The National tribune., 1900-04-19
Copyrighted 1s9e by publishers of TIE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE.
The Third Days Experience Escaping
Through Georgia

The Third Days Experience Escaping
Through Georgia
When the boys were awakened, late IA,
next morning, by the burning heat o.
the sun and the ravening swarms OF muske
toes, they found themselves lying in dense
| thlcket of tall weeds and bushes growing
out of the damp soil of little island, formed
by the wash of the fertility from the sur:
face of the surrounding land. 81 hunted
around through the rank growth until he
found all of his squad. They were
nearly all awake, and very hungry.
Shorty had moved little Pete, who was
still sound asleep, over into the shade, and
broke ana laid over his face branches OF
butternut, to deter the flies and musketoes.
81 first looked around and took an ac-
count of stock. He had clung to the shot
gun throughout the vicisstudes of the
night, as Shorty had the squirrel rife.
But both had only the loads that We're in
| them, the rest of the ammunition having
vanished with Gabe and Hez. 81 was
rejoiced to find that Monty, Gid and Harry.
who had taken turns carrying the sack OF
meal, had brought it through safely, and
Sandy Baker had stuck as tenaciously to
the remainder of the meat.
| 81 and Shorty went to different sides Of
the island, to look out and try to gain some
| idea as to where they were, and the lay OF
the surrounding country, but could see
nothing for the rank growth along the
sides of the creek
Them dogs" said Shorty, when they
came together again for consultation, and
referring to the barking in the distance
don't seem to be barking at nothin' in
partickler. They're barkin' just to show
| that they can be mean even when there
amt no occasion for it. s'poSe we may as
well git breakfast while were thinkin' o
the next thing to do"
''Durst We build a fire, and where kin
we?p asked ST, looking around doubtfully..
| Yes, we kin, if we don't make no smoke" !"
said Shorty. "a very little smoke won't
be seen this hot day. Find some fiat
stones that will keep it off the damp ground,
and I'll 90 across to the land and pick up
| some dry wood that won't make no smoke.
81 broke down the weeds and brush in the
| middle OF a field, and succeeded in finding
a fiat stone that would serve for a hearth.
Shorty crossed to the mainland, and
picked up some dry branches, carefully
accommodating the open country in front,
before he ventured from the cover Of the
swamp.
He saw at distance through the wide
columnar space between the towering
pines field OF the sparse, stunted corn
common in that section. But one slender
stalk stood in each hill, and the hills were
wide apart, sd that the field made little
obstruction to the view. 1t was such a
field as excited the derision Of the farmer
boys from the fat lands of the North, where
/
growing saplings. Several negroes were
working languidly through the field.
scratching the ground with bull-tongue
plows, each drawn by a single mule, muz-
zled to keep him from feeding off the corn.
They We're apparently "laying-by" the corn
for the Summer.
| Good thing they've got them mules
muzzIed," said Shorty. "One good healthy
mule d eat up the whole field, and then not
be foundered. Don't seem to be no white
man around. from the way them nigger's
slouchin' around their work I'll come
over and take another look after we git
something TO eat
He made his way back with his load Of
wood. They shaved down few WRITINGS
| from bit Of dry pine, and started little
blaze with one of their carefully preserved
matches They fed on bits of dry wood,
rejecting anything wet or rotten, and soon
had quite a hot fire burning, from which
no perceptbla smoke arose. They made a
fairly satisfactory meal off Hez Grub
woods booty, but the sack looked sadly
shrunken when they got through, and there
was but little Of the meat left but the rind
| "The bottom of our four-barrel s always
poppin' up into sight" soiloquized ST,
surveying the remainder, while the boys,
| their hunger satisfied, were trying to find
some place out of reach of the musketoes,
where they could continue their rest. "Per-
vidin' for this expedition is attended with
ullilctDlitS, IltiNlfiS IlO fcpiCT
to draw upon. | wonder how we're going
10 git anything more"
We've got to trust to Providence, ST."
said Shorty hopefully. Were trusting
Him for so much anyway, that He won't
mind little thing more like daily snack
o meat and cornmeal. All that we want
| is enough to travel on till we kin strike
old Sherman, when we will take ourselves
off Providence's hands, with thanks"
| pap always says" responded ST. "tnat
Providence helps them that helps them
selves. That's what we've bin doing so
far, and | hope that we kin keep it up.
I'm like Gabe Bonesct, the State o. Georgy
owes us our board while we're here. and
| we've got to collect it wherever and when
ever we kin. It'll be rough on the fellers
that we collect from, but they've no bizniss
| bcin' rebels"
LES slip over and see if we can't inter
view them darkies, and see if we can't
| find out something about the lay o. the coun-
| try" suggested Shorty.
Cautioning the boys to keep as quiet
| as mice, while they were gone, which was
hardly necessary, for they were dead tired.
| the two partners slipped across the creek
and after much strategic dodging from
| tree to tree, at last came up, apparently
unnoticed, to the brIsf-and-stump fence
surrounding the cornfield. They had
| chosen their time for the last advance.
when the negroes had turned their backs
and were all ploWing away from them.
| The negroes halted it seemed an intermin-
able length of time on the opposite side of
! the field, where there was some shade.
but at length they turned their mules
| around and began coming slowly toward
| them, stopping from time to time TO pull up
an especially aggressive weed that was
devouring the nutriment intended for a
corn stalk, and to adjure their mules with
IA rich vocabulary of insult and contlmelv.
"Hyah, yo lambasted white-eyed.
whopper- jawed, foolation Of fowlery,"
would shout one, more with view of aston
| ishng his companions with the fuency of
his diction than its effect upon his mule.
what on airthi fiabbergasts yo'? What
foh yo' stop an put yo' rotten haid down
| ter nip de cawng Is dat de way yo' airn
| yo' vittles and clothes? Walk off, dah.
on yo' tail, afo' done break cherry bone
in yo' wuhess karkiss, an snortgibbet yo'
ter def" 80
Then another plowman, envious of this
outburst would try to sIirpass it.
| Next, without rhyme or reason, they
would all stop and burst out in melodious
improvisation, chanted in perfect time and
| harmony.
de Lawd send down his rabens to ter feed
| de good ole LiJah.
! Lawd send dem down ter me.
| Dey brung de prophet pork an honey
Lawd, send dem down ter me-"
| After burst or two of this kind the
song would wander off inconseuuentially
into
BAR WIZ purity lii yaller gal.
| naV called her Savannah Sol