The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-03-12

scared, don't say a word. MOT scarce
for myself, you understanding, In
deed. When l get drowned, with a
tight plank under me and q pair OF
oars in my hand, 'twon't be In the bay,
I'll tell you that. But I was scared for
Van Brunt and his lordship in the
Dora Bassett. They didn't either OF
EN- know the jib from the rudder,
and the valet was too crazy frightened
to be Of any use II he had.
But Van was sure to be cool enough.
and the broken gan would act like a
double reef, 30 that was some com.
fort. And the squat want going to
amount to nothing-'twas only a fair
breeze even now-so II Van had sense
enough to keep the tiller straight and
let her run they'd fetch up some.
where's alongshore, I judged. And, to
make mi hope still more, the squat
had brought a complete change OF
wind with It; now twas blowing back
up the bay instead of out to sea.
So l squared my shoulders and laid
to the oars, heading for where, judg.
ing by the wind, the land ought to be
Twas darker than a black kitten In
a nigger's pocket, but ! cal'lated to be
able to hit the broadside of the United
States somewheres. ! got aground Oh
the fats five or six times, but along
towards midnight l butted ashore al
the little end Of nowhere where there
was nothing but bushes and sand and
pines, no sign of civilization. And by
| this time twas pouring rain.
After q couple of years of scratch
ing and swearing and falling down
come out of the scrub into a kind Of
clearing. Then l discovered a barbet
wire fence by hanging up on 1t like
a sheet on a line and located the bach
of a barn by banging into 1t with my
head. Then a nice laxative dog come
out Of the barn and located me, ant
| things commenced to liven up.
While me and the dog were con
Quoting our experience meeting,
light showed in an upstairs window
a little ways off and somebody sticks
their head out and wants to know
what's the matter.
who are you?" he says.
my names Pratt" says I.
Where are your"
"Well," I says, " Judging by the fee
and smell I'm on top of the pig-sty
But ! amt real sure. / can tell yo'
where your dog is, If you want II
know"
what are you doing round her,
this time of night?" he says.
l told him as well as l could. TIL
dog was having a conniption fit, tryini
to bark itself inside out, and I ha'
to say things over three or four time
SOS q body could hear. But the felle
at the window want satisfied evel
then. I never see such a wooden
head.
what Pratt did you say you was?
he hollers.
1 told him my name and where
hailed from.
"Sol Pratt?" he says. "Of Wei
mouth? What are you doing wa
over here?"
BLAST it ALI" I yells. IF I wan
half drowned. already I should say
was getting wet. Turn out and let
Teller into the kitchen or somewhere
won't you? And tie up this e%verlastin
dog"
That seemed to wake him up SON
and in ten minutes or so he come
poking out with a lantern. knee
him then. Twas Ebenezer Holbrool
Hubby Ann Scudder's sisters HUSBAND
who lives over in the woods on tn
line between South Eastwich an
West Ostable. There was anothe
man with him and blest If it didn
turn out to be Nate Scudder himsel
Him and Hubby was visiting owe
there, same as he said they was goin
to.
Nate had more than a million que
tions to ask. Ebenezer tied up til
dog-the critter pretty nigh brok
down and sobbed when he found
want to be fed to him-and we WEI
into the kitchen. Then Mrs. Holbroo
and Hubby Ann, rugged up tasty an
becoming in curl papers and bed quilt
floated downstairs and there was MOI
questions.
When Nate found out that one
his dodgers was cast adrift in the ba
he was almost as worried and ups
I as I was. But Ebenezer agreed with +,
that there was a good chance Of II
sloop's getting ashore safe. He ga!
, why didn't l turn in on his settin
+, room lounge for the few hours b
tween then and sun-up, ann in Il
morning me and Nate could take b
yawl dory and cruise alongshore ar
hunt. So I done 1t, though twas pr
cious little sleep l got.
About six o'clock we started.
! thought first I'd go up to Eastwie
village and telegraph to Hartley. The
! l thought I'd better not; no use
scare him till l had to. Nate hi
! heard about the pig chase and Hal
, ley's doings over there and he pc
tered the life out of me with question