Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-21
CHAPTER II.
iR MUMFORD, THE LIVING
RTNnI
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The living bundle seated on the road
side bank near at hand now attracted
my attention. 1t began to swing back
and forth III Il very violent manner, and
at last after some few preliminary in
ternal rumblings, it gave utterance to
these words :"Oh, Mumford! Oh, Mum
ford."
Turning to the man ON the rock,
shook him up and asked, 1" Is your name
Mumford:'
No, sir, said he. NO, she s
a-thinkin of-a-thinkin bout her ole
man-him she lost.
well, come, rouse up, my friend!'
cried |, almost losing my patience
You cant remain here with this fam
lily on your hands. What do you link
of doing?'
81 know it's bad for the folks, said
the man, never raising his head, but
what kin l do? m clean done for, an
l try to think what ter do. but some
how KANT think.
"Oh, Mumford! Oh, Mumford!"
cried the old lady hidden somewhere
within the bundle in such loud and
thrilling tone that l turned and looked
at her in alarm. She was rocking her
self at such a rate that she seemed to
bounce al inch or two off the ground
at each pendulumlike vibration.
Again all was silent. The old lady
was still diligently vibrating, but was
now voicelcss. The man on the rock
seemed trying to pull an idea of some
kind out of the patch on the knee of his
trousers.
Pore ole Betty" said one of the lit
tie boys as he pattcd the neck of the
dead mare, as | now discovered the
horse to be. Pore ole Betty!''
Will daddy leave her wifi all of der
nasty dead cows" queried the younger
boy, trying to open and look into one of
the dead mares eyes.
About this time l felt sort of lump
rising in my throat and began to want
to see something like action somewhere
Come, my friend" said l as
thought struck me; rouse up" slap
ping the man on the back. There are
dozens of big freight teams going back
to California every day from Virginia
City, and all return without back loads
of any kind. You here are not far from
the main California road, and one of
these return teams will haul you and
all your traps. Come, my man, you II
be all right YETI
But | hain't got no money. 'Tain't
no use. I've seed teams and teams, an
I've axed 'em to help me along. None
OF 'em wouldn't haul me. They all
come on an left US alone back in the des-
erts They all talked money, money
money fust an money last. | hain't got
no money.
But that was while your team was
still on its legs. Now they can't re-
fuse. Besides, the California teamsters
are very different men from those who
passed you on the plains, where it is
devil take the hindmost. -
II tell yer faint no use!" cried the
man pettishly.
"Oh, Mumfordl Oh, Mumfordl" cried
the old lady, and she began to bounce
about SO violently that l feared she
would roll off the bank into the road.
Tut, tut, mammy!" demonstrated
my man.
Beginning to lose patience with all
this idle mummery, turned suddenly
to the swaying bundle and SAID, For
Gods sake, what is the meaning of all
this nonsense about Mumford?"
This was like giving the bundle an
electrical shock. Half springing from
her seat, the old woman gave her i'm
mense poke bonnet 30 vigorous an up
ward thrust that it was sent flying from
her head into the dust, exposing to view
for the first time thin, wrinkled face
and spare, diminutive form-a little
"atomy" of woman
What is the nonsense about Num-
ford? Is that what you ask, sir3 There
u no nonsense ABOUT Mumfordt'' Her