold on just a little longer! Let me
holler again. Maybe somebody will
hear"
"Holler DEE ez much ez yer choose,
honey, but Use feared nobody won't
hear yer, 'cep'n dem varmints down
dar, n 'twont mex no sort O. def
f'unce to dem"
Bob raised his voice in a shrill, de-
spairing scream. "Help help , help"
A loud shout cam in answer and
round a point of land close by swept a
four-oared boat rowed swiftly to their
rescue.
sob, thank God! thank God!' cried
the boy. Saved, Uncle Ike, both
saved"
His exultant cry was hslf drowned
in the loud, ominous crack of the
bough. Itsplitt through half it's length,
and the end dropped down toward the
water. Without a word old Ike loosed
his hold, while the branch, relieved
from his weight, partially regained its
place.
A splash in the water, a scream OF
agony, shouts, blows, shots fired in
quick succession were the last sounds
Rob heard, as his hold relaxed and he
fell senseless into the water, to be in
r%o n4fu pr,1fo1 o,,k o,1 LID - A. IaoI |
When he came to himself, his head
was resting on his fathers knee and
his fathers eyes were looking anxiously
in his face, but no one else paid any
attention to him. All we're busy round
q body lying in the bottom of the
boat. Oh, was Uncle Ike saved after
all?
Yes, by prompt suceor and desperate
efforts, the wreck of the faithful, brave
old man was rescued from the savage
jaws of the alligators, but with one arm
gone, and a piece torn from his side.
Uncle Ike would never again be of much
service as a ''hand," but he had earned
exemption from hard labor for the rest
Of his life, if any man ever did.
Providentially, the neighborhood
doctor was IN the boat-a rough coun-
try practitioner who loved hunting and
fishing much better than his profession.
But he was a good surgeon for all that.
He made q tourniquet out of a strip
his bandana handkerchief and a
Ioint of his fishing rod, tied the sew
cred arteries with a silk fishing line,
as a thread but strong as wire,
was looking round as if in search
something else when his eyes en-
,ountered Rob's.
"Hullo, youngster!" he exclaimed,
haul off that shirt and let your back
a. well as your face. You're at
he bottom of this mischief, I'll be
pound, and you may as well take your
hare of the penalty"
Right willingly Rob took off his
shirt, which the doctor tore into
,andages, and with them stanched the
I'D negro's wounds. Then a dose of
was administered from his
masters hunting flask, and soon Uncle
Ike opened his eyes.
HELL do now," said the doctor.
Lucky for both of you we saw your
anoe floating bottom upward and
new it for old Ike's. We were COM
ng to his help rs fast as we could
Fhen we heard you yell, young man.
We had a scrimmage for it though. I
lever saw such feroeity. Pom my soul,
thought the ugly brutes would have
/"