Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-22

| SOOAs biS &IAO am SSOONl ASI dom NI ci1d
hen w'at's layin en- your orchud whar
she belong er how many teef she got. -
The major realized that he had be-
| come guest. He laughed, sank back
against the tree and soon again was
lost in slumber. When he awoke, there
had beer IA decided change in his sur
roundings. = low fire burned few
yards away, and sundry ti1ps of bacon
were browning IN a frying pan set
| jauntily thereon, while from the ashes
| beneath the brown ends of hoecakes pro-
truded.
-" Tain but er bite, - said Isam apol-
| ogetically, but DIES wait tell de fish git
mixed up wild dem sum er desc days,
en- den you see w at hit es ter be loos' 'en
free. ~
To be loose and free! The major
fixed his eyes upon the old negro as he
produced tin platters from his kit an
transferred the smoking viands, humble
but savory, from the frying pan. The
words haunted him, and as the smoke
arose there hoated upon his vision pic
lures of boyhoOd's cscapades. lsam had
belonged to him from his own infancy,
though for the first Is years the queS-
ton OF ownership seemed altogether
unsettled, FIR the negro was five or six
years the senior. How they had hunt
ed and strayVd off and set gums for rab-
bits and SHARES for birds and robbed
nests! Loose AMI free! Old ISam sur
veyed with proud satisfaction the ma
jor's fierce attack upon the morning
meal.
"Dcro ain no spring chick'n en- der
pan" he said scntpntiously, but er
fuss rate app kin git des' cs good
er grip on cr flip CT bacon cs hit kin on
err yaller leg chicken.
There is something i'll that. " said
the major. Get your flip, you black
rascal, and go to eating" But Isam
shook his head.
mo, sab. Wen cr niger feeds. he
don wan no vito folks roun. He
wan ter git off en- mop de pan thout
'tract'n 'tention ter hissc'f."
1T seems to me- said tho major, as
he transferred another flip of bacon to
his platter, that it must be mighty
hard for an honest niger to live COM
fortably out here.
Isam S face took on; look of personal
injury.
Err homes Niger. ho said, stirring
up the ashes and inserting; fresh cake,
don eat no mo- out lyah tcn he do at
home, not bit. Rashuns es rashuns
say, he continued Significantly, wen
folks goes CT vis'tin dey don 'quire es
ter de year marks NV de pig, Wen back
bone On spar ribs en- chino es sot out. -"
Your idea of etiquette is perfectly
sound. Isam."
En- der only time Wen folks wat S
Wis tin got cr right ter git der backs up
es wen de gem man feed 'esse'f high en-
feed t others low
With an air of dignity the old negro
gathered up the remnants of the spread,
the major having finished and retired to
allay the pangs Of an increased appetite,
but he was doomed to further delay. A
most prufane ejaculation fell from the
major 5 lips and came to his ears.
"Des' es | said, deere It's ergin-ter-
hacker now" He put aside the repast
and grumblingly investigated the kit
once more. En- l reck n Wen he see
dis yer bag er terhacker he go'n ter
want hits ped gree all way back"
Nevertheless he produced it, with a
handful of corncOb pipes, and cutting a
reed stem handed to the major the fin
est smoking outfit in the world. AS
Isam skillfully balanced Il glowing coal
upon the little heap of tobacco he con-
cluded:
Somehow nuthcr sump'n said bout
time de runaway n0shun struck in,
lsam. You go'n ter see com ny terday,
and hits go'n ter be Mass Cratfud, so
DIES laid i'll ct bag spesh 'ly fur m"
The major merely drew in and ex-
PEELED cloud of smoke. He cuntentcd
himself with saying, You are very
thoughtful, and laughing softly to
himself Isam retired to his meal. AS
he finished and stuffed his own cob pipe
full of natural leaf" and perique-
brought along especially for his master
cast his eye skyward.
Mos 10 er clock. Mus be movin
out er hyah. Bimeby overseer en- houn
be long in er hurry. Got ter git whar
meat es thicker too. Dat bacon en- hoe
cake hard ter beat. but dcy don half
fill de bill wild or run way niger. Des
wait twcll we git er mess cr redbelly
en- blim, en- l reck'n sho' huff do fun
go'n ter bgin ter start. Time we w
go'n, Mass Cratfud."
The major rose and followed cheer
lily. Skirting the swamp, Isam soon
found Il hog path, and presently tho
runaways came in sight of the river
A battoau was tied up in Il little branch
near by. and i'll it lay an AK and a
paddle.
"Isam, said the major as he clam
bered in, how does it happen that you
find a boat and ax all ready here, and the
notion only struck you just be-
fore day this morning."
Isam shook his head as he chuckled:
Hit ain de rite time er day ter
'splain things, Mass Craffud. Dere
ain no tellin wat time dem houn's
go'n ter strike er hot trail, en- de tree
dat you kin CLINE ain go'n ter lif' you
out'n de reach NV dog" The little |
boat, propelled by vigorous strokes, shot |
out into the river, and gliding under
the willows bore its passengers swiftly |
down stream.
CHAPTER ".
Shut out from sight of the stream
stretched Bermuda sward hemmed in
by gigantic trees, in whose boughs the
cicadas were singing. The old boyish
rose strong within the ma
jor.
This is the camp he said, land
there, ''-pOinting to the log damned