Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-01-26
tnrtns sllsworth American
A Porcine Pursuer.


Shaded from the heat Of the July sun by
= hruaa-tnrpcd and lcafy maple. four Of
20" farm hAnds were enjoying their noon
lug To lazy comfort Around them stretched
the meadows ami the air was redolent with
the scent uf new -mown hay-a scent over
which the city bbarder never fails to en-
tha-e. hut which. to the average farm boy,
= too suggestive ~ long days of hard
work 10 he a source OF great enthusiasm
Siorir. were being told, and poor jokes
greeted with good natured laughter, when,
over hitle h.l in the neighboring pas
iure, boy appeared, whose greatest de
sire In life a. that moment seemed TO be to
rrach the fence which separated the pas
ture and the gra>, field. In a moment
the csu>e of his haste was apparent; for,
just far enough behind him 10 make the
outcome oi the race doubtful, came an an
gry COW. Her whole appearance indicated
thAt she vs. thoroughly in earnest, and
the boy aheai seemed 10 have no doubt
that such was indeed the case The
men stopped their stories and jokes to
look 81 the exciting race and when the
boy. painting and brea,hles-, threw him
self over the fence, only few feet ahead
OF his pur-uer he was greeted with deris-
i've shouts
"Weil, now. Hal. you can move pretty
spry, If you feel Ike 1t, eh?" laughed one
Of the Oldest, II thought that critter was
a goiu' 10 give you free ride when you
come over the hill"
II aint certain whether YOU'D make much
of drummer Hal, but can swear that
you amt no slouch Of runner when you
git started, ," said another.
"Oh, that boy would run from pig"
growled Hal, brother Galen, who was one
OF the group, blamed if l amt ashamed
OF him. Whist do you want 10 act so much
Ike fool for, anyway"
None Of these remarks seemed to affect
Hal who was looking anxiously at the
COW a. she stood near the fence between
them. but as Gslen spoke one OF the others
lazily raised his head and with slight
running from pig, but I've seen pigs that
you would run from yourself, Gale. Fact
is, had little race with one once. and
don't want any uglier critter after me than
that pig was"
.'S'pose you tell US about it, then" said
Gale, we don't want to go to work for
half an hour at least
Yes, Bob. go ahead" called another.
Thus urged, Bob seated himself com
fortably and prepared to begin. He was a
tall, strsight-backed fellow, with good
natured face and curly brown hair, through
which he was accustomed to run his fin
gers as he talked. His father was captain
of large bark and Bob had been with him
on several voyages, SO that he knew some
thing of the world. He had always a
stock Of good stories at hand. and was a
general favorite.
Nothing ever happened to Bob which
had not its comical side; and no one was
quicker to see the ridiculous in any adven-
ture than he.
Throwing his hat aside and pushing his
hair back from his forehead, Bob began:
1T was when father was in the Lady
my pig scrape happened. He was going to
Martinique with load of -four and took
me along to train me, he said We had a
long run out from New York, and the day
t,o hA 7
anxious to get ashore. So when father
went / got him to let me row the dinghy
and then wait ashore till he was ready to
come back. The vessel was anchored
about mile from the shore and | had to
row against the wind, which was not quite
as much fun as it might have been"
Don't they have any wharves out there,
Bob!" broke IN Hal, whose ideas OF sea
port wers founded on visit to Boston the
previous fall.
No, they don't have wharves at any of
those Vest Indian ports, except Havana.
They amt quite civilized enough yet. But
we got ashore all right, and hauled the
dinghy up on the beach.
Father thought he'd be gone about an
hour and he told me to stay in sight or
some one would steal everything In the
boat. The natives out there are homes,
enough, but somehow they seem to think
anything that belongs to vessel is free
and they are apt to help themselves If they
get chance.
Well, | walked around the shore little
way. picking up shells; most Of 'em were
common things that didn't amount to
much, but l found one that was rather
curious. 1t was shaped like fan and was
almost fiat. Down at the small side it was
kind Of gold-colored, but it shaded off into
dark brown towards the top"
| marion Deans got one just like that
that she wears for pin," said Hal, again
interrupting.
| Bob blushed, and the others laughed al
his confusion; for it was often said thai
the handsome young man had special
fondness for Miss Dean, and the fact that
she possessed such q shell was considered
good evidence against him.
NOW, see here, Hail." he expostulated
81 can't tell this yarn if you keep bother
ing. And l don't see anything to laugh q,
either" looking at the others. Hal having
promised not to interrupt again, and the
others becoming sober, Bob proceeded:
"They don't have fences down there
but all around the shore there is a hedgt
Of wild pineapple about fvelfeet high tina,
no live man could get through. There
were lots Of cocoa-nut trees on the othel
side Of the hedge and wanted to gel
over, so the first break came to I wen