The National tribune., 1901-06-06

"THE WOMAN RACED, But IT PRO
| DUCED ABOUT AS MUCH EFFECT
AS THE CAwING OF THE CROWS IN
| THE NEXT FIELD"
do you t'ink I'm sunfish, dat you done
spear me dat-a-wayw yelled Uncle Eph-
| rain, a moment later, as Grimshaws
| horse suddenly came down from trot to
a walk, and the end of the pole took the
| colored brother in the neighbOrhOod of the
| belt. Fore de Lawd, I'll hab collie for
week from dat punch"
Excuse me, Uncle Ephraim. You know
l wouldn't hurt you for anything" apollo
| giZed Bill Grimshaw, and Uncle Ephraim
was so Modified by the heartiness of the
regret that he jumped down, picked up the
fallen pumpkins and replaced them on the
pole.
Here, I'm going to ride behind all of
you," said Grimshaw, waiting for the rest
to pass. THAT poles unhandier to man
| age than / thought, and I'll get where L
can't hurt anybody with it."
He looked ruefully at his pumpkin rep
| resentations of the moon in her last quar-
! ter They had suffered much in looks
and shape from their falls.
"A little dirt won't matter" he said.
Every man must eat a peck of dirt, any
how | can clean most of it off before /
put 'em in the pot"
I 81 was pushing ahead pretty rapidly
now, and the horses began to get warm.
| They came to a creek. and all stopped to
| drink. Grimshaw's horse smelled the
water, and made a rush for it, as rear
most horses will. seeming to think that
those in front will drink it all from them.
| In spite of himself therefore Grimshaw
pole in hand. charged down into the mass,
| halted to drink. His pole graZed his part
ners side and lifted Alf Russell clear out
\ of his saddle. Pole and pumpkins went
| into the creek in Grimshaws excited eff
forts to control his steed.
II don't really care much for pumpkins,
nohow," he said. Il begun to have doubts
| as to whether L actually know how to
| cook the stuff
| When they reached camp they found
that Shorty had already come in and was
| waiting impatiently for them.
Did you find any chickens?" he asked
mo, l couldn't find ONE ST answered,
| eyasiyely.
Il got q couple of fairly good hams here,
though. What'd you ind?"
| Hams amt what sick men want" put
in Shorty, in a lordly way. Hams amt
no good for sick men. We started out 70
! find chickens. l told you I'd find 'em if
| they were in the country. Awful poor
country, this, around here. though. Soil
| so thin that you'd have to manure it to
make good brick, and people poorer than
/ Jobs turkey. Never saw such a lot, even
| up in Tennessee. Haint actnah'' moth
| ing. But / went for q >~rns, aid L
usually get what | go for
81 knew his partner was boasting to
| cover up lack of success.
Where are your chickens?" he asked.
20, we turned 'em right over to the
| cooks. so that they could make some broth
for the sick. They needed it bad"
| Hope you got enough to give them
! plenty all around" said 81.
I'VE got every last one in the country"
| said Shorty, automatically. ''More'n
/ that nobody could do, and it seems it's
| better n you did"
Just then Pete's shrill voice rang out at
| little distance. Grimshaw had been con-
l fiding his trouble to his sympathetic ears,
and Pete was disposed to match it with
| his own sorrows. II tell yOu," he said,
st was the sorriest country we've struck
set. Couldn't see sign of chicken no.
+! where-guardS around here had gobbled
up what few the poor crackers had. We
juSt'd a bin clean skunked on the poul-
| try exhibit if / hadn't went into a cabin
! and found an old hen setting on a nest in
| the chimney corner. We wouldn't we
looked at her agin, If it hadn't been for
hating to come back dead beat. So
yanked her off and brung her along. and
! they're now trying to bile her tender. 1
don't know when they'll ever do it."
81 looked at his partner with derisive
grin. "Just throw that old setting hen
out OF the pot SHORTY IN AFRAID she II
not set we'll on the stomachs of these sick
fellers. You oughtn't to play down on
them that way, Shorty. Uncle Ephraim,
bring up your turkeys, and let the boys
fetch on their chickens
Shorty looked with astonishment at the
showdown made in front OF the camp
fire. but covered his defeat with the taunt:
Isl Klegg, l verify believe that you're
getting to be a bigger liar n | am, which
* wholly unnecessary"
81 didn't lie to you, Shorty. l told you
I didn't find a chicken, and l didn't. / had
to give up, and take hams and flour in
stead. Uncle Ephraim and Alf and Gid
found these"
Jabez Turnbull, who managed the blood
hounds at Millen, decided that he would
not run away when the guards did. He
had no liking for duty at the front, and
was afraid that if he went with them he