The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-25

would come along some time and make
matchwood of that cabin and bury US
thirty feet deep. but l wasn't to be
skeered out of a good location on that
account. | was buildin' so as to be
nigh a spring and a road, yo' see. Once
in awhile as time went on thar'd be a
slip to the right or left Of us, but nuth-
in to do any hurt. We'd lived thar
about three vars when a peddler cum
along one day and said l was either a
fule or flynn in the face of Providence.
Way up thar, half a mile above US,
was d big bluff of airth and rock. and
when | went up to look at it one day l
kinder made up my mind that about a
weeks rain soakin' into the ground
around thar would start a slide. I
reckoned we orter git away, but it was
a tight cabin, with three acres of rich
sile. and of co'se l felt like takin'
chances. We kept talkin' bout o
in. but also kept holdin' on, and so a
week passed. Then spring sot in. and
it rained and rained. l neve did see
it pour down so steady and so long.
Reckoned it rained fur bout 'Ieven
UdNS NlluOul IL DEcdk. Oue uld W. I'LL
jest befo' daylight the ole woman woke
me up jest as | was dreamin' of cut
tin down q tree with thirteen coons
roostin' on the limbs. and she seq to
me. seq she:
"'Zeb White. git upv
"'What fur:'
"'Eekase 20 wanter be a-gittin.'
"+A-gittin' fur what?'
"'A-gittin' outer this yere cabin. I've
heard the trees and rocks crackin' up
thar fur the last hour. and | tell yo'
we are gwine to hev a landslide
"'Whar did yo' make a study of land
slides?' seq |. feelin' mortal mean bout
losin' all them cOons.
"'Zeb. don't be a fule.'
lone in the family is huff, 1 reck-
on
"That fired her up. Deed. but I felt
so mean bout them thirteen coons.
with coonskins bringin' six bits in cash
that var. that | sorter wanted to git
up a row. 1t didn't take long. She
jumped outer bed with her jaw sot,
and when I got up she was sittin' on a
stone out in the yard with an umbrella
over her head.
"'What yo' sittin' furr SEE I as I
looks out.
"Tm a-sittin' to sot.' seq she as her
ears worked and her toes dug into the
sile.
what yo' sittin' to sot fur instead
Of gittin' breakfast?
"'None O. yo'r bizness.'
"She was mad. and | was mad. and
SO / goes In and gifts breakfast and
don't look out ag'in till | was through.
She hadn't moved an inch. and she
looked madder'n ever. | looked up at
the bluffs. and my ha'r began to curl.
I could see 4 change, and ! knowed
that thar was swine to be a slide fur
shore. So seq to her. seq L:
"'Ole N we hain't got ten min
its to git outer this. Grab up what. yo'
kin and foller me-
whats the rumpus. ZebT she
calmly asks as she begins to hum a
tune.
"'Gwine to hev a landslide. and il
may cum any mint. Pears to me the
whole hill Is maxim ready to nov
right down on our cabin. and IL we
don't git out we shall never be heard
Of no mo-
"'Whar did yo' make a study of them
air laudslides. ZebY
Don't make no fule OF yo'self. ole
woman. fur things up thar is already
shakin'.'
Zone fule in the family is 'nuf. I
reckon. Yo' kin so right on. My ole
man says thar's no danger of a land
slide. and so I'm goin' to sot right
yere.'
II begged her pardon and coaxed
her." said Zeb. but il was no use. I
took holt OF her. but she mighty nigh
bit my thumb of. I could h'ar the
trees snappin' up thar and was jest
wild. and I seq 10 her:
"-Ole woman. are yo' sotY
Deed | are. Zeb.,
".And 4 yo Swine to take chancef