The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-19
HEN Ahab was
asked how old
.Tnxyi,opcSIyo

We'll. sub, now yoze sholy got mo.
Yo' might as we'll asst me de egzack age
or Un,s' Noah's ark. Nobody don't
know how old dat ar mule is. less'n he
know hissef, Jawbones knows mos
nigh bout ert'ing-dat he do. But
he won't always tell. l reckon though
he suttinly can't be much less'n a hun
drcd year Old"
Then Ahab, having rested. got up,
placed himself between the pillow
handles. and tried to induce Jawbones
to pull. But the old mule merely
fiicked ono ear and remained sta
tionary.
"'Tain't no use" said Ahab. begin
ming 20 undo the hamestrings.
why don't you whip him up:" asked
stranger, who was leaning over the
roadside fence in an indolentlv curious
way.
Deere now" returned the old negro
in reproachful accents, ''he hecrd yo',
Juwbones did. Look ut him shake his
had. Don't yo' never git near his hind
laigs. Yo' done suited dat ar mule,
md he know it. too"
Seeing that the stranger looked
sceptical, Ahab explained further as he
removed the gears:
r me md my old woman. we natally
ponds on Jawbones bout same RS if
he could talk. When he proves of
anything er anybody, we knows hits
al! right. But when he lays his years
buck md shakes dat haid err his'n-so. we
knows dat SIGH err move err sich CT pussbu
p'intcdly won't do at all Wee ben
goin' on Jawbones' Judgment fer nigh
on ten year CT more, nd he amt never
fooled us yet"
Then Ahab mounted. Jaw bones, feel
ing that himself and the plow were
separated, slowly waggcd his way
down the willing cornrows toward the
stable. 1t was pretty near noon, and
us the sun shone hotly the old mules
.'jedgmcnt" was not SO far amiss.
Not long after this a man rode up to
hbab's cabin, dismountcd. and was
making his way to the door, when
.iawboncs, who bad been doing under
q china tree, rushed at the intruder
with his ears folded back and two
rows of worn and yellow teeth lavishly
exposed. The man promptly jumped
the fence.
Hello! inside there he called from
the safe side of the rails.
Aunt Rindy, Ahab's wife, came to
the door and ut once took note of the
mules hostile demonstration.
"G'way f'om y"re. white man." she
exclaimed. Don't yo' see .Iawbones
gittin' dangersome?"
Where is your husband"" demanded
tho man. II want to see him at once
! don't sec what YOU want to let such
cantanlScrous beast run around loose
for, anyhow
Aunt Rindy placed her fat arms
AKIN DO.
Look ycre. subj" she rctorted,
my ole man amt awantin to see Won;
away de better"
She was about to slam the door when
tho man spoke again:
But. see here! have business with
yonr old man. II will he money in his
pocket to sec me. Take that blamed
animal out of the yard and I'll come in
and wait, or leave instructions if he
isn't here"
"Yo' don't git ter leave nary strnc-
lions ner muffin else. IF yo' amt on
dat hoss's back nd pacl;in sand in
lcss'n two minutes I'll pull down de
draw bars md turn Iawbones loose in
&c road. Look al him raar,''
Jawbones seemed to be trying to
climb the fence in his anxiety to as
sault the stranger, who hastily re-
mounted and rode away, swearing, not
lout, but deep. The following day
Aunt Itindy learned that the man was
railroad contractor after tie tmbcr
and that Ahab had lost fat contract
,,nich, probably in consequence of
z Jawboncs' behavior, was given to an
other man.
Never mind" said she, de chances
is we wouldn't git no pay out'n dat fell
Ter. Desc ycrc railroadcrs is master
slippery people anyhow. ,Jawboncs
Cont take sich a set ag'in anyone fer
nuttin', tell go"
aha b looked dubious but said moth
'nG His confidence in the Judgment
q Jaw bones wat again shaken IL few
weeks later, when the ncw preacher
ciinc TO make his liYst pastoral visit
,IAwboncs, grazing in the fence corners.
10 sooner saw this reverend parsonage
approaching than he uttered "A vindic-
tive bray and started in full pursuit.
Tic preacher fled, but us he was on
foot the mule gained rapidly The
next thing the former knew, about half
his hest coat and a goodly portion of
sairt were torn from his struggling
anatomy, and he few down the big
road" a tit spectacle for his congrcga-
ton TO weep over or for the vain world
to irreverently laugh at.
II 'clur ter grdshus." said Ahab. who
from his own door had hclplessly wit
messed this ludicrous assault "if T
gwinc ter stand much mo- cr dish we're
foolishness. Jawboncs must be fer.
gettin' hisself in his ole age. Br'er
S.nnIner nnunr mill l......