The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-02-07

while yo' played the fiddle. also
want to talk to yo' bout Noer and his
ark
"I've got a sore thumb and can't
fiddle, and, as fur Noer, he will keep
till some other time. Nuthin rushin
bout Noer.'
"With that she turns on me and
looks me squar in the face, and arter
q mint she says:
"'Zeb White, don't yo' 60 to foolin
with Noer 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 togetherr
Dunno
"'Why didn't the foxes eat all the
hensT
"'Dunno.'
":Why didn't the bars eat the pigs?
"'Dunno.'
"'Of co'se yo' don't, and that's why
I want yo' to squat right down yere
with me and try and figger it out. I
shan't never he satisfied to die till
find out how the elephants and bosses
and cattle managed to git into that ark
without treadin on the sarpints and
bugs
81 seen that her jaw was sot fur
row" continued Zeb. 'but l 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'inted her finger at me and said:
"'Go right along, Zeb White, but If
the Lawd don't dun git yo' into
heap Of trubble over it then ! don't
know chestnuts from pupkins!
II hurried off without sayin anything
back and half an hour later was bring
in up the kegs. 1t was dod rotted biz
ness. had to slide down rope. hitch
on to keg and then climb up and
pull the keg arter me. Ought to had
O nigger to 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 up when sunthin
happened. Jest as l was nearin the
top Of the hole l heard growl and
a 'whoof' and a big bar made a stroke
I
durn skeered that jest let 50 and
drapped to the bottom Of the shaft and
got jar that made my bones ache fur
a week.
"What they calls the situashun was
this: was down in a hole and d bar
was waitin fur me to come up and do
blzness with him. Yo' kin see that the
pesky varmint had all the advantage.
He could smash my skull with one
blow of his paw as my head come
within reach. / yelled and hollered at
him, thinkin to sEeer him away, but be
looked over the edge Of the hole at me
apd growled and shifted and seemed
minded to fall on top Of me. 1t wasn't
FIVE minits befo' wished | was home
talkin bout Noer, but wishin was no
good. kept quiet fur two or three
hours and then started to climb up.
The bar was thar. He was thar at
midnight and sunrise. and I'm tellin
go that be was thar ut noon and at fo'
o'clock In the AFTERNOON. The shaft
was as dry as a bone. and ! was thirsty
huff to drink swamp water. The
way things was fixed that bar could
keep me down thar till perlshed'
and when he appeared as if he was
like to do 1t | felt that | hadn't used
my old woman right and wanted to
ask her to furglve ME. Bout TO o'clock,
while was keepin mighty quiet. |
hears a rifle shot above, and directly
artrrwnr1 human face looks down