The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-08-17

scrare to that bull-fddle. Old Alb and
! his sons turned back, but just then
Lie sighted the fox and he and the
other fellow took down over old Abs
| pasture field and forgot all about the
tiger, being anxious to get the fox out
into the drive.
There ware about forty men, and
boys with drums and flies, old tin
pans and conch horns, pawpaw whis-
ties and firecra ackerS, stretched out into
a FIVE mile circle ready to close in on
any fox that happened around"
"Warn't there emmy guns an dawgs"
asked Tobias, who, finding the excite
ment too much for his aim was now
standing directly over the ash-box.
NO" said McPeak, mo dogs nor
| guns allowed on foX-drive. Some OF
| the men ware horseback, but most of
I them ware a-foet. The ones that didn't
hev anything to play on were whoop-
ing and yelling like all get out.
Along in the afternoon they began
to close in on two foxes, one Of them
being the one Lije and the other fellow
he'd chased out and the other one was
! the one that he'd give them the slip the
| year before.
1.-The meet happened to strike in
Widow Barker's apple orchard and the
foxes chased from one place to an
| other trying to get away.
Lille kept the bull-fiddle going and
the circle kept getting smaller and
smaller till there waren't ten yards
between the men and the two foxes.
The poor little brutes kept running
from one side to the other and the
men kept saving away at the noise
till finally when they got up close to-
gether and Lie give an unusual out
landish scrape to that bull-fiddle the
fox that he and the other fellow he'd
chased out of the woods laid down and
painted q little and then toppled over
dead"
What allied it," asked Tobias.
1T was just naturally scared to
DEATH" said McPeak, lit he'd run all
the forenoon from the sound Of that
bull-fddle and when the tarnal noise
come right on top Of it that fox fell
over as dead as a door nail"
can tn other fox?' asked Tobias.
"The other fox" said McPeak, "got
away like it had the year before. 81
Slocum got so excited over the dead
fox that he let the live one out be-
tween his legs. The men and boys
went, some mad and hungry, all but
Lie. and if he'd known what was
good for him he'd hev went with the
rest"
"What'd he do?" asked Tobias.
20, he just throwed his bull.fddle
down under an apple tree and took
after that fox, him and the other fel-
low. They ware pretty near onto it
once, but it got away at last. Lie
was so excited he'd done with the bull
fiddle. One Of the Barker children
found it and nearly drove his mother
crazy with it until she laid hands on it
and nobody hes even seen it from that
time to this.''
Didn't Lie git it aging" asked To-
bias disappointedly.
"No." said McPeak. che didn't. He
went over Jne day about dinner time
to get it, but the Widow Barker asked
him to set down and eat. Life being
hungry didn't know any better than
to do it. She he'd spare-ribs and hot
biscuit and maple molasses and she
finished Lie up then and there.
when I saw how things ware going
I tried to reason with Lie.
"'Lije Patton I says, pointing to
the Pleasant Ridge burying ground,
what do you see over there?
"'Nawthin' but tomb-stones,' said
Lie, as careless as you please.
"'Well,' I says, do you see that tall
square one with the picture Of pigeon
on top Of it?'
"I reckon said Lie, beginning to
stand on one foot.
"'How many names air on it, !
asked.
"'About two, I guess said Lie,
shifting to the other foot.
"'WhQse was put on it last?' asked.
"'Jonathan Barker's, I reckon said
Lie. looking hot and uneasy.
Whose do you suppose will be the
next one? I asked. solemnly.
"'By gum! McPeak,' said Lie, it
won't be mine if I can help it,
"And he never went near the Widow
Barker's for three weeks. Not till the
Widow Barker sent for him to come
up and she'd give him his bull-6ddle.
He went up about supper time and
they were married in less than
month.
Il tell you," concluded McPeak, "if
ever a widow woman gets after me
I'll pack up my duds and ieave."-
Farm and Ranch.
Sugar as 8 Sustaiuer and St1mulant.