The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1896-11-20

ten, Ring! Nhcfs dat? 'Peared ter me
es hearn somebody talkin'. Keep yo'
sharp eye open, Ring, kaze dis yerc's
gwine ter be moughty fine night ter
hook water milyens. wisht didn't
hab ter watch dis patch, dat du,.
Whot's de matter wild yo', Ring? Whot
you howlin' en- barkin' erbout? amt
goin' to onchain you till it gifts mo-
darker; dar amt nobody in de patch
now"
"Howdy, Uncle Peter! Gwine ter
rain dis ebenin'? It's sprinklin'
now"
"Law, honey, how you skeered me.
Dat you, WHIP"
Eyes"
"Well, now, war a-lookin' out ober
de patch, en- you come up from benin.
1 notice dat Ring war maxim fuss;
but l thought 1t war bekaze it war
a-gitten' close onter de time dat turn
him loose"
1t began to rain and VIII and Mat
thew took advantage of old Peters
brush roof.
II reckon we'll jes' wait here till it
Stacks up little" said win as they set.
tied themselves in one corner. II think
hit will stop soon. Hain't you gwine
ter set up the milyens, Uncle Peter?"
dat I would, honey, but rs been out
en- thump 'em dis afternoon, en- dere
amt none er 'em ripe. I sent 'em all
ober ter town yistiday, dem whot war
ripe
IT hab eat 'em when dey wasn't jes'
dezactly ripe"
"Moughty Unhealthy" said old Peter.
"Dey tell me dat de colry is gitten err
bout, en- green watermilyen am on
common bad fo' de colry."
They sat and talked until the rain had
ceased, but the sky was still overcast
with clouds, and the night was very
dark.
! "Ole Dan Tanner, ober on de Ridge,
he's got moughty fine milyen patch,"
said WILL zen some er de finest canter-
lopes en- nutmegs dat l cher seed"
Dem Is NICE" assented old Peter.
'Dar amt muffin much better dan a
good canterlope or a nutmeg"
"Hain't you plant none er dem ARP"
Eyes, few, few; but dey is pow err
full green yit."
"Ole Dan, he's moughty mean ole
coon. I'd like ter go ober dere. en- hook
some er his milycns. He's got more'n
he kin sell, Ell dey is jes- a-spilin' on de
vines. Matt, les you en- Inc go"
You don't git dis chile way ober dar
ternight, yo' kin bet on dat"
"Tell you what, Uncle Peter, you's
young en- peert yit S'pose you CO."
Law. honey! what would de folks
say? Me a-habin' watermilyen parch,
en- a-goin' en- a-hookin' yutEer REQ
ple's?"
ode folks amt gwine ter know nuth-
In erbout hit. You see, ole Dams got
more'n he kin sell. You kin sell all
yourn, en- it would be good thing ter
go ober en- git some er ole Dams, ter
keep 'em from sp'ilin' on de vines"
'Ef We want ter go, Uncle Peter"
said Matthew, "I'll stay en- watch yo'
patch till you come back"
Old Peter was very fond of melons,
but it is doubtful if he had tasted one
that season, for he was too stingy to
eat any of his own, and therefore it did
not take mitch more persuasion to in.
duce him to go. So, leaving Ring tied,
lest he should follow them, and Mat
thew in charge of the patch. they
started.
81 amt nebber been ober ter Tanners
place." said old Peter. Fac is, l amt
been ober onter de Ridge at all sence
las year, so I'll jes' let you take de lead"
"All right" replied Will. eve won't
foller de road. Wen jes' take de Dutch
cut en- go ercross lots"
"Law!" said Uncle Peter, as he stun
bled over q log, did you ebber see SIGH
dark night es dis yere? Peers ter me
es eff we war takin' kinder roundabout
way"
EYES," said Will, 1--WE skips de worst
part OBJ de hill dis way"
They walked on for some time in 81
lence. Old Peter was beginning to re-
gret that he had come, for the dis
lance seemed much greater than he
had supposed, and he feared that Mat
thew might not be very diligent in
watching the patch.
"Here we Is" cried Will at last.
"Creep right up through desc bushes,
en- git ober de fence. Don't make a
noise, kaze dey do say ole Dan keeps a
gun"
Don't you be afeer'd, chile. What
| L. +ov- 20. l. Job
UP q row TO-, when he's come ter borry
er watermilyen? Law! hits so dark
reckon we'll hab to feel TO EN-. Here's
one" he said, laying hold of a large one.
Hadn't we better git oter de fence
ter eat it?"
"No;" objected old Peter, "eat it right
heah, in de center OBJ de patch, whar ole
Dan Tanner kin see the rims in de
mornin', SOS he won't think hit took
legs en- walk off hitse'f-kaze dat-mout
skeer him. Well jes' eat de heart outel
it, an den git another = kaze, yor
know, we wanter keep jes' ez menny
er Mr. Tanners milyens from spilin' es
we kin"
Here's another" cried Will; Ger
here's three er TO- canterlopes."
81 see 'em, chile. Let yo' Uncle Peter
carve EN-. Yo' Uncle Peter am a ole han
at de work. He knows how to git at d.
heart er de watermilyen, en- how tel
slice de canterlope in de bes' fashion
After they had eaten all they could
Will proposed to go.
"Wait till we squ'sh de green ones,
proposed old Peter.
"Oh. no." said Will; "lets not de
dat"
ooh, yes" insisted old Peter, as HI
, CROPPED about in the dark, hunting fol
the melons, and MASKING thenA will
his feet; cit amt no fun eff we dom
squ'sh de green ones. Won't ole Dan b.
: mad in de mornin'? He'll jes' want tel
tar de place down"
Then they heard dog bowling ant
barking.
"We'd better be a-gittin' erway from
heah, 'spect, chile" said old Peter
leaving off MASKING the melons; sc
ole Dan war ter let dat dog loose. hi