Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-12-07
"THE R'AR WAS THAR. ("

>A0
while so played the fiddle. also
want to talk to yo' bout Noer and his
ark
"'1've got II sore thumb and can't
fiddle. and, as fur Noer. he will keep
till some other time. Nuthin rushin
bout Nccr'
with that she turns On me and
looks lae squar III the face, and arter
a mint she says:
"'Zeb White, don't yo' go to foolin
With Nocr and his ark or sunthin pow
erful bad will come out of it. Dan
Skinner may feel peekish, or he may
be dyin. but what we wants to know is
how all them critters found their way
into the ark. How did it happen that
the hens didn't eat up the tater bugs
while they was walkin togetler?
Dunno
"'Why didn't the foxes eat all the
hens?'
Dunno
"sW'hy didn't tie bars eat the pigs:'
"1Dunno.'
".Of co'se yo' don't, and that's why
want yo' to squat right down ycre
with me a;.d try and tigger it out.
shan't never lie satisfied to die till
| find out how the elephants and hosscs
and cattle mana gea TO git into that ark
without treadin Oh the sarpints and
bugs
~ seen that Lcr jaw was sot fur
row." continued Zcb. "but had sold
that whisky and must git it out that
night and so ! told her I'd go along
over to SINNERS 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 doahstep. Then
she p'intcd her finger ut me and said:
eco right along, Zeb White, but If
the Lawd don't dun git yo' into a
heap of trubble over it then l don't
know chcstnuts from punkins!'
Il hurried off without sayin anything
back and Ealf an hour later was bring
in up the kegs. 1t was dod rotted biz
ness. had to slide down n rope. hitch
on to keg and then climb up and
pull the keg arter me. Ought to had
a niger to help me. but thar wasn't
one around to trust. I'd got up fo'
kegs all right and was comm up to
pull the fifth one up when sunthin
happened. Jest as l was nearin the
top Of the hole heard growl and
n 'whoof' ard Il big bar made a stroke
at my head with his paw. was that
durn skeercd that jest let go and
drapped to the bottom OF the Shaft and
got 4 jar that made my bones ache fur
IL week.
"What they calls the situashun was
this: l Was down in a hole and bar
was waitiii fur me to come I'D and do
biZness v'iik him. yo' kin see that the
pcs!sy vasilint had all the advantage.
| He could smash .uy skull witt, one
blow of his paw as my head come
within reach. yelled and hollered at
him. thinl;ia 10 slseer him away. but he
looted over the edge of the hole at me
/ and growi,i and shifted and seemed
minded 10 fail on top of me. 1t wasn't
five ulini;s L;efo' ! wished was home
tasl:in hou: Noer. but wishin was no
good. kept quiet fur two or three
hours and then started to climb up.
The bar was thar. lie was thar at
midnight end sunrise. and I'm tellin
yO' that he was thar ut neon and ut TO-
o'clock in the AFTERNOON. The shaft
was as dry rs bone. and was thirsty
'nuff to Crink swamp water. The
way things was fixed that bar could
keep me down thar till perishcd.
and when he appeared as if he was
like to do I; ! felt that hadn't used
iny old woman right and wanted to
ask her to :urgive me. Bout fo' o'clock.
while was keepin mighty quiet. I
hears u rifle shot above. and directly
arterward human face looks down