Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-04-29
Down on the
Suwannee River
By WILLIAM HAVEN ROSS
Copyright, 1907, by McC1ure's Newspaper
Syndicate

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 helpless way. Over to the
east he could see murky stretch of
the Suwannee river bending through
the trees. There was 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 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, 1t 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 intervened. 1t made him sit
upright, bringing his chair down upon
its four legs with bang
"Sam Womperr' exclaimed the cap'n.
"I'll bet thet dodgasted razerback crit
ter hez he'd the effront'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 cap'n,
IAN tell me whar's Merlinda."
II 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! Fer de
Lawd's sake, don't stomp" shrieked
Nose, drawing his knees up to his alb
domen in the agony Of expectation.
"Tze gwine ter tell all knows"
"Jes' ye tell!' was the cap'n's grim
admonition.
II seed Mis- Merlinda cum outer de
doah an wave her han. Den 1 looked
| over yander," and Nose pointed to the
north, IAN seed Sam Womper up dar
at de edge Nv de crarin'. Den she
done went inter de house an got her
bunnit l seed her go over ter whar
| a,,t a,~y -, 7
seed 'em git inter er dugout {; / done
go long"
"Maybe-maybe," soliloquized the
capn, II kin head 'em Off at the bend.
The rivers mighty low, an thar amt
much current. Sides, tibet 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, selling his shotgun on the
way, and made over the country to-
ward the woods which bordered the
bend. When he poked his head through
the underbrush upon the bank, he saw
the dugout with Sam and Melinda
aboard and less than fifty yards away.
The stream was very narrow there,
|
to enjoy the GOODNESS Of the shade.
II wisht l he'd er gun. Did ye hear
thet deer a-tearin' through the brush?"
he heard Sam ask.
II got the gunv' shouted the capn,
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
shotr
Sam paused with uplifted paddle
long enough to conclude quickly that
1t was wise to obey, and when 1t
struck the water again 1t 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 1t ylt," she replied so defiantly that
the cap'n gasped.
$50 ye will, SO ye WILL" he respond
ed see ye gittin' too headstrong
fer me-but not merried ter him, gal.
I'll pick out the man fer ter be my
son-in-lor, an doan We 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 a big
water oak whose branches extended
far over the bank and were intwined
by a 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 cap'n carefully placed his
gun where he thought he could get it
quickest and reached aloft among the
tendrils. Sam let him get good, firm
hold and then drove the paddle into
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.
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