Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-06-16
TWO RUNAWAYS
By HARRY sTILLwELL EDWARDS
iCop. right 1853, by The Century company
All rights reserved.
CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.
To other pens must be left the record
Of the runaways' everyday life. These
pages would not hold the true chroni-
ile If this novel expedition. Here only
Is space enough TO deal with the promi-
aent features and string them upon a
particolorod thread. Day after day the
fishermen piled their rods. Day after
day the kettle, and the skillet, and the
Goals gave forth their dainties Fish
fries dccked the table one day: split
rabbit, shared in the canebrake, broiled
To turn, served for the next; even a
tender shote yielded mp his innocent
young life, and chowders came thick
and fast
But Isam was no longer the chief fec
tor in the daily sins committed. Pain
ful as the truth may seem, it must be
told The portly major became accessory
before the fact rs well rs after. And,
worse. he became actively particeps
crimiuis. He learned 10 creep into the
spreading field Of voluntary corn -
which. by the way, invaded the swamp
lands and rose in columns Of surprising
rcgularity-and 10 load bag with the
juicy ears. He renewed his early skill
and crawled behind snake fences to ab-
stract dew christened watermclons. In
short. he gave way 10 savagery For the
time being civilization knew him not.
No especial time for breaking camp
| had been set, but the time was approach
ing. and the signs were evident. The
whisky had long since vanished. and
the tobacco was threatening to follow
the whisky, when an event occurred
which left tradition that old folks IN
middle Georgia yet tell with tear dim
med eyes and straining sides.
The worthy pair had been foragin9
for dinner and were returning heavily
laden The major bore a sack of corn.
and Isam led the way with three water.
melons. Unless the reader has attempt
! ed 10 carry three waternelons he Will
| never know the labor that Isam had i'm.
posed upon himself The two had just
reached the edge Of the cancbrake, BE-
| yond which lay the camp. and Were en-
tcring the narrow path when n magnit-
| cent buck came sweeping through and
| collided with Isam with such force and
suddenncSS as 10 crush and spattcr his
watermclons into a pitiful ruin and
| throw the negro violently 10 the ground.
| Instantly the frightened man seized the
| threatening antlcrs and held on, yelling
Justify for help. The deer made several
Intellectual ,,forts 20 free himself, dur
ing which h. dragged the negro right
and left without difficulty, but finding
c-cape impossible turned ferccly upon
his unwilling captOr and tried 10 drive
| the terrible horns through his writing
body.
80 Lor, q Lori screamed Isam. 80
Lor, Mass Crafrud, cum holp me tu'n
dis buck looS'
The laugh died away from Major
Worthington's lips None knew better
| than he the danger into which Isam had
plunged. Not stick, brush, stone or
weapon Of any description was ut hand
except his small pocketknife. Hastily
opening that, he rushed upon the deer
Isam's eyes were bursting from their
sockets and appealed piteously for the
help his stcntorian voice was frantical-
ly imploring until the woods rang with
his agony. Major Worthington caught
the nearest antlcr with his left hand
and made q fierce lunge ut the animals $
throat But the knife's point was miss
ing. and only trifiing wound was in
fctcd Tho next instant the deer met
the new attack with rush that carried
Isam with il and thrust the major 10
the ground. the knife falling out OF
reach. Seeing this, the negro let 20 his
hold. rolled out Of the way. and with "A
mighty effort literally ran upon the top
Of "A branching haw bush, where he lay
spread out like bat and moaning pite-
ously:
stick ter i'm. Mass Crafrud. stick
ter i'm! Wo', deer; wo', deerl Stick
ter i'm. Mass Craffud!"
And the major stuck. Retaining his
presence Of mind. he threw his left arm
over the deer's neck, and still holding
with his right the antler looked about
| for Isam. who had so mysteriously dis
appeared Something like the hold he
| had had more than once III boyhood and
served him well in school combats. But
| he had never tried TO hold n full grown
buck. and 80 he somewhat anxiously
searched the scene for the valiant negr3
The first words he heard distinctly Were:
"Stick ter i'm, Mass Cragud, stick
ter 'im Hits better fur one ter die den
bofel Hole i'm, Mass Craffud, hole i'm!
Wo', deer; wo', deer! Stick ter i'm,
Mass Craffudl Steddy! Look out fur es
ho'nl Wo', deer! Steddy. Mass Graf
| fud."
BY this time the struggles of the
| beast had again ceased, and wearied
| from his double encounter he stood with
his head pulled down to the ground half
astride the desperate man, who was
| holding on for life Whether Major
Worthington was frightened or not it Is
hard to say probably he was; but there
was no doubt about his being angry
| when he saw Isam spread out III the
haw bush and heard his address His
| face was livid with rage, and foam and
sweat mingled upon it. AS soon a he
caught his breath he burst forth with:
"You internal black rascal, why don't
you come-down out of that-bush and
help-me?'' Isam's face was pitiful in
| its expression. His teeth chartered, and
he fairly shook the bush with trem-
| bling
Don. Mass Craffud, don. Yer
ain got no time ter cuss now. Lif up
yer voice en- pray! Lor. Lor, ef ev'r man
had er call ter pray, yer dun got 1t
| how"
For one instant it looked as if the
major would abandon his attempt to
hold the deer and turn his attention to
the bush, but he did not have an oppor-
| tunity to carry out such resolution.
| Revived by his moments rest, the buck
made another effort for freedom and re
venge He dragged his corpulent captor
IN a circle, he rolled him OH the sod, he
fell over him, pounded him and stamp
ed, but without relief. The desperate
man clung to his hold with grip that
could not be broken. II was the grip Of
death. Indeed it was now questia:, OF
| life or death.
Wearied down at last, the deer gave
himself and victim another breathing
spell, and the major continued:
IF ever-Iget loose from this-brute
you internal scoundrel-I'll not leave
a-whole bone in your body"