News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1894-03-08

ter.
"Isam," he said slowly and inpres.
sively. But Isam was praying. TT {.
major could hardly trust his ears when
| he heard the words.
But, Lor, don let i'm perish TO
yo' eyes. He's ben er bad man. He
cuss n sware, n play keerds, n bet on
horse race, n drink whisky
"Isam"-
"En he steal-goodness, he TEX ter
steal n like er duck ter water. Roast n
yers, watermilluns, chick 'n-nuthin too
bad fur 'in"--
"Isam"-
Tain like er nigg'r stealth, Lor.
| Dey dun know no better en- can git
things emmy erway. while he got money,
but don let i'm perish rite TO yo'
eyes. TEX i'm by de slack er es brich-
ri en- shek i'm oy'r do flames, but dom
let i'm drap"-
"Isamr'
The word came upward in tones OF
thunder. Even Isam was obliged to
regard it. Ho did so from force of hab-
it.
"Yessir.'
Then he sobbed forth, 20 Lordy.
Lordy, l tot we wuz dun home ag in. "
mo, sir" said the major sternly,
I'VE are not at home, and I'll never get
there. | am going to die"
Isam gave yell that ought to have
been heard "A mile away.
"Oh, don let i'm die. Skeer i'm,
skeer i'm, Lord, but don let i'm die!"
Yes" continued the major, ii am
going to die, but let tell you something,
Isam. have been looking into this
beasts eyes until recognize him.
A sound came from the haw bush like
the hiss of snake, as the negro with
ashen face and beaded brow gasped out
an uninteliigible word. The right
chord had been touched at last. You
remember DR.. Sam?" lsam's only re-
ply was a moan that betrayed an agony
too deep for expression. "Well, this is
DR.. Sam. He got loose the other day
when the plug fell out, and he and
will never give you another hour Of
peace as long as you live
The sentence was never finished.
With a shrek that was blood curdling
in it's intensity of fear and horror. the
negro came crashing down through the
bush with his hands full of leaves,
straight upon the deer.
This was the crisis.
The frightened animal made one des-
perate plunge, taking the startled ma
jor by surprise, and the next instant
found himself free. He did not remain
1pon the scene or he would have beheld
the terrified negro get upon his feet, run
round in Il frenzy of terror and close
his last circle at the foot of the bush, up
which he scurried again like squirrel.
old as he was. The major lay fiat up
on his back, after trying in vain to rise.
Then tho reaction came. He fixed
his eye upon the negro above and
laughed until the tears washed the dirt
from his face, and Isam, holding his
head up so that his vision could encom.
pass the narrow horizon, said slowly
and impressively:
Mass Craffud, ef de Lord hadn'
'sist'd on Isam cum'n down ter run da
deer off, spec by dis time you d bee1
er-hopp'n yo wings up yander, er els
sput'n on er grindi on down yander.
Anu from his elevated perch Isam Ind
Gated the two extremes of eternity wit
an eloquent sweep of his hand.
But the major had small time 70
laughter or recrimination. In the dis
tance there rang ont family the ful
mouthed cry of a hound. Isam heard
it. For him il was at once welcome
and a stimulating sound. Gliding tc
the ground, he helped the wearied ma
| 81
for the boat, crying:
Run, Mass Craffud-wors' n deer s
cummin. Hits dem folks wat know
about dat corn en- watermilluns, en- yer
can't 'splain nuthin ter er houn dog"
Broken down as he was, the major
realized that there was wisdom in the
negro's words and followed as best he
could. The camp traps were thrown
into the boat. and the little bark was
launched. A minute later the form of
a great, thirsty looking hound. the run
away's bete noir, appeared on the scene.
But the hunters who came after found
naught beyond the signs of "A camp, If
they found anything, and soon follow
ed the hound, which had regained the
trail of the buck and yelping passed
into the distance. The boat had long
since passed the bend.
How Isam ever settled his difficulty
needs no explanation. But it may iu-
terest the reader to know that one day
he bore message and check that set
tied the corn and melon debt. and they
tell it in middle Georgia that every year
thereafter. until the war cloud broke
over the land, whenever the catalpa
worm crept upon the leaf, two runaways
fed from Woodhaven and dwelt in the
swamps, "loos' en- Free"
THE END.