River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-07-25

=
" voices. He picked up a stone. and
the old hen was.
'ClOok-clOolx.' she sails.
'.'Gawd,' sails Pumpledink In his
Dutch way.
.To-who-to-who" calls the owl over
head.
''He near fell off the stump ne was so
bad frightened, fer from over acrost
the clearin' came the answer plain:
''POor-w ill-poor-will.'
Its me them voices Is tallxin'
about thinks he. All the stories OF
ghosts an' hubgubl lings he'd ever
heard come back to him. an he seen
them wild ouearthly things every
where about him.
s-Tremblin' all over he rose to his
feet and staggered toward the house.
He sails he's sure he walked fer five
minutes before he set down exhausted,
bat there he was on tibet same old
stump. Tie stayed there pantin' and
listenin', but he didn't hear nothin'
but the wind an the wotter. an he seen
a hundred shadders tibet looked to him
like ghosts wavin' to and fro around
the clearin'. Down in the woods he no
ticed big white thing standin' quiet.
lie stared at il hard, tremblin' all over
and his teeth chatterin'. 1t seemed
like il moved toward him. an so he
grabbed stone an throwed il at II
with all his force. The til ng disap
peared an there was quiet. then a
splash as the rock fell inter the black
i l.. Il
bullfrawg Pumpledink he'd all spring
ben tryin' to ketch with piece OF red
flannel on a fishhook. climbed out on a
lawg an begin in the deep way them
frawgs talks through their nsses:
Bully-rum-Oully-rum bully-rum.'
''You could killed Bill Pumplekink
with feather he was tibet bad skeered.
tie fell back on the stump gaspin', an
in his Dutch-lixe way he yells: Voices
voices ag'in."
"'Bully rum, bully rum. sails the
frawg. talking through his nose like
Temperance lect'rer.
-Bully-rum!' bowls Pumpledink
Young man, beware. / for one'll
never tech another drop An he sank
all in a heap.
They was silence ag'in. Whip
poor-will- cries the bird acrosst the
clearin'
bill Strengthened up and bellers:
I'm here. but amt the same man."
= 'Look-clook" squawl5s the old hen.
+" 'To-who-to-who, sails the owl.
" 'Poor-willr cries the bird acrosst
the clearin'.
Bully-rum.' croaked the frawg
through his nose.
bill tried to rise, but couldn't.
Then from over in the barnyard came:
'Baa baa-baa."
Pad. | knows it pad he yells in
his Dutch way, never recergnizin' the
voice of his one-eyed ram. But I'll
nefer. nefer tech another drop
Then come the stroke that done
Bill Pumpledink clean. 1t was more'n
he could stan. The bird over acrosst
the clearin' must a moved up tree.
fer he could hear her plain as she
broke out real loud: 'Whip-poor-willr
'Who-w hop calls the old owl. pitt
ful-like. Pumpledink raised his hand
to his ear To ketch what was said.
Right from the limb over his head come
TIE du>NtEs hiANl -uiu' hittN -uihs
lie looked up at the limb surprised,
hut didn't see nOthin' but the moon
shinin' down.
Then come agin: 'Who-who?'
4" 'Kitty-did- Kitty-did, she did
"Pumpledink rolled off the stump
and lay in the grass groanin' in his
Dutch-like way: Meier. I'm pretty
low. but my wife nefer he'd to lick me.
Voices, Woices.'
Bully rum bully rum calls the
frawg through his nose. rememberin'
the red flannel and the fish hook.
'Pumpledink didn't know no more.
His boy Barnabas he'd heard him
calm an got him home on a wheel
barrier. He's never teched drop
sence."
The Chronic Loafer rose to his feet
and gazed intently at the Miller, who
was trying to avoid his eyes by look
ing across the valley.
Il must be goin' home" said the
Loafer, ter get in the wood. but ]
must say tibet either you er Bill PUN
pledink er Barnabas hes a power o
imagination. ~. Y. Eve nirg sun.