The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-10-25
His Uncle Dan.


nook, and they were quite too much In
'erested In themselves TO pay any atlep-
| uon to us. We were Interested. too, and
We trod SOFT and went slow for the pnr-
/ pose or hearing the end Of their discus
SION, but they took no notice OF Us.
/ when my uncle Dan was at Waterloo"
were the first words that reached us
/ from our little kettledrum
earn Danny Rendle! Give yer Uncie
! Dan rest. don't blieve " amt got
no Uncle Dan" growled "a dark haired
\ boy.
''You-don't--bls lseve--T--aia't - ect--no--
! Unclo-Dan--Jim Foley" exclaimed our
| youngster, In tone OF the most concon-
/ trated amazement
Mar said the other. "If yer have.
/ why don't he never come Q see yer?NNhy
! don't he never send yer muffin? / never
seen him. nor ever heard tell Of anybodv
/ that has. an yer never gets any letters
| from m, not so much as a ha'p'ny post
| card
He can't write. COS he lost his arm
/ at Waterloo"
! Yah! He cd write wiv his other arm
: or wiv his toes, same az yon man at tho
show we was at or he cd get stlntnun
else [ write. or he cd come an see yer"
Lost both his legs at Waterloo
] huh. an his head, an his tail Not
much left Of him TO brag about. But
/ cont blteve there amt no such person"
All right. Jim Foley, You see ,.at
! there sandhill?''
81 see IL. Wots that got 4 do wiv yer
there"
you git out tonight. Jim Foley. and
come down there, an III interdooce yer
! TO my Uncle Dan"
'Nillf Right! I'm on a like 10
meet al that's left OF the old gentleman"
And then we had To pass out OF hear
| ms, having learned tnat our youngsters
name was Dan Rendlc, ana that he had.
or said he had, veteran uncle upon
! ~huse existence his companions east
! doubts.
Without saying anything to my young
people promised myself the pleasure OF
/ witnessing The Introduction OF Jim Foley
to little Dams aged relative
And l was there, ambushed hat In tho
( Wire-gras5 OF a ncighLoring hilock for
an hour before the meeting. and counted
the time well spent
Dan was first Oh the field with two sup
porters. Presently Jim Foley stroled up
| with three more.
"Ah, YOU there. Danny Rendle? Now
| where's yer Uncle Dan wot lost his arms
| ana his legs at Waterloo, an his head
| an his tail, an every hlim bit OF him?
49, don't b neve - you got--no-Uncle
| Dan"
come on.' said Dan. and peeled of
his tunic and rolled UP the sleeves Of his
/ iiNtif NolpiSu elllIi, ana llcu Ills TeQ COklDn
| handkerchief tight around his waist, "an'
! al interdUoce yer to him"
i am not going to describe the fight
| / am old fashonod--or maybe IL is new
fashioned-enough to believe that "a
fight is less demoralizing to the principals,
except indeed, IN such trifing matters
as blood and cutieley than to the oninok=-
| ers.
| So, briefly, the conflict waxed ard
waned for good ten minutes. Jim
| was half a head taller, but was not so
close knit and active as Danny, and Dam
ny was fired with the defence OF the fam
lily honor. In the event Jim measured his
length on the earth, and before he could
rise Danny had him by the scrun OF the
neck and was ramming his face into tho
sand. while he pantingly exhorted him 10
better frame OF mind in the matter Of
Uncle Dan.
"Now-(ram)-Jim Foley--tram)--d you
b'lieve-(ram)-in my Uncle Dam?
NO" roared jim. splitting out mouth
ful of sand as his head rose You
aint-got-no-Uncle-D
Then. dan you, I'll choke your and
down went Jims face into the sand once
more, and was held there so long that
] began to fear the threat would he car
ried out.
The others began to fear so. too
Let him be, Dan Rendle," said one.
I'VE all know you got an Uncle Dan. an
! Ntdl > IL UdlAeT Dnul MIN
no! do--do you?" painted Dan.
''No-he aint," came in "a muffied whis-
per from the sand
well ] guess you've had 'nough OF
him for one day. Jim Foley" said the
victor giving the fallen foe final shake.
Don't want never--t' hear his name
again" said Jim, sitting up slowly and
scooping the sand out of his mouth with
his finger.
"Al right" said Dan. letting down his
sleeves and getting into his tunic, when
| you want 10 hear from him again, you
let me know, an I'll tend 10 Il. He told
! me 70 lick yer, an ! done IT," and he
marched away with his head I'm the air.
Next day as we drew near the camp.
the shouts and laughter from the beach
just beyond told us that the youthful
warriors were at their additions, so we
sat down 10 watch their antics.
They were having a right merry time.
gamboling I'm the surf like school OF
/ stranded porpoises rolling, yelling, chas-
! ing one another with lunches of seaweed,
while the more courageous yentured out
up to .ler chins and essayed the voy-
age homo.
A short cut shout that was different
from the other shouts-as different as
! death is from life and all the other
shouts died away, and all our eyes turned
10 where pair of white arms were
thrashing wildly at the water which
! closed over theIn-dnotner DuppilnB cry
| as thcy came I'm sight again.
had kicked off my shoes and shed my
Jacket for n desperate venture, with little
| hopes of success, for he was long way
out The sergeant I'm charge was wad-
ing out ND TO his knees, cursing volubly.
! learned afterward that he couldn't swim
n stroke. All the other youngsters had
| scuttled ashore, and formed q shivsrinS
! fringe TO tho lip OF the tide.
suddenly shouts broke out from the
sauirming line.