The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1900-05-05
floods So4abosiM
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on, and we were left alone. Before | had
time to grasp the situation crow-bars were
persuasively applied to the small of my
back, and whether | would or no. | was
speedily landed on the side of the road. A
few yards further on, the same thing hap
pened to one of my companions. and to
each in turn, till all five of us lay prone on
the earth. Two days later band Of soldiers
came along, and amongst them ! recognized
my curly haired friend who had fixed his
eye Oh me in the forest. He was evidently
still the leader. Here and there as he came
on, he bad wooden pegs driven into the
ground by one of the attendant soldiers
and one Of these pegs was bat a few feet
from where lay. Before one could specu-
late what it might all mean, some of the
soldiers with the aid of the tools they car
rld, began to dig great holes where the
pegs were. About 80 yards behind me
was 4 house, the only one for some distance
around, and | noticed the soldiers looking
frequently in that direction. Finally when
they reached the peg beside me- instead OF
digging a hole, one of them quickly drew
it out again, and following the Others
walked over to the house and drove the Peg
in again about 5 feet from the door. At the
noise, the family, and it seemed numerous
one, flock ed out and a perfect babel of
conversation followed. The gestures waxed
more and more fierce till a fight seemed
imminent. Later discovered what it was
altered the position of the pig, in order to
extort money from these poor folk. For
nothing could be more disastrous for the
family good-luck than to have one of the
poles OF the "foreign devils lightning
letters" planted right in front of their
door. Anything but that Gould the
location not possibly be changed ?" well
it was hardly likely" "Not if money
were offered ?' "In that case, possibly"
Forthwith the wrangling began as to the
amount, and finally the matter was settled
for s. 90, a large sum for Chinaman.
After some delay the money was forthcom-
ing, and the soldiers slowly withdrew till
they reached the place near me where the
peg had originally been put in, and they
said they guessed this place would do, and
proceeded to dig the hole. From what
other poles have told me since, this was
very common trick on the part OF these
men and some of them were making re-
spectacle fortunes out of the business.
There were so many soldiers around to
help, that in a few minutes found myself
planted in the earth again, standing firm
and upright. Did these men imagine
could take up the thread OF my life where
dropped it on the mountain, and be once
again tree? / was rather less like tree
than sardine is like shad But as
watched noticed there was line OF US
ever increasing evidently there was some
purpose in placing us there in long row.
later when new batch of men came along,
and as they came stringing wires from pole
to pole mailing near our heads rough
cross-p piece to which the wires were at
tached. Remonstrance was long since use
less one had only to grin and bear these
indignities. And indeed they were not
70
had to 90 through. One only let me relate.
For sometime l had noticed that when the
wind went signing along our wires, the
peasantry as they passed by looked askance
at us there was evidently something I'M
canny about us somewhere. This feeling
grew, till one day it came to head. Out
from one Of the gates of large walled city
near an imposing procession one morning
appeared. First band with drums and
horns and anything that could make a
noise then some Buddhist priests in robes
Of Office with many attendants and mis-
cellaneous following of hundreds of people.
Slowly they approached us, the noise of the
musicians and the hiring of crackers in
creasing every minute. Just as they were
within about 100 feet of our line of poles,
another sound was heard in the distance
Looking toward the city, again l saw
crowd approaching, but a very different
one. For one thing they were all on horse
back, and as they came nearer at furious
gallop, l knew them to be the military
head OF the district with over a hundred