The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-03-21
Bills Runaway With the Major.

Bills Runaway With the Major.
Last week 1 gave your readers the
escapade of Shoofly Dick, and this
week I chronicle an incident that
happened one of those bitter cold
nights last January. There were two
actors in the comedy, (must l also;
add tragedy?) and only one, an un-
known spectator. My good friend,
the major, was one and his hired
man, Bill, was the other.
The major is all right every way;
as a hnancier he has few equals.
Some years ago he came here with
only the clothing that he wore, and
his first crop was made on rented
land with an OK. By hard work and
good management, he is now rated
at over $4,000, and 1 have never
heard any one question his honor.
He owns several fine plantations
which he manages splendidly, and in
his own way. There he is law
unto himself. His legal procedure,
as the lawyers say, is unique to say
the least He has three ways of
Furnishing an erring tenant; by reas-
enable fines, by 1ogging, and by put
ting in the lookup day and night.
For many months his man Bill
had given him much trouble. He
had put fine on fine against Bills
account, but Bill got worse. Fore
bearance, with the major, ceased to
be virtue, so one of those cruelty
cold nights last January, he went to
Bills house, and gave him what he
had long needed; a good old-fash-
ioned whipping. After putting the
lash on Bill to his entire satisfaction
he tied Bill behind his buggy with
new pair of lines, and proceeded
toward the lookup, Bill walking, or
rather trotting behind the buggy.
Now, on the way steep hill, some
four or five hundred yards long, had
to be climbed, and all went we'll till
the top of this nil was reached. At
the brow of the hill the majors
horse stopped. The whip was ap-
piled to the horse, the whifae-tree
broke, so did the harness, and the
horse dashed up the road, leaving
the major in the buggy with Bill
tied on behind. In less time than it
takes to tell it, Bill was carrying
the buggy with the major in it down
the hill at a John Gilpin speed. Of
course the road was frozen hard, and
to pull a buggy down grade was not
much pulling, but keeping out of the
way of the buggy was no joke at all,
but Bill was on the Job.
For a while the major said moth
ing but seeing danger ahead, he
yelled out: Two Bill! Wo, say,
don't you see you're going to smash
the buggy?"
There was no "woing" or stopping
in Bill, but faster and faster went he
down the hill, the buggy rattling like
train load of empty boxes over an
open trestle. Seeing Bill gaining
speed at such a fearful rate, the ma
jor held on to the buggy for dear life
with one hand while with the other
he was lashing Bill with new buggy
whip. Some yards ahead, tree was
standing near the edge of the road,
and Bill made a, bee-line for this
tree. The major saw at once Bills
intention and yelled out: "Gee, Bill!
Gee! Don't you see that tree ahead" :"
Bill did see the tree with both eyes,
at that, the buggy striking the tree
with terrific force, breaking the fet-
ters which bound Bill to the buggy,
and he with a 10 clip dashed on
ward, leaving the major to his fate;
and the major was thrown headlong
into a briar patch, some fifteen or
more feet into the swamp, and when
he took up a hatless and moneyless
collection of himself, he was heard
to say:
I'll bet I've hundred dollars that
that darn niger can beat Bruce
Brown a mile dash any cold night. .
l saw the major next day, and with
the exception of some dozen patches
of court plaster on his hands, he was
none the worse for Bills running
away with him down the hill. The
buggy, however, was laid up for re-
pairs, and so was Bill.
A. w. BRABHAM.
$500 10,