Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-08-05

l ~
i, "MEBBE THE WHALE ~swALLERED ONER."
+ What's the matter that what's gool
, huff fur Elder Hopkins an everybody
else round yere amt good huff ful
yo'?
"'Rut l amt a-believin the story
How's a man GWine to live right on
arter he's b.I swaliered by a whaleY'
"'That's none Of our bizness.' she
says.
but I'm maxim it my bizness,' says
l. What don't seem likely to me |
amt gwine to believe in.'
but yo' might keep shet about it
an not raise a fuss. Who air yo'. Zeb
White. that yo' disputes the Bible"
THAT started the row." said the old
man, IAN we had some purity hot words.
said | didn't believe the story, an she
said she didn't keer whether | did or
not, an we was sassin away when we
heard a cry up on the hillside. 1t was
sunthin like the cry of a child, an the
old woman gifts up an listens an v
"'Zeb, thar's a leetle child wanderin
about IN the bresh. Jest boot two or
three boots to draw 1t this way
THE cry come ag'in. an then know.
ed what 1t was. 1t wasn't no lost
child, but q prowlin wildcat. l hadn't
heard n fur two vars, but l was dog
suah OF the game. I'd hev told the old
woman, but she got mad bekase I
wouldn't boot an called me names.
When the third cry comes, she SAYS to
me:
"'Zeb White, that must be Joe Ba.
ker's leetle boy Jim, an he's wandered
TWO miles away from home. II yo'ye
got a heart in yo'r busum, yo'll 20 up
the mounting IN find him an bring him
Gown in yo'r arms
~ amt huntin fur lost boys says !
az / fills my pipe.
"'Then l I'm. I'll 60 up thar myself.
Better not
"'But l will. Befo' the Lawd. but I
don't know what's come over yo', Zeb.
Fust yo' 60 an deny that the whale
swallered joiner, an then yo' WON'T
move hand or foot to save an inherent
child from perishin. Mebbe yo' air git
tin ready to turn Mormon an run away
from me?'
81 amt takin wild varmints fur lost
boys says l as the scream come ac'in.
Its no wild varmint. It's the
voice OF leetle Joe Baker, an he must
skeert almost to death of the dark
ness. io' sot right we're like an old
an Ill go up an find him. I'm
thankin the Lawd yo' hain't cot no
children Of yo'r own
with that she grabs up a stick an
starts up the hill. While l knowcd that
! wildcat was roamin round. didn't
think the old woman would come to
my hurt. l hoped the cat would veil
'ut an skeer her, an so it was ten min
is befo' | follered on. She vent ush.
II through the UreSn All cuiIlu 10 I've.
IN now an Their the cat cried out in an.
'wer. l was doin a heap of laughin tn
myself when the old woman calls hack
O me:
Come on, Zeb! I've dun found the
hildv
Then bring him along says I, l
~ can't. He's up a tree. Zeb. did I
o ever hear of a lost boy climbin a I
reeT'
mo skassly, but mebbe they do it, j,
IAN his eyes are shinin like two !
Gals of fire. l never knowed that lost :
eyes looked that way at u
light
Il knowed the cat had clumb a tree
n was lookin down at the old woman.
n l had jest opened my mouth to cry
ut q warnin when the cat Kissed an
rowled an ratified the bark with her s
avs. That was 'nuff. The old WON. b
q gin a yell an started to run, but Mt {,
rust move she fell over a log. I h
that cat must hev bin mighty l
|ad bout sunthin. fur she screamed G,
1t an jumped to the ground an in two I,
mps was on the old woman's back an "
SIN her teeth an claws like sin. 7 @,
up a club an mixed in, but at q,
'e rust blow the club broke, an the
It turned on me. Lemme tell yo' sun.
In bout wildcats. If -yo' was to. be X,
tched into a hole on top of fo'teen Re
'zssaws, 1t wouldn't be as bad as 2;
win q row with one full grown wild.