The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-06-23
DEERSKIN BILLS STORY.

by THEODORE II. JENNESS.

"A naturalist" j said, seeing the
mountaineer hesitate for an appropri-
ate word with which to express his
meaning
"Kerzactly. He'd come out 10 make
collections for his curiosity shelf, but,
as nigh as could jedge, he'd been col
lected up onto the shelf his,elf, without
no lovin' friend TO drop a tear above
his cold remainds. Howsumever,
didn't tell Willie my fears-I he'd found
out his name was william, and natur-
ally shortened II down into the pet
name-but chirruped up his courage
till we reached Lone Gulch, wher the
Injuns come upon US with less warnin'
then / hev given you in tellin' OF II.
"Pd got kinder careless like from
maxim so many trips and bein' unmo-
Tested, and when the red demons
swarmed upon us like q pack o. blood
thirsty wolves, / was taken by sur
prise and hedn't time 10 pint my
shootin'-iron afOre they he'd us In ther
clutches.
aside from the thought be materially
hes about leapin' Off into eternity so
suddint like, ii makes man feel sort
o. sheepish to be tied hand and foot
straight up agin' tree without the
power To move muscle, when he's
been used to rOamin' TO the very pima
Gle o. Gods mountainous univarse.
"rhe Injuns dressed themselves in
red shrts-of which my wagin held
good supply-and piled the brushwood
round us I'LL we stood waist-deep In
fagots.
"'Willie, my boy seq /, tits all over
with us. Their amt no chances left
for u.s."
Tell us how Willie looked said
Bessie, breathless with suspense.
willie? WAL, ef ever the sperrit
Of hero looked out o. two heavenly
blue eyes, twas out o. his'n at thet
minute. Straight, and slim and booti-
full, he stood agin' the fir tree, wher
they bound him facin' me, lookin' up
beyond the hills, rs If eXpectin forti-
toode TO come down on him from the
skies.
"'Ef I had only found out what had
become o. father Willie said, and ef
IL wasn't for mother watchin' and
weepin'--'"
"Oh, Bill, isn't II time TO bring in
the whisky?" interrupted little Grace,
who could not endure the torture
longer.
Tut, tut, sweetheart, We mustn't
break the plot too suddint," responded
Bill, with mild reproof. "uowsumever,
ii was Jest at this crisis thet one of
the savages diskivered the demijohns
o. firewater, which he wasn't long in
communicative to the remainder o. the
Injins. They began TO drink and
dance, and drink and dance ag'in, till
their ficndish leaps got twisted into
| boozy staggers, and ut last they
| dropped onto the ground rs dead as
wheelspokes for the time bein'. When
the last one was fairly down l scz to
| Willie:
"Could yc by eny means break loose
from yer bandsp
He struggled desperately, but they
would not give way, and then his cour-
age deserted him. When death had
stared him In the face he had been
resoloot, but when life he'd seemed
about TO interfere with the grim mon
ster in the boys behalf, and then he'd
backed out ag'in, Willie couldn't be
blamed fer takin' on hit.
~ can't break en- he said, with n
kind o. sob and wall thet bctokened
how his hopes had rlz only to fall
ag'in. L am bound as fast as yonder
rocks thet has stood up agin' the
moun;'in side fer ages"
"Now tell us what you did" said
BESSIE, seeing the mountaineer hest
tate before going on with the story.
"Waal. sez, Take heart, Willie. II
see what kin do And l begins tC
saw away upon the bark bands on my
wrists"
Don't show us the scars, nor tel
, how much you suffered while you wer,
doing that" Grace said, covering III
her eyes and shudderlng.
, "Waal. it's enough 10 say twas ;
tough job. but want quite ready {,
e he roasted. and Willie had n mothe
waitln for him back beyond tn
, prairlcs. 50 parsevered till the band
COVE way, ana when my hands wa
4 free didn't lose no time in gettln
4 out my knife. which the lnjins In,
4 forgot 10 rob me of. and cuttin' off tn
II rest o. my fetters. Then l walked owe
20 Willie and set him free.
S "And now comes the most techiI
2 part o. the hull story. The boy droppe
upon his knees, and sich 4 sublime ou'
n pourln' o. pure tlankfulness l neve
n heard. Twas enough to hist one rigl
10 UP into glory. But l was Obliged {
10 say:
IS "'Come. Willie. yc kin finish M "
{. praisin' when we git safe under ol
III Pixies pertectin' ribs; 'tain't best {
NJ stop here eny longer
$50 we hitched up the mules an
he horses. and started on our way"
tn you've skipped the best part: ho'
in you fixed the rascals before you le
them" Dick said. with boylsh anticip
he ton Of tragedy.
ty "I don't know about putin that
IS every time" returned Deerskin ri
=. reflcctively. "'Tain't best TO indul.
," a kiilin' sperit when tncr'S n way