News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1916-07-05

The colonel called him to the dining
room and asked him about it. Then the
colonel got so mad at his dinner being
ruined he grabbed a big fat possum by
the hind legs from the dish and slam
med the chef over the head with it and
ran him down the front steps trying to
hit him again.
The colonel said he agreed to pay
that chef a hundred dollars a month,
but any cook who couldn't fix pOssum
right wasn't worth two bits n year. He
sent the chef back on the next boat
and sent for Aunt Venus, Uncle Jeffs
wife, and she cooked the possums next
day"
Uncle Jeff stood chuckling.
81 wuz dar. Yo' jeS' oughter seed dat
Frenchy bounce down dem steps. He
wuZ fat, an de colonel he wuZ fat too
a-makin' lick at i'm wild every jump
wild dat pOSsum all smeared over wild
cream gravy! lie wuz de maddest wife
man l ever seed. De guests ain quit
latin twell yit, reckon. Hit shore wuz
funny"
AL IlSuJ' nave NOul way dDOuJ lUc
frost, Uncle jeff" conceded Tom.
"Only l want to help catch a possum
and eat it if it is cooked right"
"Now OATS de way ter talk. Yo'
leave de huntin' ter me en- INK Rube,
an de cookin' ter Mis- Venus, en- all
we axes yo' boys is ter furnish de APP
pertites en- don founder yo'sefs."
i.,l, 81, II
right" assured Joe.
We'll, right after supper yo' all put
on yo' ole clo'cS. en- me en- RubeT git
de dawgs en- de res of de fiXin's."
Joe stayed to supper, and about half
past Uncle Jeff sounded his horn as
he came up the front drive, accompa-
MED by four yelping dogs. Uncle RUDE
came from the rear of the house carry
ing in one hand light, sharp AK and a
lantern in the other. Slung across his
back and that of Uncle jeff were bun
dies of very rich fat" pine cut in
splints about the size of a finger and
about four feet long. Each carried an
empty sack wrapped about the cord
that held the pine splints.
what are those pine sticks for?" in
quircd Tom.
Torches" answered Joe, who was
an old hand at the game. Take four
or five of those long splintcrs hold
them together in your hand and light
the other end and it makes the best
sort of light-harder the wind blows
the brighter it GETS
"Whar we better go, INK Rube?' in
quired Uncle Jeff.
81 spec we stand a better chance
over in dat big ole fier by de creek.
Dey's some simmonses lef on de trees
yit down dar. l come thoo dar yes
tiddy and seed whar possums been
feedin'. Den dey's plenty black haWs
down in de bottoms en- choke berries
en- red haws too. Dey's plenty er feed,
en- l bets we gifts er possum er So"
"All right, lead on, les be going
somewhere" said Joe, with Impotence.
Uncle Jeff sounded his horn. The dogs
leaped joyfully with frantic yelps and
sprang ahead.
The party cut through the stable LOT,
down through the lower pasture and up
the long slope of the Hill where the old
field lay on the other side. They walk
ed single file into the mysterious night. !
Rube with the lantern leading, then
the boys, and Uncle JEFF bringing up
the rear. As they reached the crest of
the hill they stood still few moments
while the dogs ranged in front Of them.
Directly one of the dogs broke into cry,
joined 10y the others shortly.
9Th. huh, Hear dat? Done struck er
trail erreadyr' exclaimed Uncle JEFF I'm