The daily Republican., 1902-12-27
AND THE WATER
KEPT AGURGLING|
BY DAVID HILL.

l
Lamkin's pasture. whose land Joined
ours, and whose fence ran in directly
the opposite direction. The hollow
from Lamkin's land down to the west,
ern extremity Of ours was quite de.
scending; and in the lower corner, on
Johns side of the fence, was one of the
! largest, coolest and most inyigorating
springs I ever saw.
1t seemed to gurgle, and bubble. and
boil up like so much liquid crystal;
and when the sunlight flashed across
it the suggestion was that of u cluster
of pure diamonds in the bright glare
Of aneelectric light.
If ! do say it, ] always envied John
that beautiful spring from the mo-
ment l discovered 1t was on his land
instead of my own.
Finally an idea entered my head
that, If l dug into the ground on my
own side of the fence, iust.a few rods
above Johns spring, might tap the
vein that furnished the supply and so
convert portion Of that water to nv
own use.
So I went at it.
And my success was greater than
my expectations.
For in less than four feet Of soil 7
struck vein of water MAT boiled up
like a miniature fountain. Neither
did the force diminish, as | fancied if
would after few moments. 1t rose
higher and higher, and bnbbled and
gurgled, until finally it overfowed the
hole and went pouring down the in
cline like young spring freshet.
! was in ecstasies
The elation over my good fortune led
me to steal over TO Johns spring to
see how the two compared for GUAM
tity and circumference.
Well, bless my soul. Judge Of my
astonishment when | found that
Johns spring was as dry as he table
lands of New Mexico. I had cut off the
main channel connecting the water
with his land. and had converted the
whole of that magnificent spring into
one of my own.
| quickly realized there would be
cyclone when John found it out and
there was.
He danced fishers hornpipe on his |
own side of the fence. and swore he !
would have me prosecuted to lie full |
est extent of the law.
simply continued to excavatc my
new find, cleaned out the bottom.
walled up the sides, Nhistlcd Annie
Laurie" softly to myself. and-the
water kept right on a gurgline.
John said, compared with myself .
and some of my contemplate acts. the
devil would make a good citizen.
| invested S25 in cut granite. fitted
the spring up 10 tie best of MY ability.
and-thr water kept right on Il gurg-
ling.
John said he pitied my mother hut
had more genuine sympathy for the
wife VIII" was compelled to drag out
her existence With such a miserable
wretch.
put stone curb on top Of the
granite. ornamertcd II with an iron
railing. erected a sign called Crystal
Spring" which 7 faced toward Johns
pasture, and-the water kept right on
gnrgling.
An1 while This was taking place Tom
Ii rnkin, whose land iulGt,
u ming over his own fcner. sI..,D,I...
ii pipe, and Watching MS, and say ing !
0othing.
AT last the zane idea occurred t,
john that had occurred to re. IL
Ncnt Il few rods ahov" nay spring. ui
lis own side If thc fence. Of COURT
and du" into the ground exactly u
| had dorr: ana when he had finished
You can use NE for Cancelled postage
>tamp if the water in my spring GiGu't
refuse IT, "gurg!>'
He had cut Off the main channel ir
precisely the same manner ~ l""
done. and had stolen Tie wholt of that
spring back.
WcII--ur or--thi~ MA! seem funny
to some; but cuuId never quite rt"i
ize Just where the fun came in
In the first place, didn't steal Johns
spring not intcnlionally-it was a
case of pure accident But John why
-wha1 John done was an t}empIitica.
tinn Of spite on the face Of it,
And | told him so.
What did John say" WI, the
the old cripple! lie said if would
toss that iron paIing and ru, granite
over the fence TO put around his own
spring he would give me 20 cents forit,
Think Of that.
1nsulted me right to my face. Said
/: "Nou old hayscetH If | had you
over in this pasture would mop y"u
all over it if it killed every spear Of
grass there was in it,"
And he replied. JUST as sneerin9Iy
as he knew how: "Tomrkins, I'm a.
goin' tu wall this spring up, an iu"k
1t with an iron kiser; but when S"n
feel so inclined you kin come "Ner.
an though you cant get at th" water
you have my full permission to hear il
'gurgIe'"
10 which went w-r.r-rr-r-rh! And
when man goes W-r-r-r-r-r-rh hes s"
mad he can't use the neIo-SaXun Ian
gnage.
watched John wall that spring mp
attach his new iron cover. and
w-r-r-r-r-r-rh'd all the way through it ,
And all the willie Tom I.HluEin
stood leaning over his own fence ,
smoking his pipe. and watching us
and sHN iu{r.- not hing
Finally. after l"hr's work was all
completed. II occurred to me that
possibly | might strike that same vein
uf water again.
50 | went u LITTLE above Johns
spring, just as he had gone above