The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-05-12
Down ON the
Suwannee River
By WILLIAM HAVEN ROSS
Copyright. fyos. bU McCIure's Newspaper
Syndicate

Biggs as he gave his back tilted chair
another hitch toward the wall, '.jes'
We stir yerself an fetch yer dotin'
daddy thet air plug Nv terbacker he
left on the counter"
There was no reply
"Wellr' calculated the cap'n. Thet
lazy gals snoozin' like sixty an let
tin trade git over inter the next
county. M-e-r-lindav'
Still Melinda did not respond in per-
son or by voice. The cap'n looked
around in a helpless way. Over to ths
east he could see a murky stretch of
the Suwannee river bending through
the trees. There was a dusty, lifeless
road in front of the shore. The cap'n
reclined and reflected. 1t was hot,
and he hated to move. but he want
ed his tobacco, and, being a wild
over with but one child, his comfort
certainly was dependent largely upon
her. If she were too lazy to wait on
her poor old dad, he thought, it only
served to prove that he had wasted
money when he bought her a melo-
deon.
While pondering on her ingratitude
and shiftlessness he nearly lapsed
again into slumber, but an awful
thought interviewed 1t made him sit
| upright, bringing his chair down upon
its four legs with bang.
"Sam womperr' exclaimed the cap'n.
I'll bet tibet dodgasted razerback crit
ter hez he'd the effront'ry ter cum gal
livantin' round hyar ag'inw
He went through the store and into
the house that formed the rear of it.
Asleep in the little porch which
| framed the kitchen door was a small
negro boy. Cap'n Eph kicked him.
Rouse up, Mose." said the cap'n.
"an' tell me whar's Merlinda."
81 dunno. boss" said Nose, edging
to get out Of range. Il hain't seen her
fer more'n er hour"
Look hyar. leetle niger brat, am
ye goin' ter tell whar my darter is?'
Don't yo' stomp. cap'n, Fer de
Lawd's sake, don't stompr' shrieked
Nose, drawing his knees up to his alb
domen in the agony of expectation.
"Fze gwine ter tell all / knows"
"Jes' We tellr' was the cap'n's grim
admonition.
Il seed Mis- Merlinda cum outer de
doah an wave her ham. Den looked
over yander," and Nose pointed to the
north, "an' l seed Sam Womper up dar
at de edge NV de crarin'. Den she
done went inter de house an got her
bunnit. / seed her go over ter whaI
Sam wuz loafin' round. an bimeby
seed 'em git inter er dugout an done
go long"
"Maybe-maybe." soliloquized the
cap'n, Il kin head 'em off at the bend
The rivers mighty low. an thar ain'i
much current Sides. thet good fer
nothin' clay eater am too lazy ter hit
the water hard with er paddle"
The cap'n ran through the house and
the store. seizing his shotgun on the
way, and made over the country to
ward the woods which bordered tn.
bend. When he poked his head through
the underbrush upon the bank. he saw
tie dugout with Sam and Melinds
aboard and less than fifty yards away
The stream was very narrow there
and Sam kept the boat near the shor,
to enjoy the coolness of the shade.
Il wisht l he'd er gun. Did We heal
thet deer a-tearin' through the brush? 2
he heard Sam ask.
Il got the gunr' shouted the cap'n
drawing a bead on the young man al
he spoke. "Ye jes' pint thet boat righ
in hyar or I'll fill yer hide with buck
shotr'
Sam paused with uplifted paddl,
long enough TO conclude quickly tina
IL was wise to obey. and when 1
struck the water again it sent the dug
out flying toward the bank.
"Whar be We goin.' Mis- BiggsT tn
cap'n inquired of Melinda In fin
irony.
Il wuz goin' ter git merried. an II
do it yit" she replied so defiantly tina
the cap'n gasped.
$50 We will. SO We WILL" he respond
ed see We gittin' too headstroni
fer me-but not merried ter him. gal
I'll pick out the man fer ter he IN,
son-in-lor. an doan ye nevah fergi
thet"
The cap'n climbed into the boat an
pointed up stream He sat dow
at that end of the craft. with his gu
across his knees. and grimly sup
pressed his wrath. They had not gon
far before the dugout glided by hi
water oak whose branches extende
far over the bank and were intwine
by huge grapevine. The fruit wa
ripe and hung in luscious clusters.
"Hor on er mint said the capt
} "Lemme git er bunch
Sam backed the boat under the tire,
and the cap'n carefully placed hl
, gun where he thought he could get
quickest and reached aloft among tn
tendrils. Sam let him get good. fri
hold and then drove the paddle int
; stream for one long. strong stroke. Th
dugout shot from under the cap'n
feet in an instant. leaving him dar
, Cling above stream thirty feet froI
, shore.
Bloody blazes, What on airth al
We about? Hey. cum backr shoute
Z the cap'n. but Sam began to beat Il
e water with his paddle and to yel
: like a dog. 4 big alligator showed h
snout out of the water immediatel
. almost. and. II seemed 10 the cap
!. blinked its ferocious eyes at him.
:, Hey. Sam. quit yer fpolin' an baC
( up hyar." said he. He MAS stout. an
even the grin of desperation was n,