The Republican journal., 1903-04-09
Down on the Suwannee River
nv WILLIAM HAVEN ROSS.

"Mer,inda." drawled Cap'n Eph
Bipgs as he gave his back tilted chair
another hitch toward the wall, "jes'
ye stir yerself an fetch yer dotin'
daddy thet air plug Nv terbacker he
left on the counter"
There was no reply.
"Wellw calculated the cap'n. "Thet
lazy gals snoozin' like sixty an let
tin trade git 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 a helpless way. Over to the
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 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 WomperH' exclaimed the cap'n.
"I'H bet thet dodgaSted raZerback crit
ter hez he'd the etfront'ry ter cum gal
livantin' round hyar ag'in''
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 small
negro boy Cap'n Eph kicked him.
Rouse up. Nose" said the capn.
IAN tell me wilars Merlinda.'
Il dunno. boss" said Nose. edging
to get out of range 81 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! Fen de
Lawd's sake Cont stomp shrieked
Nose, drawing his knees up to his alb
domen in the AGONY of expectation.
'Tze gwine ter tell all knows"
"Jes' We tell was the cap'n's grim
admonition
II seed Mis- Merlinda cum outer de
doah an wave her han. Den looked
over yander." and Nose pointed to the
north. "an' l seed Sam Womper up dar
at de edge Nv de clarin. Den she
done went inter de house an got her
bunnit seed her go over ter whar
Sam wuz loatin' round. an bimeby |
seed 'em git inter er dugout an done
go long"
Maybe-maybe." soliloquized the
cap'n, II kin head 'em off at the bend:
The rivers mighty low, an thar amt
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 sho gun on the
way, and Made nvcr the country to-
ward the woods which bordered the
bend When he poked his head through
the underb-ush nnon the bank he saw
the dugout witE sam and Melinda
aboard aud less than fifty yards away.
The stream was very narrow there,
and Sam kept the boat near the shore
to enjoy the GOODNESS of the shade.
81 wisht l he'd er gun. Did We hear
thet deer a-tearin through the brush?"
he heard Sam ask
81 got the gum" shouted the cap'n,
drawing a bead on the young man as
he spoke. "Ye jes' pint thet boat right
in hyar or I'll fill yer hide with buck
shot!
Sam paused with uplifted paddle
long 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 be We goin,' Mis- Biggs" the
cap'n inquired of Melinda in fine
irony
II wuz goin' ter git merried, an I'll
do it yit," she replied so detiantly that
the cap'n gasped.
80 We will. so We WILL" he respond
ed-'I see We gittin too headstrong
fer me-but not merried ter him, gal.
I'll pick out the man fer ter be my
son-in-!cr. an doan ye nevah fergit
thet"
The cap'n climbed into the boat and
pointed up stream. He sat down
at that end of the craft. with his gun
across his knees and grimly sup
pressed his wrath. They had not gone
far before the dugout glided by big
water oak whose branches extended
far over the bank and were intwined
by huge grapevine. The fruit was
ripe and hung in luscious clusters.
"Hop on er mint" said the cap'n.
"Lemme git er bunch"
Sam backed the boat under the tree,
and the capn carefully placed his
gun where he thought he could get it
quickest and reached aloft among the
tendrils. Sam let him get good. firm
stream for one long. strong stroke. The
dugout shot from under the cap'n's
feet in an instant. leaving him dan
Cling above stream thirty feet from
shore.
Bloody blazes. What on airth am
ye about? Hey, cum back" shouted
the cap'n. but Sam began to beat the
water with his paddle and to yelp
like a dog. A big alligator showed his