The National tribune., 1901-07-25

| But which way does the Gitchie rum
asked ST.
" hich-a-way does the Gitchie runY
repeated the man, after the customary
pause. Hit don't run nowhar, as ever l
knowed on. Hit jes lays right out thar
dom nothin', 'cept when the wind blows.
an hit lays thar then, too."
We'll, which way is Oss-a-baw Sound
from hereY' asked 81.
Which ways whatT
"Oss-a-baw Sound"
Never heared tell on hit. No sich
place round hyah."
w hiCh way IS Fort McAlliSter, thenV'
Which way is whatY'
Fort McAllister."
Dunno no sich place. McAllister's
plantation IS right over hathaway, some
whag, on the Sawby."
On the whatf'
"On the Sawby-the Sawby Soun'."
He means Ossabaw Sound, Si,' said
Shorty, catching on.
How far is it to McAllister's planta-
tion?"
Deed l don't know. Never was thar
Right smart piece, though. Not sich a
powerful ways, nuther. Git thar IN day
If 20 travel hard enough"
How far is it to the oceanT
'Ihe oshun? What's thatl"
The ocean? Why the seal How far is
it to the sea?'
Il dunno nothin' bout no sea nor oshun.
Never heared tell on 'em afore in all my
life"
Why, dummy, the big water where the
ships sail"
Never had nothin' Z do with nothin'
but the Gitchie. Was once t the Medway,
an never wanted t go aSin. Gitchie's
enough fer me, an more'n 'nough some
times. l have the ager a great deal, an
N powerful afeared L have hit cotch me
away from home. Never wuz fond O
galivantin' round ike some folks, any
way. Jim Boardhed's ackchelly bin t
Sayanny twict. L never wuz thar in my
life. They all say SaVannys u powerful
bad place"
The man seemed entirely exhausted by
this unusually long speech, with the
amount of thought involved and collapsed
as if feeling a return of his perennial
enemy, the ague.
Rouse up. and come along and show
US the way to the McAllister plantation.
said 81. Get move on yourself"
Show yo'uns the way t the McAllister
plantation! Can't do hit nohow. l done
tell yo' never was thar in my life. Sides,
1 dassent move nary step now. My ager-
FITS come on. l must go in an drink
some dogwood an boneset."
No use wasting any more time on him,
ST." said Shorty. He hain't as much
oShoC do w dpdSu even when Tile
ager amt on him, and none at all when
it is"
We'll, which way do the people come
from when they're coming from McAllis-
ter's plantation" persisted ST, not to go
away entirely bootless OF information.
''They'uns've got t come hathaway"
chattered the man, his thin lips turning
ing on the hue of dirty ashes. THE only
way they'uns kin git 'crost this arm O.
the Gitchie is by the ford up thar by them
palmettoes."
He pointed in quite different direction
from what either 81 or Shorty had thought |
of going, but they turned. and spurred |
their horses that way.
Isl, how much good do you think your
Methodist preacher and your school-house
would do that fellsr?'' Shorty inquired as
they rode off. If you spend dollar try
ing to learn him anything, you'd lose 81. 80 |
of it. sure. The only use that could be |
made of that feller would be to keep meat
from spelling, and it'd be spoiled worse
ever after it'd've become him."
Well, anyway, he's probably saved US
half,days journey, and no end of
worry" said 81, taking quick, compre-
hensive survey of the ford they were ap-
preaching. This is clearly the way out
Of this tangle OF bogs and creeks, and yet
1t Is about the last place we'd've thought
VI IOOhlnB IOE IL. ZONE on lively. wei
don't want the cavalry to get ahead of
u.s."
as they made the crossing they were
thrilled by the distant boom of a heavy
gun They all pricked up their ears,
and turned their eyes eagerly in the d.
rection whence came the sound.
Thunder? No. No thunder In Decem-
ber. Gun? Yes" coolly reasoned 81, as
was his wont.
Yankee thunder, 1 hope" said Shorty.
Good sort OF thunder. Brings rain
Brings a rain O. rations."
Brings reign Of Peace and liberty
ounned 81. "Couldn't'vs bin one of them
Sayanny guns. Savanny lays back that
way, according to my calculations. Meb- 1
be though, the boys are feeling around
away to the right. Mebbs gun at Fort !
Don't sound to me like gun on land" I
iaid Shorty. Got different ling to it. '
believe It's the ships gun. And it's S
light over there. where believe the sea {
ays." {
It's certainly too far to the east, as l t
make out the east from the sun, to be G
anywhere around SaYanny, even if the c
,oys have got clear around the city, rea- &
oned 81. 1T may be from Fort Nc t
Alister, and 1t may be from our ships '
Either way, 1t points our course. For {
yard, trot." I