The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-15


lim'. The wind had gone down lit
tie, but the rain WIS still a-pcltin' an
had ter squat thar Oh that Iog an
take the last drop Nv it,
well, Sir cusscd the revenue Of
ficcrs fer everything could think nv:
| cusscd that ere snake, cusscd Bud
Braswcll fer runnin off an lcavin'
me, an cusscd myself fer bcin a
tarnal fool fer tryin' to beat the gov
mcnt. At las got so dcsput thct
gun f5 holler fer hep. | didn t
know but what maybe them ere fell
lcre had cainpcI on the mount side
fer the night an maybe they'd hear
me an come an git me out Il the
scrapc | wus puffeckly willin' to gin
up, as dreaded thet ere snake wus n
I'd a dreaded Judgement NV revenue
men or two years in Jail.
But nobody didn' come an I sot
thar an shuck an shivcrcd an shiy-
cred MI siuck tell the rain stacked an
the stars come out, an could sec the
lights in the cabins way down in the
bottoms, an ] could hear the bayin'
Of the houn's in the woods fer off, but
nobody didn't come nigh 'nough to
diskivcr my roost. | wus 80 nigh
pctcrcd.out that l gun to feel mum
an Irowsy, an then got skeered
agin, Gu sc knowcd that cf I drap-
! ped of ter sleep I'D loose my holt an
durnation d be my potion cf fe.l
down on them rocks thct could jcs
see glistcnin' in the starlight.
(. ''To keep f'om goin ter sleep got
UP an gun to stomp iry feet up All
down like fcllcr trempin' hides in a
tan sat, an KEEP thct up dunno how
long. At las my legs gun ter fail me
an | felt thct I wus gittin' weak all
over. .Jcs' then hit cured ter me ter
pray. | hadn't never prayed none
sencc l wus little cub, an 1 felt sor-
ter 'shamed an didn't know how ter
begin. I'd bin cussin' like a cooter,
an now felt like hit wus a sort Wv
cowardly thing ter try an make up wi
or Marster a'tcr cuttin' up like had.
Then said to myself that I'd make q
promus to Him thet cf He'd let me
git out'n thct ere scrape Id never
call on i'm agin ef I could hep it.
"While [ wus thinkin over the
matter an had jcs' made up my min
thct the promus wus go. when way
down in the east | seed yallcr streak
an knowcd thct the moon wus risin :
Higher an higher it riz, an I FIRMLY
made up my min thet eff when hit
showed on the face W inc cliff thet
ere eusscd snake wouldn't be thar L d
keer my promus bout chapgin' my
life. turned 'roun' whar could
watch the spot whar I had las seed
the rattler, an fixed my eyesc thet
patch O darkness an never turned my
head while the moon slowly ris up be-
him me.
81 could tell hit wus risin' 60
watched the line o light ewing lower
an lower long the wall O rock, an
had the dead tremhles ] was SO feared
thet whom i,is Eetched the apot nit 1
reveal thct sarpunt lyin thar ready ter
strike the mint I got my foot on the
.ccs c .hs tree. I've watched Fer
turkeys an I've watched fer squir' Is
sn' I've watched fer revenue men, but
l never watched fer anything with
sich anxiety as I watched fer that
patch O. moonlight to git on q level
with the log en- which I sot shnkin' an
shiverin' an'yit with the col' sweat on
my face an the goose bumps chasin'
up'n dewn my back.
"At las hit got low 'nough fer me
Ter see the spot an at fus' my heart
sunk, fer thought I seed thet ere
snake, but hit proved to be sort Of
pided root Their big gush Of moon
shine busted thro' the opening in the
tree tops an made the place bout the
foot Of the tree as light as day, an
halleiuycr! the snake wus gone!
eased myself along tho tree, Itremblin'
in every i'iat, an jes' rs cot !oc. on
the rock great big old katydid tore
loose 'mong the leaves, an I'll bet l
jumped ten foot an landed on them
rocks. an landed runrin' l never
stopped tell I struck s',s trail, an
down that nount'n side l went like a
harrikn. I fcrgot thet l wus tired
an never broke my gait tell l got to
the fence 'roun' my cabin in the Gap.
II lit right over thet 'cre fence,
ag'in the de- an whom I come to my
senses the oil 'oman wus putin cam
fire on my face an takin' on pow'ful
an wonderin' wharf, WIS hurt.