The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-08

put one foot befo de yuther-but you
won't fin OF Sandy Claus. Why, eff
he wuz ter go huntin' fer you he
couldn't fin you; eff you want drownd-
in yo'se'f in bairl er fish brine you'd
be some'rs else whar you got no bust
ness"
Nell fin i'm Billy insisted with
great solemnity. ME will wun wight
twait to him house an dit all him
tandy."
"Humphn grunted Nanny Rose, as
she proceeded to give the child a scrub
bing with soap and warm water; "he
won't be dar when you git dar. He kin
smell de fish on you a mile off. You
nee'n ter think, kaze I'm washin' you,
dat you won't smell like fish. De scent
will last you sewn year"
Me will fin OF Tandy Taws,", Billy
repeated, and he meant every word of
it. He was small and couldn't talk
plain, but he was very deep. and had
determination that would have done
credit to an older person. Nanny Rose
always declared that the reason he
could talk no palmer was because he
didn't talk enough to learn how. He
talked very little, but listened a great
deal, and he knew considerably more
than any one gave him credit for know
ing.
Just about that time the people were
not thinking very much about Santa
Claus and Christmas. They had more
serious matters to occupy their minds.
for there were persistent rumors to
the effect that Sherman's army was
preparing to march through Georgia.
Presently ii became known for GER
tain that Gen. Sherman had swung
loose from his base of supplies, and
was treklng across the state, moving
IN three columns. The time soon came
when ailway train stood
at the station ready to car
ry the Governor and his staff.
with everything portable belonging to
the state, to place of safety. Mrs.
Tunison had been running away from
the federal army for quite three years,
and 1t had become such a habit that
her instructive desire was to place her
children in the covered wagon and
move on as she had been moving for
so long. But she had nowhere to go
and, besides, her funds were about ex-
hausted, and so she decided to fold
her hands and trust to Providence.
The event was not so terrible as the
-combatants had anticipated. The
troops came marching in, and set IN
their camps round about, and then. in
a very short while, though it seemed
a long, long time to the women and
children, they marched away again
Nevertheless, while they remained.
chaos and confusion reigned supreme
and though lawlessness played no out
rageous pranks, some of its antics
had rather serious results One day
number of soldiers, on short leave
from their camps, heard that the state
insane asylum was not far away, and
so they concluded TO inspect that in
stitution. They went I'm such a bolster
Gus and playful mood that more than
one of the inmates found an oppor-
tunity to escape. Among those who
slipped through the gates while the
soldiers were amusing themselves, was
man who had lost his reason at a
religious revival. He was very cum
ming. and for hours at a time. and
sometimes for days. his manner and
conversation were so sane and natural
that they would deceive anybody who
was not an expert.
His name was Roby Ransom. and
his chief delusion was that he was a
great preacher.
Roby Ransom managed to escape
when the federal soldiers entered the
gates Of the asylum. AS they passed
in. Roby Ransom slipped out. He
whipped around the corner of the high
fence and skunk along by the side of
II until he came within quick running
distance Of a ravine filled with will
lows, blackberry bushes and the va
rious shrubs that grow and thrive in
damp places. He had marked the ra-
vine from his room and had whispered
to himself that II ever he stood out.
side the gate, he would make a run
for It. But now, when he stood there,
ready TO rush across his craftiness
told him that TO run would attract at
tention; so he Strengthened himself up