Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-06-21
CHAPTER |.

intense blackness of a warm night or
early spring the only lights being some
faring pine knots on the scow and on
the wharf. The overseer was sitting on
a hogshead of tobacco smoking placldly.
The Darlington negroes were at the 9TH
er end of the wharf, just out of the cir
Gle of light, gossiping with several others
who had strayed up, waiting for Mr..
Darlington and the departure Of the
scow.
"Mr Hugh shippin' his tobaccer
mighty late this year." hazarded one
from Gen. TazewelPs plantation, on
which the wharf stood.
'EMr. Hugh know his own business,
Niger" loftily answered MIN, Caring
toms stable boy.
II knows that good as any yaller mig
ger like YOU" the first speaker replied,
with some warmth. Il just sayin' he
shippin' his tobaccer pretty late. l specs
late's better'n early, eff he done it. l
warn't mekin' no Elections on Mr.. Ca
ington, an don't lef nobody tell me so.
I jes' sayin'-"
Mr. Hugh got much GAVIN" interrupt
ed another, automatically.
BOSS say he shet his eyes when he
goes in the Gavin house. We're JUS tech
gesture with his hand. Boss ain much
lately" he continued 'sence ole Snap
done daid."
cole Snap done daid" queried anoth-
er, sitting up. How he die?"
Dunno. Jest nachelly died" MIN an
swered. THAT air dawg was a KNOWN
dawg. Made me near kill myself latfin'
last cawn-cuttin' time. Ever take notice
of that air HORSEBACK at the back of
Deer Hill house? Course everybody
comes up to the front of the house and
ties by the yard gate. One day when l
was cleanin up round the yard Mr..
Hugh comes out'n the front do with a
Teller in a high collar an a fat-lookin'
pocketbook in his hand. The hounds riz
up an kinder peeped up at boss to see
eff they was to take holt. The Teller
lifted up his laigs nervous like, an KEEP
one eye on them dawgs. Mr. Hugh no
ticed it, an he says, thinkin' like, 7 must
have you shot ole Snap 'WhyP says
the teller. Cause, says boss, I ain
got no manner O. control over him-he's
too dangerous
"Ole Snap" shifted the Tazewell negro.
contcmptuously; why, he didn't have
nary tooths in his haid. He didn't do
nuthfn' but stay by the fire"
"Yo' fool Niger" exclaimed the story
teller. "Doan' I know that? An the
boss says, That's why l am so hard up
an cyarn't settle yo' little bill. / had
to pay for buryin' a niger last week an
sorter satisfyin' his kin. They felt as
the dawg chewed him up in the yard
yuh, an bein mine, you know-though l
done tried to call him off-that-'"
Huh" calculated an auditor, hugely
delighted.
What the teller say to that" asked
another, with equal interest.
"He move mighty skittish-boss tell
me he come FUN the city an he tol'
ruble iggerant-an' he say, I see the
beast has a collar; would you min holm
him until l get into my buggy? He's
lookin' powerful savage at me now. Does
he ever attack white manT oh, no.
says Mr.. Hugh, only. niggers an trash
what aim got no business yuh. You bein'
genelman,' he says, course you're safe
an he took holt of ole Snap by the yeah
an pinched it good done seed it. The
ole dawg was chasin' a SOW out'n the
yard last harvest, an she tuned on him
and bit his yeah, an it never did heal
good. Well, ole Snap JUS growled-it
always made him mad to have that yeah
pinched. An the stranger walked faster,
an Mr.. Hugh KEEP a-pinchin', an ole
Snap a-growlin' Fore the Teller got
to the yard gate boss Civ him a power
full pinch, an ole Snap jest busted loose.
Save yo'selfr yelled Mr.. Hugh, he's
loose! You orter seen the Teller hit that
fence. He war kinder fat, an he hung
on the top rail, his head over, an kickin'
like a threshin'- box. Boss give him a
ho u bo IL
1t wide open. Awful sorry says boss
Never knowed him to tack a genelman
befo'. He couldn't a known YOU was
one But the Teller never stopped. He
scrambled into his buggy right over the
wheels, an beat his horse down the road
scandalous. Boss leaned against the
fence and LATED, n L jus rolled about
on the lawn an stuffed my mouth with
grass. Pretty soon boss says, 'Nimrod
click, put me up a HORSEBACK by the
back do l must have a place to tie
Snap he says. SO l puts one up thar;
but he never did tie ole Snap thar. He
used to keep his ridin' ma thar, an
when a crediator or sto'keeper come up
the big road, he'd JUS so out an git on
his horse. You see it war CONCEALED
from the folks comm to the front gate
'Spect he'll need it now mon ever sence
the ole dawg died. Wonder he come now,
with Miss Fair"
\ man and a woman on horseback rode
into the light of the pine knots. 'You
stay here a minute Darlington said.
dismounting and handing her his bride
rein.
He came down on the scow and as
Bured himself that everything was in or
der. you start by sunup, don't you?"
he asked the scow captain.
We're goin' to start soon in the morn
Ing" drawled the latter. Wen be past
Eastover by an hour of the sun"
Darlington came back to his horse.
mounted and turned to the negroes on
the~shore. "You can go now, boys" ne
called. "Dousse those knots in the riv-
err"