The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-04-03
Down on the
Svwanr1ee River
BY WILLIAM HAVEN ROSS
Copyright. ijo!, by McCIure's Newspaper
Syndicate

Bi:ygS as he gave his back tilted chair
another hitch toward the wall ''jcs'
We stir yrrSrlf an fetch yer dotin'
daddy tibet air plug Nv terbarker he
left on the counter"
There WAS 10 reply.
"Wrll" calculated the cap'n. "Thet
lazy sails Snoo2in' like sixty an let
tin trade cit over inter the next
county. M-e-r-linda"'
Still Melinda did not respond in per-
son or by voice. The cap'n looked
around in Il helpless way. over to the
cast he could soc Il murky stretch OF
the SUWannre river bending through
the trees. There WAS Il dusty. lifelcSs
road in front of the shore. The cap'n
rrclinCd and reflected. 1t WAS hot,
and he hated to move, but he want
ed his tobacco, and, being Il wild
over with but one child, his comfort
certainly WAS dependent largely upon
her. If Sh" were TOO lazy To wait on
her poor old dad. lie thought, it only
served To prov" that he had wasted
money when he bought her Il mclo-
dcun.
While wondering on her ingratitude
and ShiftlrSsnrSS he nearly lapSed
again into slumher, but an awful
thought interviewed. 1t made him sit
upright, bringing his chair down upon
its four legs with Il bang.
'San Wompcr.' exclaimed the cap'n.
IN bet tibet dOdgasted raZcrback crit
ter h"z he'd the effront'ry ter cum gal
liNaHtin' round hyar ag'in"
He went through the store and into
the house that formed the rear of it.
Asleep III the little porch which
framed the kitchen door was Il small
negro boy. Capn Eph kicked him.
Rouse up. Nose" said the cap'n,
AN tell mo WARS Merlinda."
Il dunno. boss" said Nose, edging
to get out of range. Il hain't seen her
fer more'n rr hour"
Look hyar, leetle Niger brat, am
We gon' ter tell whar M darter is?"
Don't 20 stomp, cap'n. Fer de
Lawd's sake. don't stomp" shrieked
Nose. drawing his knees up to his alb
domrn in the agony of expectation.
"I'ze =wine ter tell all knows"
"Ip%' We tell" was the cap'n's grim
admonition.
Il seed Mis- Merlnda cum outer de
doah an wave her han. Den looked
ever yandcr," and Nose pointed to the
north, AN | seed Sam Womper up dar
ut de edge NV de crarin'. Den she
doTe went inter de house an got her
bunnit. | seed her go over ter whar
Sam wuz loatin' round, an bmeby l
seed EN- cit inter er dugout an done
20 'lCHg."
'Maybc--maybc," sOliloquiZed the
cap'n, Il kin head 'em off at the bend.
The rivers mighty low, an thar amt
much current Sides, tibet good fer
nothn' clay eater am too lazy ter hit
the water hard with er paddle
The cap'n ran through the house and
the store. Selling his shotgun on the
way. and made over the country to-
ward the woods which bOrdercd the
bend. When lie poked his head through
Tie undcrbrush upon the bank. he SAW
I've tt-pht With ENdtItl anu
aboard and less than fifty yards away.
The stream WAS very narrow there,
and sam kent the boat near the shore
to enjoy the GOODNESS Of the shade.
Il wiSht he'd or gun. Did We hear
th?t deer a-tCarh' through the BRUSH"
he heard Sam ask.
II got the gum" shouted the cap'n.
lie spoke. we jos pint tibet boat right
in hyar or I'll fill yer hide with buck
shot,
Sam paused with uplifted paddle
Ion" enough to conclude quickly that
it WaS wise to obey, and when 1t
struck the water again it sent the dug
out flying toward the bank.
"Whar he We goin.' Mis- BiggS?" the
capn inquired of Melinda in fine
irony.
Il WIZ Goin' ter git merricd. an I'll
do it VII" she replied so dctiantly that
the cHp'n gaSprd.
-" We will, so We WILL" he respond
cd Scc We gittin' too herdstrong
fer III" hut not merriHd ter I'm. gal.
I'll pick out the man fer ter be my
s:oM-in-lor, an doan We ncvah fcrglt
thct.
The cAD'E climbed iuto the boat and
po:ltCd Zip stream. He sat down
1T 1llt end of the craft, with his gun
across his knees. and yrimly sup
pressed his wrath. They had not gone
far before the iugout glidcd by IL big
water oak whose branches extended
far over the bank and were intwined
by Il huge grapevine. The fruit WAS
ripe and hung in luscious clusters.
"IIor on or mint" said the cap'n.
"L"mmr Kit CT bunch.
Sam backed the boat under the tree.
and the cap'n carefully placed his
gun where hc thought he could get it
quickest and reached aloft among the
tendriS sam let him get Il good. firm
hold and then drove the paddle into
stream for one long, strong stroke. The
Iugout shot from under the cap'n's
feet i'll an instant, leaving him dan
Cling above stream thirty feet from
shore.
"Blnohy blazes! What on airth am
ye about? Hey. cum back" shouted