The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-07-23


the "nuff. While 1 was over there
Janes's boy come in an heard me
ltellin' bout them Internal rabbits, an
he lowed:
Mr.. Henderson, heard a man tell
pa all you had to do was to tie a white
cotton string all round the patch, an
nary a rabbit would cross it.
Il thanked him, an thought to my
self I'd try that, too if the snuff fail
ed, but l was settin' great store by it,
for l had tsok a sniff of it to see if it
was good an strong, an the way it
set me to sneezin' made the water
run out of my eyes, an had to hold
my head with both hands to keep it
on.
We'll, sir, put it ON good an thick,
an l got up fore day next mornin',
got my big bushel basket, an told Ma
ria l was goin' out to pick up them
rabbit heads. Nary a head, burt them
rabbits had held a indignation meet
in right in the middle of the patch,
an a whole lot more beans was bare
as telegraph poles.
Then 1 tried that white cotton
string business. Maria she tore up
three or four old sheets, an made me
about a mile of string you could see
the darkest night that ever come. II
put up stakes round that patch of
beans an stretched the string about
four or five inches from the ground,
but next mornin' found them old rab-
bits had gnawed that string in two in
mOre'n a dozen places, chewed UP a
few more beans, an from the looks
of the tracks had give ball an invit-
ed all their cousins and the children.
tied up the broken ends, for hated
to give up all hope of savin' them
beans. Besides, Jones's boy said the
man that told his pa had tried it, an
swore it was SO. So determined to
give it another trial.
over to the store that evenin'
was tellin' Dock about all my failures |
to get rid of the rabbits, an he lowed:
why don't you set up a scare |
crow? Maybe that'll keep 'em out If |
it fails, lay for 'em with your gum.
How in Halifax am 1 goin' to see
how to shoot them rabbits at night?
1 guess you got sense enough to know
they don't prowl round that bean
patch in the daytime, amt you? 1
asked him.
"'Oh, get you bull's-eye lantern
says he, an shine their eyes. You
can see 'em all right then!'
Got any bulPs-eye lanterns in
your store?' says 1.
No says he. But we got lots of
common ones, an 1 guess they'll do
just as WE'LL
so l bought one an took it with
me, an when got home cleaned up
my old gun, an got Maria to make me
a Scarecrow. She made him an put
one of my best white shirts on him,
an I stood him up in the middle of
the patch. Then, thinkin' a noise
would help scare 'em of, l tied the
dinner bell to his shirt tail, so it
would swing and ring with the breeze,
an kinder keep him company.
"All night long, of an on, l could
hear that bell givin' out a lonesome
little tinkle, an l had great hopes it
was searein' 'em of. But next morn
in the string was busted ag'in in
in twenty places, an my bean patch
looked like a cyclone had struck it.
Old Brother Rabbit an all his sisters
had mistoOk that bell for a church
bell, an my scarecrow for the preach
er. The ground looked like they had
been holdin' a Methods camp meet
in an Baptis' revival both togeth-
er.
We'll, sir, was so mad | pulled up
all my stakes an roned up my string,
concludin' | would try shot an pow
der, as none of them hoodoos hadn't
WI hCOs UuL AClC mat Olu oCdIcCIOW
still a-wavin' my shirt tail kinder
in the early mornin' breeze,
an the bell sorter tollin lonesome
ike over them naked lookin' stalks
THAT night | got out my gun, lit
my lantern, an went out to stan
guard over them beans. 1t was that
lonesome an quiet, it reminded me of
war-times when was doin' picket
luty with Johnston in Georgy. J pa e.
-aded up an down an round that
patch as quiet as a mouse, but nary
/ rabbit showed up.
Long about one o'clock l conclud-
I'd they wouldn't come on account of
he lantern, so l put fertilizer sack
over it an set down with my back
against a pile of rocks, strainin' my
yves tn see an my ears tn hear Pref II