The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-23

| now the elephants and bosses and cat
tie managed to git into that ark with
our treadin' on the sarpints and bugs.
i seen that her jaw was sot fur a
row" continued Zeb, but had sold that
whisky and must git 1t out that night, and
| so told her I'd go along over 10 Skin
ner's and put in the next two nights with
her on Noer She looked at me ag'in. but
didn't say nuthin' till was on the doah-
step. Then she p'inted her finger at me
and said. ''''
Go right along, Zeb White, but If the
LeWd don't dun git yo' into heap OF
lruepie over 1; then l don't know chest
nuts from punkinsr
Il hurried of without sayin' anything
PACK and half an hour later was bring
| In up the Kegs. IL was dod rotted biz
ness. i had 70 slide down a rope, hitch
on 10 keg and then climb up and pull
| the keg arter me. Ought 10 had q rigger
10 help me. but thar wasn't one around
TO trust I'd got up TO kegs all right and
was comm up TO pull the fifth one w
when sunthin' happened. Jest as / was
nearin' the Tor, Of the hole heard growi
and a 'whoof' and a big bar made a
| stroke az my head with his paw. was
/ that durn skeered that ! Jest let go and
| drapDed TO the bottom OF the shaft and
got a jar that made my bones aches fur
a week.
"Whs, they calls the situashun was this.
l was down In hole and bar was walt
in fur me TO come up and do bizness with
| him So kin see that the pesky varmlnt
had All the advantage He could smash
my skull with one blow OF his paw as
my head come within reach. i yelled and
hollered at him. thinkin' 10 skeer him
| away but he looked over the edge OF the
mole az me and growled and snffred and
seemed minded TO fall on top Of me. IL
wasn't five minits befo' I wished i was
home talEin' about Noer, but wishin' was
no good. kept quiet fur two or three
hours ana then started 20 climb I'D. The
bar was thar. He was thar at midnight
| and sunrise, and I'm tellin' yo' that he
| was thar at noon and al To- O'Clock In the
| AFTERNOON. The shaft was as dry as a
bone. and / was thirsty 'nuf 10 drink
swamp water; The way things was fixed
tnat bar could Keep me down thar til
persisted, and when he appeared as II he
was Ike to do IL felt that hadn't used
my old woman right and wanted 10 as.
her 70 furgiye me. Bout 70 o'clock, while
! was keepln' mighty quiet. hears a RI
fie shot above. and directly arteryard a
| human face looks down on me. IL was
the old 6omans. She dIawed the rome
up beyond my reach and thea called down
Is anybody down thar yisltin' Dan
skinner. who feels peekish and wants 70
III yo'll femme UP. I'll az yo'r pardon. :
.Mesbe that voice belongs to Zeb
she do
An mebbe his sore thumb has got
We'll SO that he kin fiddler
She has
singin'. @s'N
And with that she lowers the ndeie
by string, and as soon as I got tuned
up che began singin' and kept III ~ f,tr
an hour Then she calls down:
| .Zeo. what about Noer and his arb -
I'm willin' 10 talk says /
"'How long will yo' TALK
All the rest OF the fall and Winter
] 'Peared 20 me when yo spoke az h h. -
/ evenin that ] didn't keer much shof,t
Noer and his ark. but m findln on. ma
take heap Of interest In EN-. I'm
wiliin 70 sit up all night and try 10 figes-
out bout the hens and later bugs
Then mebbe yo'd better come IN
says she. and she drsps the rope fur ne
20 climb by. ] never felt 50 Kiad In fnv
life as when J got out and seen a dead
bar thar. ! wanted 10 gin the ola NO.
man q kiss, but she waves me on and
says:
Don't 20 be In sich hurry. Mr.. White
krieF yc' hey ate and rank and slsni
and artsr we've put IN bout To- weeks fsR
germ on Noer, we'll see bout the kI.slr,.
biznsss. Chuck them kegs back into the
hole. load W The bar. aid we'll 70
home.