The news & observer., 1897-11-07
BY W. S. PRIMROSE.

he jumped, or fairly tumbled over a
high rail fence, knocking off one or two
of the split rails as he went over. Mr..
s. followed suit, but a moment be-.
hind, while Squire R, who was not
accustomed to such feats Of activity, hid
himself behind large tree, several
times the size Of his body in thickness.
The suspense was awful as the squad
of two hOrsemen reined up in the road
Immediately opposite the tree. "They
must have heard the noise made by the
sheriff in getting over the fence"
thought the Squire, "and if they make
a search they will certainly find me.~
But after whispered conversation the
riders resumed their gallop down the
road, to his infinite relief, as his situation
was far more dangerous than that OK
his friends
The Squire then climbed over the
fence and cropping his way over the new
ly plowed wheat ground, called in low
voice to his friends He soon found the
sheriff lying under bush on ditch
bank, and Mr.. S. similarly hid near
by.
They concluded not to trust Themselves
again on the public road, but to cua
through to the mill, at which they AZ.
IlNCu III dDOuL du uOuE HUG.
Scarcely ever were men so thoroughly
scared, and with good reason, as they
were compelled to believe, and the story
Of their thrilling adventures was told and
retold to their sympathetic host and the
two country friends at the mill. The
broad, honest face of Mr. NJ fairly
shone with sympathy as he rubbed his
hands and expressed his great surprise
and dnpn rpUPnf that bn haA aunh
good friends in such peril
The entire party now proceeded to his
home, where at / O'clock a m ample
solace to the inner man was spread out
and partaken of. All slept late and the
morning was we'll advanced before the
negro hunters returned with the dogs,
as they remained in hiding all night.
After a lapse of sometime, at least
several days, it leaked out that Mr. M
had good reasons for wishing his friends
to go on the hunt unarmed, and the en-
tire. matter came out as an immense joke.
After the party had decided on the
route and was out of hearing, Mr..
Ms two country friends also left the
mill but on hereseback, making detour,
having agreed to secrete themselves and
to fire charges of powder when the
hunting party had reached the danger
Gus ground.
The joke bore particularly hard on Mr..
S, whose Imagination had been so
vivid that he would have taken an oath
that at least one bullet narrowly missed
his head. Squire R, too, confessed
that while the horsemen were standing
whispering in the road, that the tree
seemed to get smaller and smaller, and
he larger and larger. The sheriff was
also willing to acknowledge that he had
never been so frightened before.
/ This, like most practical jokes, was
( very dangerous as limbs might have
been broken by falls in the midnight
fight.
Our three friends naturally felt net
tied for a while, as they had to bear
the laughter of many acquaintances.
/ They were not, however, men to bear
malice for an instant, nor resentment
for long time. Their friend was the
friend of years, and a man whom no
one could long dislike.
y third of a century has passed away,
and with it four of the principal actors of
this escapade. This little sketch, which
is based on actual facts, is given with
the full consent of the two estimable
gentlemen who are gracefully wearing
the silvered badge of honored age.
May time as it speeds along deal gently
with them.