Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-12-26

III 81 II Ia $3.50 w.
\ Y MXdEtAA looked at 1t
@6lI@ wonderinglya and
CEYssSy@~ made comments
and spoke the
hEAh' YOU name of Pomp
STORY TELLER. with added re-
spect. Colonel Belknap, too, glanced
frequently at the log, but in his glances
were trouble md apprehension.
1t was an open Christmas, and the
great blaze in the fireplace made 1T
necessary to throw wide the doors and
windows. Among the negroes who lin
gered about the open doorway was a
slim, furtive eyed fellow, a visitor
from the Cudder plantation.
"You shorely did fin a good backlog
when you hunted dat chunk" he said
to Pomp. 81 reckon it gwine las bout
two more weeks"
81 reckon Pomp acquiesced lacon-
ically. He did not like the fellow.
"An' you all ain gwine work on de
railroad till it bu'ns outT'
Oats right" Pomp said, and he
could not forbear adding, you Cud-
der boys gwine start In dis nex' Mon
day, | hear"
The fellow scowled. Oats muffin"
he retorted. 1--WE all ain scared to
work. an sides, it's you Belknap boys
dat's gwine to do de cryin'. | hear
your massa in tight place. an If he
aim raise money soon something gwine
be sol. | low dat bout fifty oh you
black boys be sol down de ribber, an
cose it gwine be de fines ones, like
Pomp an Nose. He, her,
"Look heah, you story teller" began
Pomp holly, but the fellow shifted.
ITS all de %trufe.' he declared. 81
hear Massa Cudder say so hisse'f. II
your fin massa aim get dis railroad
work, something gwine be sol up sure.
An cose he ain get de work, for de
railroad boss say he take nobody dat
ain start in on Monday, an your big
oty massa ain able to start you in till
dat log bun out. He, hel You do
mighty good job for Massa Cudder,
Pomp, when you fin dat log. You glib
him all de railroad work. Your
massa'-
for pamn har &&&
and sent him spinning down the steps.
Dat Cudder done SEN him here to
spy roun'," muttered Pomp. "Dey's bofe
dat mean. seed it in de feller's eyes"
Pomp went straight to Colonel Bel
KNAPP, who was standing by a window,
looking gloomily out at the darkness.
"You like for we all to start on de
toiIrOol uynrIy ATnn1on nnoScoSv hn
asked in a low voice.
Cant do it, Pomp," a little drearily,
1.-THE boys won't consent till the log
burns out, and that is good for another
week at least"
81 d'know bout dat, massa," PomI
whispered conf1dentially. "You see.
logs like dat fuss an fuss till dey's
warm an dry all de way trough, den
dey jes' flare up quick like powder. ]
spects dat log gwine bun out fore
Monday"
That night, after the whole house
was asleep, Pomp raised a window and
stepped into the living room softly. An
hour was spent at the fireplace, where
the great log smoldered duly. Twice
Pomp went to the window and came
back with his arms full. Then he stole
out, closing the window noiselessly be-
hind him. An hour later there was
such a roaring and cracking in the
great fireplace as to waken several of
the house servants and bring them and
Colonel Belknap into the room. The
fireplace was a lurid mass of roaring
flames.
swell, well!' Colonel Belknap ejac-
"Pomp was right about it's starting up
like powder. But whyY
Monday morning 300 stalwart ne
groes filed away from the Belknap
plantation toward the new railroad
where work was to begin. But it was
not until the work was completed and
all the gloom gone from Colonel Bel
knap's face that one day he caught
Pomp by himself and collared him.
"Now, you young rascal" he said,
"tell me about that backlog"
"Well, den," Pomp said desperately,
as he found he could not escape, Il jes'
had a boiler in de log full OBJ water,
wild teenty holes all roun' for de water
to seep trough an keep things damp.
Co'se de fire couldn' bun good"
"But about its starting up?"
Again Pomp tried to squirm away,
but in vain. I'll jes' slipped in de
winder dat night an took de plugs
out an jammed de log tight wild fat
pitch wood" he stammered. Goose de
log had TO bun den. Dat was ALL"
Colonel Belknap released him. mo,
not quite all, Pomp," he said thought
fully. 1.-THE burning out of the log
meant deliverance from ruin. You are
a graceless scamp, Pomp, but next
Christmas, if all goes well, you shall
N aIyo fhn hoaIrIn@ h,.,,, f0, +uv1 x,ooI-. -