Sharp County record., 1896-09-11

"Whv. Clarence says that where he
cot --ouud.i It's three miles up the
creek, nearly TO the pondi its too late
to 90 up tonight, but your son said he'd
take some Of the hands and so pin the
morning and drag for him.
That's all right, CoTbett, if the alli-
gators don't eat him before that time;
but, as YOU say, by the time they could
ret there tonight it would be so dark
cmong those cypress and pines that
they could see nothing. Well, l pre-
sumo you've got things moving all
right, Corbett, SO good night"
Good night, squire"
Squire Hill entered the house, and
With his wife and daughter was seated
/ at the supper table when Clarence came
in. His hunting suit presented very
disorderly appearance, and his slouched
bat was more sIouchod than usual.
Where in heavens name have you
been, son?" asked his mother.
AT the bottom of Orton creek, moth
er, where old Uncle Jobe lies now-bur
l will change my clothes and tell youall
about it,"
"Uncle Jobe in the bottom of Orton
oreek!" exclaimed Mrs. Hill and Clara.
Poor SOUL" and tears came to their
eyes.
I'll never fish in Orton creek again"
said Clara, I'll have no one to take the
fish from the hook; poor faithful Uncle
Jobe."
Clarence was soon seated at the table.
How did it happen, son?"'
"Well, we took a bateau from the
rill, and l fshed along up the creek.
Uncle Jobe was sitting in the stern pad
dEng-we kept moving further and fur
ther up, and l had some fine fish in the
bottom Of the boat, and was just think
ing of turning back for home, when, as
we rounded a bend in the creek, I saw
Just ahead of loe lying on the bank an
alligator--a larger one 1 have never
seen in the creek-and | was surprised
10 see him there in February, but hav-
ing had no cold weather this winter, I
guess they've stayed out Of their holes;
l raised my gun instanter and fired
the gator slumped off into the creek,
and raised under the bow of the bateau,
giving his powerful tail swing, that
splintered its side and overturned it.
81 heard one yell from Uncle Jobe
as we both fell into the creek; it is very
deep just there, with mud bottom; but
gun in hand managed to paddle to the
hank, get hold Of a cypress root, and
pull myself out. 1 dropped my gun,
and turned back to attempt to save
Uncle Jobe. The cypress are very dense
there, their limbs Oyerhanging and
meeting from the opposite banks of
the stream, and they hanging festooned
with moss; l could scarcely see across
the stream. 7 called aloud several
/ tines
"'Jobe! Jobe!' but there was no an
gyger; l could neither hear nor see any
sign Of him, nor could | see anything
of the bateau; l stood there waiting
Wringing wet for some time, and then
concluded that Uncle Jobc had found
a watery graye-and through the Cy-
prus swamp, stumbling over knees and
fallen trees, for three miles, I struggled
to reach home-minus fish, minus fish
ling tackle, minus poor old Uncle Jobc,
When got home my clothes were dry"
Poor Dinah," said his mother; have
you told her?"
"Yes, went there first of all, and
when told her, she said 4 tell dat
boy fer de pas forty years; Look
out Brer' Jobe. gator git you," an
row gator dun got him, suah nuif.'
"I will take men and 90 drag for his
body in the morning. l said.
"'No use, chile, no use, Gators dun
got pore Drer' Jobc now"
"loor old Jobe," said Mrs. Hill. "Aft-
or toiling faithfully all his life, to be
eaten by allgators. 'Tis too much"
"Ycs," SAID the squire, 81 guess there
would be rather too much of him for