The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-04-11


through Mis- Li'rfeld. She alters
wanted TO ride when we shifted camp
an follered the wagon on her bay boss
II was unde stood that when / was goin
too fast or he'd got fur In the lead, she
would wave her handkerchief, an was
to slack up or stop till she ketched the
wagon. So / jest natterly lowed
I'd give her song-an'-dance, hevin' Q
pretty smart day ahead o me an'wantin
to git into camp early. Consistently,
told the nigger-who rode with me
not to look back.
"When we stated, of co'se, the fust
ten mile or SO was uphill mostly, an
I couldn't travel extra fast; so it was
bout two when we hit the summit, an
everything he'd went lovely. Then we
he'd a little 'hand-out,' and the descent
begun.
II didn't lose no time. The mules
stepped outgay-me a-poppin' the buck
skin among 'em oncet an awhile jest to
keep 'em chee'ful an in good humor;
an the hill-well, chain-lightnin' could
go down-with britchin'. hedn'twent
o great ways when heerd fur-off call
like a coyote got astray. Jumbo
shifted kind of uneasy like, on the seat,
and squinted sideways at me; but 1
was whistlin' The Gal with the Trav-
all Train and didn't see nor hear
nothin', of co'se. Pretty soon the mig
ger he couldn't set peaceful an on
concerned no longer, an stealed look
benin. Then he leaned forrard, 'th his
hans tween his knees, an chuckled
to hisself. paid no manner of notice.
Now he screws round again in his seat,
chuckles an twists q little harder,
squints at me sideways again, and says:
"'She's a-wavin', jim
"'Set still, you blamed. black-breast-
ed sand-piper,' says i; let 'er wave
"He was tol'abul quiet fer u shot
space-while you might cut n pipe o
terbacker, mebbe. The calls sounded
pretty faint now. Far back up the
rocky trail, could ketch the clear,
sharp ring of her hoss's hoofs-'pit-e-
pat! pit-e-pat! pit-e-pat!'-remindin'
me somethin' o one o them gals from
the east down in Benton chassayin' up
an down the room in n new-fangled
they call the 'Rushin'
polkay.'
"Jumbo's head swung around again
on its pivot. He squirmcd an twisted
an chucltled some more; the fun was
too fast fer his ornery, woolly scalp.
an he bust out:
"'Dah she waves, Jim. Now-now!
she waves. Dah-dah! she's n wavin'.
she's a-wavin', Jim. Now!
she waves. Jm-Jim = Jim = she
waves. Jim-she waves-she waves!
she waves!'
"Here he throwed out his wings
and very takin', and
winds up in a loud Yah! yah! yahv
-doublin' hisself up an contortin' an
rollin' round on the seat till 1 thought
he'd drop out o the wagin. He was
the most eXtropulous coon ever see
that's right! tried to kick him under
the seat-but fact is, I was a-laughin'
at him till was nigh non campus Mem
phis myself.
come from far back in the distance.
"Now l commenced to pull in my
mules. We were gittin' pretty well
down the slope, an few miles more
would fetch us to the camp-ground.
Il he'd changed The Gal with the
Travail Train fer The Gal left Be-
him Me.O 1t was still middlin' early
in the afternoon, an mighty hot. After
awhile got my team down to walk,
an before long heerd the boss hoofs
comm closter.
II turned around an watched her as
she come up. Say!-Tve eat canned
lobsters-but you'd oughter seen that
woman's face! Whoosh!-to
stat fire fer the pu'pos' o. toastin'
a bannack while she wer' round an that
color lasted, as the poet says, 'wer' on
necessary But that want all, neither.
She was mad clean through--as a sage
hen with brood o. young 'uns it stuck
out in pints all over her. An yeh could
see where the tears he'd left marks on
her chceks-through the dust; an her
hair was like shower-bath on her
shoulders.
How could you be so mean, JIM
she says.
Well-you see, mum-cr-this here
-ah-blamed hill is so COMPOUNDED
ornery pu'pendic'lar = uh = 1 couldn't
hold 'em up--'pon honor couldn't!'
"Of co'se I guess she didn't b'leeve
me badly, but what could she say?
We Travelled pretty slow the rest o. the
road to camp. 1 did feel tarnation
mean, as well as sorry fer her, an that's
right! 1 wanted to kick myself, to
make myself feel-er-ah-onco
able. / he'd half a mind to make Jumbo
do it. But, then, he was a niger, an
didn't know nothin'.
swell, Li'l'field got his leg broke
sho'tly after, an that bust up the ex-
pedition-got into wrestle with
grizzly an took second money. He
left his boss an went close to git n good
pull, but the bear was only wounded
an charged. He waltzed with him. I
reckon it 'ud a been all day with LIZ
field If Wells hedift been nigh he was
n dead shot, yeh know. AS it was, he
rot out If IL with n brola,, +l;,xl -,