The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-03-26

with heart in his bosom. On the
other side of the keep the volunteer
cabinet makers kept pounding away at
the gibbet and rocked us not, although
one blur whistled with sinister shrill-
ness, Let Erin Remember
Our new captors numbered about
dozen and watched us keenly, al
though accepting Tib as their master.
For when we tried to say goodnight
and sneak away after our wheels they
caused us to hesitate and informed us
we would be piked to death if we
made another break. We've left our
hoein' to stand by ye, an don't ye dast
to caper any, warned one.
"'I trow we shall not part in scorn,'
assured Tib.
Then let that tall feller stop his
rantin',' demonstrated another.
"Beshrew me- groaned the drum
mer, keeping close to us; but say, fell
lers, this isn't real, is it? I'm still
travelling for the Buffalo house, amt
~
81 don't know why we took any
body besides Monmouth fer declared
the leader stopping short and eying
us evilly. Before this queer spell
come on l don't remember as we had
any call ter rescue anybody but Mon
mouth
Lets kill tn other two, suggested
corn-haired boy. cheerfully.
e" 'Holdn roared Tib. These two
men we all wot of are leal and true.
Who touches a hair of their gray
heads
Il snum, but yere touchy, guess!
broke in the corn-haired youth. 4
only want ter do what's right. If ye
don't want EN- killed, say SO. l didn't
think 'twould make no difference. I'm
sartin no one would miss either on
en-
"We were now clear of the main
street and apparently leaving the set
tlement. had an idea of lodging into
the bushes and escaping, but Tib whis-
pefed we would accomplish nothing
except to ALLEVIATE our few faithful
followers. Taunton will receive us
warmly he added, and l suddered.
He said it so earnestly that l feared
his intellect was looping the loop, and
I'm sure the drummer felt the moose.
Then our adopted parents quickened
the pace and conversation was killed
by the high hill We now began to
climb. 1t seemed as if we'd been on
that hill for years. In pausing to look
back on the lights of the village it
seemed as if cries of rage were fret
ting the balmy summer night, and |
could hear the drummer's teeth clink-
ing like pebbles in tin can.
Marry, come up quoth Tib at
last; whence are we hencing" And
in the moonlight l saw the old fellow
was mopping the sweat from his round
face.
80 Can't we call on the overseer of
the poor, or at drug store, and get
bite to eat? moaned the drummer. I
have had naught, fair sirs-'
Good form! cried Tib, approving
ly.
"'Oh, I'm going fast, whimpered
the drummer. 1t seems real to me
now, and if only had hooded hawk,
or baldric, I'd be doing huntsman's
stunt. But, honest, fellers, I've had
nothing in my stomach but rain water
for three days. And l had to steal
that out of a barrel by the window
when the archers were playing horse
shoe on the green. l could eat a
mustard plaster or a coat of arms
Il suggested that We stop and rest,
and the guards for a wonder were
willing. l could see, too, they were
uneasy Tib said it was because they
didn't know what to do next, being re-
moved from the zone of the kings in
| fluence. | reckon he hit it right, for
| the corn boy swore he was going back
and ask his majesty for further in
structions. BY this time the drummer
had gone light-headed and persisted in
reciting The Wreck of the Hesperus.
Tib augmented the corn boys declara-