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


lied that be- was in most desperate
plight, and that the only hope of rescue
lay in the frightened negro up in the
haw bush He changed his tactics
when the deer rested again.
''lsam, he said gently
"Yes, honey
"Isam. come and help me, old fell
low"
Good Gawd, Mass Craffud," said
the negro earnestly. "dere ain nuthin
| woodn do fur you, but hits better
fur one ter die n two. Hits a long
sight better.
But there is no danger, Isam, none
whatever. Just you come down and
with your knife hamstring the brute.
I'll hold him.
mo, sab; no, sab; no, sah!" said
Isam loudly and with growing earnest
ness. NO, sab, it won wukl No.
sab! You er in fur hit now, Mass
Craffud, en- ct can't be holped. Dere
ain nuthin kin save yer but de good
Lor, en- he ain go'n ter, less'n You ak
i'm 'umblelike en- er-b liev'n en- es
mussy. | prayed Wen | wuz down
dere, Mass Craffud, dat did, en- look
wat happ'n. Didn' he sen you like
er aingil, en- didn' he git me up hyah
safe en- wholesum? Dat he did, en- he
nev'r spec dis nigg'r war go'n ter
fling 'essef urd'r dat deer arter he trou
BILE hisse'f to shove i'm up hyah. Stick
ter i'm, Mass Craffud, stick ter i'm
Wo, deer; wo, deeri Look out fur es
ho'nl Stick ter i'm, Mass Craffud
Dere, now-tank de Lor!
Again the major got a breathing
spell. The deer in his struggles had
gotten under the haw bush, and the ma
jor renewed his earnest negotiations
''Isam, hesaid as soon as his condi-
tion would allow of conversation, "if
you will get down - and cut this
brute's legs-l will give you your free
DOM"
lsam's only answer was groan-
'~And so acres-of land. " Again that
pitiful moan.
And "a mule and a-year' s Iations. >
The major paused from force of cir
cumstances. After awhile the answer
came:
Mass CraffudI"
"Well?"
"You know dis nigg'r ben hard
work. n en- homes en- look after you en-
yo'n all es life."
"Yes, Isam," said the major, you
have been-a faithful, honest-nig-
GER" There was another pause. Per
haps this was too much for lsam. But
he continued after awhile:
"Well, lemme tell you, honey, dere
ain nuthin you got r kin git w'at'll
temp dis nigg'r ter git down dere.
wy" and his voice assumed most
earnest and argumentative tone, deed
n hit d be 'sultin de Lor. Ain
he dun got me up hyah out'n de way,
en- don he spec me fur ter stay? You
reck'n he got nuth'n t all ter do but
keep putin Isam back up er tree? No
sab, he dun ten ter me, en- eff yo got
emmy dif'culty down dere you EN- de deer
kin fight it out. Hits my bizness des
ter keep er-prayin. Wo, deer; wo
deerl Steddy. Mass Craffudl Dere
now-t ank de Lori
Again the major defeated the beasts
struggles, and there came n truce. But
the man was well nigh exhausted and
saw that unless something was done in
his behalf ne must soon yield up the
fight. Something like spasm of fear
flashed over his face, and in the glance
he cast about him there was the one
panic stricken appeal that all men yield
to at some time. 1t was hard to die
there by the terrible horns of the beast
astride him, whose eyes glared into his
and whose hot breath was in his face.
What deathl
But the next instant he was calm and
cautious. There came to his assistance