Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-07-31


"NKBBH THH WHALE swAILxRxp JoyxR"
What's the matter that what's good
nun fur Elder Hopkins an everybody
else round we're amt good nun fur
yor
"'But I amt a.believin the story.
How's q man gwine TO live right on
arter he's bin swallered by q whaieY
That's none OF our birness. she
says.
But I'm maxim II my birness. says
l. What don't seem likely TO me
Amt gwine to believe In
But yo' might keep shet about IL
IN not raise q fuss. Who air yo'. Zeb
White. that yo' disputes the Bibley
'sTha, started the row" said the oil
man. AN we had some purity hot words.
I said I didn't believe the story. an she
said she didn't kecr whether ] did or
not. an We was sassin away when We
heard q cry up on the hillside. IL WAS
sunthIn like the cry Of q child. an the
old woman gifts MP an listens an says:
".Zeb. thar's . ieetle child wanderin
about IN the bresh. Jest hcot two or
three boots 20 draw II this way
The cry come ag'ln. an then know
ed what is was II wasn't no lost
child. but a prowiin wildcat ! hadn't
heard one fur two y'ars. but I was dog
suah Of the game. I'D hey told the old
woman. but she got mad bekase i
wouldn't boot an called me names.
When the third cry comes. she says TO
me:
"'Zeb White. that must be Joe Ba-
ker's ieetie boy Jim. an he's wandered
two miles away from home. II yo've
got q heart In yo'r busum. yo'n 60 MP
the mounting an find him an bring him
down In yo'r arms
~ Amt huntln fur lost boys says
- fills my pipe.
"'Then am. I'll 60 up thar myself
Better not
But ! will. Befo' the Lawd. but ]
don't know what's come over yo'. Zeb.
Fust yo' 60 an deny that the whale
swallered Joner. an then yo' won't
move hand or foot to save IN innercent
child from perishin. Mebbe yo' air git
tin ready to turn Mormon an run away
from meY
81 amt takin wild varmints fur lost
boys says as the scream come agin.
"Tts no Wild varmint It's the
voice Of leetle Joe Baker. an he must
be skeert almost to death Of the dark
ness. Yo sot right yere Ike an old
mewl. an Ill 90 up an find him. I'm
thankin the Lawd 20 hain't got no
children Of yo'r own
with that she grabs up a stick IN
starts up the hill. While knowed that
a wildcat was roamln round. didn't
think the old woman would come to
any burt. hoped the cat would yell
out an skeer her. an so It was ten min
It's befo' follered on. She went push
In through the bresh an callin to joey.
an now an then the cat cried out In an
swer. was doin heap Of laughin to
myself when the old woman calls back
to me:
"Come on, Zeb! I've dun found the
chIldr
".Then bring him along says l.
81 can't. He's up tree. Zeb. did
yo' ever hear Of lost boy climbin Q
treeY
".Not skassly, but mebbe they do It.
".An his eyes are shinin like two
Goals Of fire. never knowed that lost
children's eyes looked that way at
night
Il knowed the cat had clumb a tree
m was lo0kin down at the old woman.
IN had jest opened my mouth to cry
out q warnin when the cat hissed an
growled an ratified the bark with her
claws. That was nun. The old wom-
an gin a yell an started to run, but at
the fust move she fell over q log. ]
reckon that cat must hev bin mighty
mad bout sunthin, fur she screamed
out an Jumped to the ground an In two
Jumps was on the old woman's back an
usin her teeth an claws like sin.
grabbed up a club an mixed In. but at
the fust blow the club broke. an the
cat turned on me. Lemme tell yo' sun
thin bout wildcats. II yo' was to be
pitched into q hole on top Of fo'teen
buzzsaws, It wouldn't be as bad -
hevin row with one full grown Wild
cat She would gin me bite an then
gin the old woman q clawin. IN thar
was no gettin away from her. We had to
light fur our lives. an never did sich
fightin In all my days. Wed hev both
bin done up except that ! dashed the cat
ag'in q tree an stunned her. an while
she lay thar we hed to the house an
locked the doah. We hadn't skassly
got in befo' the critter was screechin
round, an, not bein able to git at u.
she went round to the shed an bit an
clawed my old mewl till be was no
good all winter.
1--WE was drefful sight to zee when
we got into the house-me an the old
woman. We was In tatters an kivered
with blood. an we Jest fell down an
laid thar. I was the worst hurt, but !
hadn't got over bein mad yit. Bimeby
! rot up IN says:
"'Mebbe the whale swaIlered Joner,
IN mebbe be didn'tr
The old woman groaned with her
bites IN didn't ~ . word
sNebbe Zeb White has hight %
his opinyuu. su mebbe be hasn'tr
-shs groansd agin. but che hated "a
Isiys N