Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-04-27


big canyon, a-rOllin ober an ober in de
dashin an roarin wGtahs.
Little while ago feel bad for de ole
bar when l hear her cry, now gotter
feel bad for myself. am in q bad
fx-in reglar fool fix. I've done cut
down de on'y bridge dat could er got me
safe away from de spot. Dat may ex-
cape de bar leave myself on de shelf OBJ
rock a hundred foot above de roarin
watah. 1t am de secon time dat jump
outer de fry pan inter de fire.
KANT git away from dat little shelf.
If ! go to de right all is smoove rock; if
/ go to de lef' dar is more smoove rock;
if l look ober head it is de same, and be-
hin me is de dark cabbern-de den of
de bars.
looks up de canyon an looks down de
canyon. All is steep wall OBJ rock an
dashin, roarin watahs. What am !
gwine ter dop don't know. De thun-
der dat roll up out'n de canyon won't let
me t'ink. 1t boom, boom all de time till
my ears get deaf. Dar sets on de shelf
wifi my chin in my han's-sets dar rollin
my eyes across de canyon an up de can
yon an down de canyon. | am stupid;
my head amt no acco'nt; KANT tell
wat ter do. ketch myself sayin ober
an ober, "Oh, mudder, mudderl' an
a-cryin all de same like Iwur little boy
back home in ole Virginny. / t'ink
gone fer sure.
Jis' dat mint feels suffin rub up
ag'in me. l looks roun an it is one Of
de little bars. De fix wur cotch in hab
make me clean fo'git de little baby bars.
looks at the cabbern an de oder little
one is a-comin out. Den | say, "Hyar
is two mo- OBJ us wat amt go no
mudder."
De oder little feller comes out to me,
an l takes boff up an sets dem on
my knees. Dey is hungry. One of
them begin a-suckin my little finger an
de oder try button on my jacket. Dey
wur mighty cunnin little rascals, an
wish wifi all my heart dat could give
dem sufin to eat. Dat sot me to t'inkin
bout myself. l were awful hungry an
pow'ful dry. 1t tease me mo- dan little
to hear all de watah roarin 30 near, an
KANT git drop.
Dem little bars coming up dat away
kinder wake up some of de senses in my
head an sot me to lookin bout Fust,
] see dat de sun almos' down. Dat skeer
me, for hain't t'ink bout de night afore.
"Oh, de Lord a-massy!' sez l, ''am /
lef' here by de sun an by de light OBJ day
to sleep in de bar den?"
Dat notion rouse me mighty quick.
Hopin dat somebody might hear me,
begin to holler. puts boff hans roun
my mouf, an / jis' raise up on my tiptoes
an yells, "Hello!' l listens, an all up
an down from de walls of de canyon
comes back, "Hello! hello! hellop'
Den / don't know for sure if it is
somebody or de rocks dat answer me, SO
ag'in l raise de mighty yell, Jerry
Hawk in de bar cavep All up an down
de canyon den ! hears de cry, "Jerry
Hawk in de bar cavel - in de bar
cave!-de bar cave!" Den dar comes a
laugh dat makes my blood run cold for
bout er mint. 1t say, "Oh, o-o-o-ho!
ah, ha, hal" 1t is de rocks dat talk
back-nuffin but de rocks-an dat laf-
fin is on'y debilish squeach owl, SO
hollers away. holler in ebber kin oh
way--to'ards de las like hoot owl,
like painter and like kioter. De
little bars looks at me quite s'prized-
dey t'ink am goin crazy, an dey amt
fur wrong.
Mex de cabbern comes inter my head.
Oar may be some way out dat way or
up froo it. So goes in, an all is dark
no light OBJ de sky shinin in anywhar.
strikes match. De cave is ten foot
cross, nearly roun, an smoove on all
sides. Not hole fur rat to git out.
sees dat de baby bars gotter mighty fine
nes' in dar. 1t is big pile OBJ leaves an
grass dat de ole one have carried from
de goodness know how fur away. While
am lookin de two babies come in an
curl down in de nes'.
Igo out on de shelf, an it is gittin dark.
stan an hello, hello, hello till my froat
git sore, De on'y answer I kin git is
from de rocks-dat debil in de rocks
an de hoot owls. On one side de shelf
is pile up moas' OBJ de top OBJ de spruce
tree. It have struck de face OBJ de cliff,
smash up an tumble down in a heap.
git some OBJ dis, build bonfire, and den ]
hollers more-some de boys from de
Scotchman crick may be lookin fer me.
All kin hear is dem debilish rocks an de
"Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-wow!' OBJ de hoot
owls. Dar is plenty OBJ dat goin on all
up an down de canyon. Lord a-massy,
how I did wish I had wings! v
Mex gifts down on my knees dar by
de fire on dat shelf, in plain sight of de
Lord, an ak him fer ter consider de
sitervation an do de berry bes' he kin fer
me. Iprays to him good and strong
tryin to lif' up my voice above de roarin
watahs.
Wen l kin link OBJ no mo- to say-de
case bein poo;y well kivered--I cries out
wifi a mighty voice, "Oh, Lord, look
down on me, de sinner, an hab mercyp
Dat minit-pop-de full moon oOmes up.
Oar is de great smilin face lookin at me
from between de forks OBJ de peaks of de
big Fall Crick mountainl Dat so excite
an cheer me dat cry out, sit is de face
OBJ de Lord!' takes comfurt OBJ it bein
sign dat de Lord he see me an whar
am.
Bout den it comes inter my head dat
de ole mudder bar gwine ter be de
means oh savin me. ! am sartin dat she
is abrowned. Den she win float down
froo de canyon to de Scotchman, whar
all dc boys is minin. Mex she gwine ter
git lodged in one OBJ de big fumes. an de
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