The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-06-06

from the wash-house door, ".wey you
gwine? Come back heuh, you trifin',
black rascal Didn't All tell you to
stan right by dat wringah until All
was through wild you?
Il was des gwine down to see If
Mist Jimmy's boat was tied" said the
recreant Napoleon, as he shifted his
weight from one black, sun-cracked,
bare foot to the other.
"Yaas, l specs dats wat. dat extry
fishhook is hangin' in dem kinks
behine you ear TO-; and wat you got
in you ham? OATS box O. wu'ms.
sho's 1se alive. Pears like you amt
got sense enough to bell a buzzard,
'Poleon"
Napoleon rolled his eyes cautiously
around towards clump of saw pal
metto in the edge of the Scrub
where wide, straw hat could be seen
above the tops of the palmetto fans,
and a knotty fishpole waved jerkily.
Would she see it? Napoleon's heart
almost stood still as Aunt Judy's eyes
turned in that direction, but old eyes
that are dimmed by many years Of
sewing and standing over the steaming
washtub are not as sharp as young
ones.
TEX dis basket er clo'es and hang
EN- out on de line" she continued,
land bring me er coal outer dat fiuh.
Look lax All dest mus TEX a res'."
Napoleon complied, holding the coal
two 80; o11
pulled for light. smile crept over
his face. He knew what Aunt Judy's
"resses" meant. Then, taking up the
basket, he went out to the clothes
line, keeping carefully in view of Aunt
Judy. Gradually he worked around .ls
he saw Aunt Judy's head nod, until her
face was hidden by the door jamb.
Dat boy amt so bad" unused The
old lady. "He dest kin O. childish.
Get kin O. frisky sometimes lax any
boy gwineter do wat got some stiff
ness in he backbone Guess Ahll-
Ah'll-let him." There was a
long pause. A big, green horseay came
droning in and settled on Aunt Judy's
head, standing out strongly against
the gray, twinewrapped strands of
wool. Aunt Judy was asleep Ma
poleon came and peeped in at the door.
Softly putting down the basket, he
stole noiselessly over to the palmetto.
and two figures raced off toward TIA
bayou.
A little creek made around from the
bayou, over which was wooden
bridge.
SAM" said Napolean, aunt Judy
Is gwineter wake up fore long. 'Speck
we better fix dis bridge and with
mischievous glitter in his black eyes
he commenced removing some of he
loose boards lying across the two poles
which formed the only passage across
the muddy creek.
We'll DIES fix some err desc fans
across de openin',' he chattered IN
unfilial light spreading over his black,
shiny face. The two young imps soon
had dead, brown palmetto leaves over
the opening
"Now, We'll des get out on dat ole
log, and drop our lines in de Black
hole" said Sam.
Aunt Judy nodded and drowsed. CIV
Ing forth gentle snore, occasionally
broken by fitful snorts. The pipe still
hung, loosely held, between her two
good teeth. The fire was long ago
extinct Suddenly she started up.
Great Zion! All mus get dem
cloes offer dat line. 'Poleon!" 40
| answer. .:''Specks he dun traipsed off
wild dat Sam Williams. He gotter quit
dat havishness. Yassir, here's de bas-
ket.. Ahll des slip down to de bayou
and see. Hope he got summer desc
sand-spurs in his foots," she muttered
as she made her way toward the path
which led to the river. AS she emerged
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