Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-23
CHAPTER v.-Continued.

saying
81 am c-o-m-i-n-g!'
In few minutes he came running into tn
cabin, his hair damp with the dew. HI
looked rather sheepish, as the saying Is, ant
crouched near Aaron as II he expected to b
scoded. Once upon time Rambler haC
been a black-andtan, but he was now old
and the gray hairs had well nigh obliteratet
the tan and were encroaching on the black
His muzzle was very gray, and his dew
claws had grown until they were nearly ar
inch and a half long One Of his long ears
was split a little at the end, the result OF
a skrmsh with old MIR. Raccoon. He kept
his eyes averted from Aaron and the chill
dren, and seemed to be both humble and
uneasy. He was better satisfied with Aaron
told him what was wanted. Indeed, he be-
came very lively, and went about the room
picking up the scraps of bread the children
had dropped on the floor Aaron went to his
little pone cupboard and got out pone Of
corn bread that he had saved from the day
before. Rambler took the bread in his
mouth and then placed 1t gently on the
floor. Gently wagging his tail, he looked
up In Aaron's face.
"Son OF Ben ALL" he said, "I am getting
old and what with gnawing bones and kill
ing eats and fighting coons my teeth are
bad. This bread lis hard"
Whereupon Aaron took the bread, crushed
II In his hands. dropped 1T in an old tin
platter, and placed 1t on the hearth.
This would taste better II it had ham
gravy on It," remarked Rambler after say
ing 'thanky' with his tail, ''yes good deal
better, but I'll not be choice
When he had finished the bread he seated
himself near the chimney corner and licked
his chops carefully.
"You want to know about that trip the Son
OF Ben Ali made to sell the cotton. But
don't even know how to begin. My tongue
and my tail will be here talking and wagging
and my mind will be off in the woods hunting
minks and 'coons and 'possums. You know
how one thing leads to another. Well, If
get started III get things upside down, as the
rabbit does when he tries to run down hill"
when I started with the cotton" sug
gested Aaron. you made up your mind to so
with me-
That's so,' said Rambler 81 don't know
why. | know well enough you weren't going
hunting. 1t was just notion that seized me-
l trotted along, sometimes In front OF the
wagon and sometimes behind 1t. Before we
had gone very far happened to be in front
Of the wagon when rabbit ran across the
road. I dashed after 1t and bumped my head
against a fence rail 1t hurt so that l sat
down by the roadside and waited for the pain
to go away. The wagon went by and / con-
cluded to go back home and go to bed in the
shuckpen. l started back. but before I had
gone far. heard the clicking Of bride reins
and hits, and presently l saw two men on
horseback.
81 stopped until they passed by. And ther
I saw that 1t was Old Grizzly and the over
seer"
ia Hold Grizzly!" cried Buster John. "Who
was hep 'era asH
"That was the name the negroes had for
Mr.. Gossett" Aaron explained.
"Old Grizzly and the overseer," Rambler
continued. paying no attention to the inter
rupton. "They were riding along after the
wagon but at some distance behind 1t. l
says to myself, we'll, well! something Is up.
So, instead of going back home. l turned
around and trotted along the road till passed
Old Grizzly and the overseer, and caught
UP with the wagon. l said to the Son OF
Ben Ali:
"'Get down and fix one of your wagon
wheels and zee who comes behind you
.This he did but when Old Grizzly and
the overseer heard the Son Of Ben Ali knock
ing on one of the wagon wheels with rock
they stopped, and came no further until
after he drove on again. Then / knew, and
the Son of Ben Ali knew, that Old Grizzly
and the overseer were coming to see that
orders were obeyed.
"The house to which the Son of Ben Ali
was carrying the cotton was not far. 1t
was in the midst Of big grove OF oak trees
The trees were too big for the house, or
the house was not fine enough for the trees,
for they made everything so dark that from
the road those who cannot see in the night
would never know that a house was there.
1.-The Son of Ben Ali drove the wagon un
der the trees, waited until he could hear
the cinking of brides and bits, as Old
Grizzly and the overseer rode up. and then
slipped around the house and went to the
hack door. / waited until saw Old Grizzly
and the overseer stop under one OF the big
oaks and then followed.
1.-THE Son Of Ben Ali knocked at the back
door. which was soon opened by negro
woman who asked him what he wanted.
He told her. and then the man came to
the door.
"'What do you want said the Son Of Ben
Ali. I want to sell you bale of cotton
"'Who Is your masterg the man asked.
"'Mr. Gossett,' the Son of Ben Ali an
swered
"'What is your nameT
"'They Call me Aaron
"'You are the boy he bought not long
ago.
"'Yes sir
Wait moment The man went into |
an other room and when he appeared again |
he had shotgun In his hands. My hide is !
not very thick. and so ! went under the
steps. The man seemed to be mad. The
Son of Ben Ali had some such idea. for he
asked;
What are you going to do with the gun,
sir?
Get the truth out OF you.'
'' "A dead man will neither lie nor tell the
sounded as II he might be laughing, but
VAS under the steps and couldn't see.
4" is the cotton yours" the man asked.
% IT is Mr.. Cossett's.'
!" why do you bring II here tonightT
I had my orders
Z" oh. II had the old scoundrel here!
,rled the man In rage.
II you talk loud he'll hear you,' said
AARON.
"The man understood at once. Waltz
,e whispered. Then he slipped around the
corner OF the house Suddenly | heard the
;un go of. and 1t scared me so l couldn't
lelp but cry out. Some one else yelled. too
ome one under the oaks in front. and then
heard the snorting and stamping Of horses.
The Son Of Ben All stole of in the dark
efore the man returned. and followed him.
'ot knowing what had happened or what
night happen.
"But soon found out, and II was not as
ad as II might have been. The shot the
nan fired had shattered one OF the overseer's
rms. He was not hurt so badly but he
ould ride his horse, and he and Old Grizzly
urried home as fast as they could.
AFTER a while the Son of Ben Ali fol-
owed. but. instead OF riding in the wagon :
3 walked by the side of il, and I went
bead TO see that The way was clear. The Son
Ben All knew that there was trouble In
tore for him, and he didn't want Old Griz-
~ TO get hold OF him."
81 don't see why" said Buster John