The Bessemer indicator., 1893-02-25


down dar."
eyes, an it'd be ies' like de pa'son
to be prowlin' roun' in de sperit
down dar in his orchard cause
he was allus right sma't posed to
folks mekin' themselves too free wild
his fruit widout akin leaf" put in
Sister Johnsing.
"Dat he was" agreed Brer Isaac
Waxhide. "It'd sarve job right.
'cept somo OBJ dem pippins would eat
plumb fine, OF he done 'counteh de
pa'son's ha'nt down dar."
"Why didn't he go to he water
melon patch and let dem pippins
erlonep" said Sister jackson. "De
pa'son lobcd tie treat his frien's te
watermelons. an | don't reckon his
ha'nt would pose our toxin or few
jes' te keep up our sperits on dis SOL
emn 'casion,"
Br'er Waxhide coincided freely
with Sister Jackson's views, and the
upshot of tho matter was that the
sorrowing brother, followed by the
sympathetic sisters. jackson and
Johnsing, set OFF forthwith in the di-
rection of the deceased divines
watermelon patch.
The dialogue touching job Robin
sons supcrstitious proclivities gave
Venus Sarcoxie an idea She arose
from the bench, us 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 consult
| ing her or her mother. who was inside
the cabin; then, she was not ready to
forgive him for having married an
other, hard as she had suffered by
that union. and she resolved upon n
plan, which, if speedily carried out.
she hoped and believed might drive
him away.
Snatching a sheet of the bed, she
crept out of back kitchen window
and cautiously picked her way
through u burdocls thic!.ct toward the
orchard.
A rude rail fence around the orch
ard made an inclosure for the hogs.
Job had just cleared the foncc and
was rapidly filling the basket which
he had brought, with apples, when,
happening to glance over his Shout
der. he saw an awful looking object
that made his knees quake and his
blood turn cold.
Elevated on the big rail fence, only
n few yards away, WAS n figure in
white flowing robes, waving its arms
slowly, Us if seeking to drive away
the apple culprit.
Job was satisfied it could be no
creature of this earth; in fact there
was but one thought in his distorted
| Imagination. that was that it must be
his Uncle Exodus SarcoSie's spook.
One thrilling moment Job Robin
frightful object. then, basket and
fruit alike forgotten, he started away
across the orchard, as fast as his
shaking limbs would carry him.
Glancing 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 in
closure. He attempted to vault the
fence, but his muscles were too fright
weakened to carry him over, SO he
started away in another direction.
He could hear distinctly the terri
bic object in white tearing along
after him, but he darei not so much
as glance back, lest it blast him with
its uncanny breath.
Suddenly he ran headlong against
the trunk of u tree, and same vic
lcntly to the ground.
His first inclination was to cry
aloud for help, but his voice died
away in hoarse whisper He could
sec the apparition iiuttering along
almost upon him.
At that trying moment, however,
Job felt his strength slowly cbbing
back to him. The ground was
thickly covered with fallen apples,
and as the ghost noated toward him,
he prepared to defend himself.
Gathering mp an amful Of tho hard
windfalls he let drive directly at the
approaching specter.
The first charge tool; immediate
effect in tho stomach of the ghost;
the next struck violently on the
ankle (the ghost happened to have
those parts of the human anatomy.
and uttering very genuine howl.
Jobs spook went limping painfully
back the way ii had come.
Vastly emboldencd by tho success
of his 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 spool; performing some
very peculiar prauks for the disem-
bodied spirit of so eminent divine
rs Exodus Sarcoxic of Green Turtle
bayou.
Despite the crippled ankle it might
have got of all right had it not been
for an accident, which changed the
whole complexion OF the affair.
In the orchard were several deep
hog wallows. Some of them were OF
liberal dimensions and filed with
water from the heavy rain of the
night before.
With shrill shrek that echoed
wildly through the orchard and
reached tho ears of the watchers at
the cabin, bringing them rushing
toward the scene OF disaster, the
luckless spook went lloundering into
one of the largest of the wallows.
When the foremost of the vigil
holders reached the fence around tho
orchard, the silvery moonlight gave
them clea.' Wow of job Robinson u.s.
sisting u limp, despoiled figure out of
o deep hole.
They were not long in recognizing
in the limp and dripping figure the
late PASTORS niece. Venus Sarcoxie.
GLOW did this happen. job Robin