Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-06-22
afore heard Footsteps up the road. 4

afors heard footsteps mp the road. A
man come outen the woods an inter the
moonlit clearin, where / could see no
was ole Hen Bingle. Iwhistled agin
an called softlike to him. he eneaked
up to the gate an looked agin.
Hen, help ! whispers.
"'Who is you a-growin euten the
side O. Alb Rickab back . ahanty ? be calls,
kinder hoarse and scared. With that
be pints a musket at me very threat
enin.
"'Hen Bingle, sails I. Don't You
dast shootl It's me, Alb Rickaback, an ]
want you to pull me ont. I'm goin to
war.
"Then it dawned on him what I was
~ to, an he come over an looks at me.
seen he he'd on his blues, too, IN
knowd ez he had given his woman the
sneak an was off to fght Spanyards.
he wanted to laugh, but I told him It
were no time fer sech foolin, but jest
to break off that splinter an pull me
loose.
"Now, Hens an oblisin. patriotic
kind o. a Teller, an tho, az he sayd. he
hadn't much time to waste, q his wo'
man was likely to wake up any minute
an find him gone, hs reached up an
broke off the splinter But I At the
hole go tight 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 "a
me like a ton O. hay an gasped an
proaned. thought thet yank he'd dis
Tinted me all over, an yells, Let gol'
Don't you dast let gol' he sails,
lookin up at me kind O agonizin.
"Then see that neither me nor Her
Bingle was ever goin to fight Spayn'
yards. fer he'd stepped of the wall al
was hangin down into tho we'll
"splinters Why. I'd ruther he'd
splinter stickin In every inch o my
body AN ole Hen Bingle's 200 pound
a.drawin me from my natural heigh
O. 8 feet inter a man o . feet .
Thet's what it seemed like. Hen. b.
asts how deep me we'll was, an when
sayd 40 feet, with 10 feet o wotter .
the bottom, he sayd he'd never speak 4
me ag'in II l let go my holt on him.
sayd guest he wouldn't, an he let on
a whoop tibet brought the missus an tn
little ones a.tumblin outen the house.
"Marthy stared at us minute The
che sails. 'Abner. where was you age
in3'
"'To fight Spaynyards, sails I, sheep
ishlike.
AN you, Hen Bingler she astA
, Same gasps Hen.
, ".Does your wife know you're out
sails tho misses, stern ~ jedge
"'No, sails Hen.
Then I've a mind to 60 over
! your place an git her. sails Marthy.
It's two miles, Hen groaned. a
. I'll be drowned ag'in you git bacl
Lemme up now. an III go home an sta
there.
, "Marthy turns around quietlik
walks inter the house an comes o'
with the family Bible.
a "'Hen Bingle, she sais solemnlik
holdin the book to his mouth. does ye
/, promise to tell the whole truth an not
q in but the truth an not TO go to war !
g "Hen didn't waste no time In kiss
. that book 80 loud could hear an eel
Of it over along the ridge I kissed
r pretty loud meself, to be sure The mi
|. Gus lifted Hen outen the we'll, an
slipped off home His woman new
4 kuowed nawthin about tho trouble t.
n she met my missus two weeks later
10 protracted meeting over TO Pine Swan
J. church. Ez fer me. but fer splint
% I'd be in Sandyago now. ST. Lot
le Republic.