The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-06-09

afore heard Footsteps up the road. A
man come outen the woods an inter the
moonlit clearin, where could see he
was ole Hen Bingle. whistled agin
an called softlike to him. He sneaked
up to the gate an looked agin.
81 Hen, help, whispers.
Who is you a-growin outen the
side O. Alb Rickaback's shanty?' he calls,
kinder hoarse and scared. With that
he pints musket at me very threat
enin.
''sHen Bingle, sails l. Don't You
dast shoot It's me, Alb Rickaback, an
want you to pull me out. I'm goin to
war;
''Then it dawned on him what was
up to. an he come over an looks at me.
] 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 told him it
were no time fer sech foolin. but jest
to break off that splinter an pull me
loose.
CHOW, Hens an obligin, patriotic
kind o. Teller, 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 I fit the
hole SO tight l couldn't bulge, an he
sayd he'd pull me out So he gifts upon
the wall O. the well which was jist be
1ovx, mo nm mo ho both hov5o
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. I thought tibet yank he'd dis
tinted me all over, an yells, Let got
IS Don't you dast let gol' he sails.
lookin up at me kind O. agonizin.
stThen 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
splinter stickin in every inch O. my
body IAN ole Hen Bingle's 900 pounds
9-drawin me from my natural height
O. feet 6 inter 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 ag'in if / let go my holt on him. I
sayd guest he wouldn't. an he let out
whoop tibet 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
IMP
g TO fight Spaynyards. sails I. sheep
ishlike.
/" An you. Hen Bingle2' she asts
" Same, gasps Hen.
Does your wife know you're out7
sails the misses, stern as jedge.
NO. sails Hen.
:. sThen I've mind to go over to
your place an git her, sails Marthy.
I" It's two miles, Hen groaned. IAN
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 sails. solemnlike.
holdin the book to his mouth, does You
promise to tell the whole truth an moth
in but the truth an not to go to WARP
ellen didn't waste no time in kissin
that book SO loud could hear an echo
Of it over along the ridge. kissed it
pretty loud meself. to be sure. The mis-
eus lifted Hen outen the well. an he
slipped off home. His woman never
knowed nawthin about the trouble tell
she met my missus two weeks later at
protracted meeting over to Pine Swamp
church. Ez fer me, but fer splinter
I'd be in Sandyago now. st. Louis
Republic.