The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-08-10

afore I heard footsteps up the road. A
man come outen the woods an inter the
moonlit clearin, where l could see he
was ole Hen Bingle. I whistled agin
an called softlike to him. He sneaked
up to the gate an looked agin.
Hen, help, l whispers.
Who is you agruwin outen the
side O. Ab Ricka backs shanty p he calls,
kinder hoarse and scared. With that
he pints muskot at me very threat
enin.
"'Hen Bingle, sails T. Don't you
dast shoot It's NE, Alb Ricka back, an I
want you to pull me out. I'm goin to
war;
"Then it dawned on him what I was
up to. an he come over an looks at me.
I seen he he'd on his blues, too, an /
knowd ez he had given his woman the
sneak an was off to fight Spanyards.
He wanted to laugh. but I told him it
were no time fer sech fooljn, but jest
to break off that splinter an pull me
loose.
"Now, Hens an obligin, patriotic
kind O. feller, an tho, as he sayd, he
hadn't much time to waste, ez his wo-
man was likely to wake up any minute
an find him gone, he reached up an
broke off the splinter. But fit the
hole so tight 1 couldn't bulge, an he
sayd he'd pull me out. So he gifts upon
the wall O the we'll which was jist be
low me an grabs me be both hands
an drawed. I'd moved about an inch,
when he kicked out wildlike an hung to
me like ton O. hay an gasped an
groaned. l thought thet yank he'd dis
tinted me all over, an yells, Let go!
Don't you dast let go! he sails,
lookin up at me kind O agoniZin.
"Then 1 see that neither me nor Hen
Bingle was ever goin to fight Spayn-
yards, fer he'd stepped off the wall an
was hangin down into the well.
"Splintersl Why. I'd ruther he'd a
splinter stickin in every inch O. my
body an ole Hen Bingle's 900 pounds
a-drawin me from my natural height
O. 5 feet 6 inter a man O 6 feet 5.
Thet's what it seemed like. Hen. he
asts how deep me we'll was, an when ]
sayd 40 feet, with Is feet O. wotter at
the bottom, he sayd he'd never speak to
me in if let go my holt on him.
sayd I guest he wouldn't, an he let out
whoop thet brought the missus an the
little ones a-tumblin outen the house.
"Marthy stared at us minute. Then
| che sails, 'Abner, where was you ago
| in2'
"'To fight Spaynyards, sails l, sheep
ishlike
AN you, Hen Bingle?' she asts.
Same, gasps Hen.
Does your wife know you re out {?
sails the misses, stern as jedge.
No, sais Hen.
Then I've mind to go over tc
your place an git her., sails Marthy.
Il" It's two miles, Hen groaned, 'an
I'll be drowned ag'in you git back.
Lemme up now, an I'll go home an stay
there.
''Marthy turns around quietlike
walks inter the house an comes out
with the family Bible,
| "'Hen Bingle, she sais, solemn1ike
holdin the book to his mouth, does yor
promise to tell the whole truth an moth
in but the truth an not to go to war;?
| ''Hen didn't waste no time in kissi1
that book so loud could hear an echo
of it over along the ridge. I kissed il
pretty loud meself. to be sure. The mis-
Gus lifted Hen outen the well, an ht
slipped off home. His woman never
knowed nawthin about the trouble tel
she met my missus two weeks later al
protracted meeting over to Pine SwamI
church. Ez fer Inc, but fer a splinter
I'd be in Sandyago now. st. Louis
Renuhlic