Year: 1876

Nature, the weneh, made his skin
black, is one reason he got into the
scrape. Jacks wife was as dutiful
as she well could be and smart
enough to catch up with him. He
lives in Bellevue, and one day last
week stepped over to the creek and
caught two large catfishes. He
went home to supper and told her
of his luck, and went back to catch
more, so he said. Jack had no
more idea of fishing for fish that
night than he had of swallowing a
butter -knife-and he didn't have
one to swallow; but he went and got
his fish and came along back by his
girls house to give her one. She
knew he was coming and she sent
all the folks down to preaching that
night and stayed at home to meet
Jack. He gave the signal at the
door and was at once admitted, and
as he went in he deposited his fish
in barrel beside the door. Then
he drew his girl up to him and en-
gagged her in sweet converse, anon
snatching a kiss from her ruby lips
that hung out tempting as two fresh
beef-steaks, his stout arm entwin-
ing her waist like a monkeys tail
around a swinging limb, his big
heart hootin' at her'n, and her little
heart hootin' at his'n like two owls
in a hollow tree, and both of them
sweating like a cellar wall in wet
weather. Thus they billed and
cooed, &c, not needing the flight
of time as marked by the mantel
clock (Which was run down. until
the front gate creaked upon its
piece of hinge and slammed against
its broken latch, and the plank walk
echoed the tramp of approaching
footsteps, and many voices broke
the stiffness of solitude-and there
was Jack in the back room and his
fish in the barrel at the front door
Out the back window he slid
around behind the chicken cooI
and over the fence-and the dog
came back with the best patch out
of Jacks breeches. His girl saw
him safely out, raised her eyes tC
the stars and muttered thanks, and


went and let in the family, coming
back with three preachers to stay


all night.


"Why, Sarah, what ails ye? Y,


look all tored up and smells lik,


fishr' said the old woman in alarm


"Dey amt muffin de matter. rs,
jes' bin sleep"


Just then the old mans nose hap


pened to hang over the barrel, an'


he dove down and brought up tn


fish still alive. "My Lord! Sarah


where'd yer fotch desc frum?'


Sarah disavowed all knowledg


of how they got there, and then tn


old man fell to ruminating. "De


couldn't fall down through de roo


for de holes amt big 'nough; de


couldn't ar riz up out'n de groun
for dey couldn't git through d


floor; dey couldn't er come in da


door, for it was shot; dey couldn'


er growed dar, for dey wasn't n


minners in dat barrel. Whar deI
fish come from de good Lord onl
knows, cept'n Sarah dor'


But Sarah protested in tears ths
she knew not, and said that she ha
had an ugly dream, and she expec


ed the devil had been there, &c
maybe de angel fotch 'em dar /
feed de preachers"


That hit the nail on the head, an
, straightway they all recognized


this fish visitation a repetition {


the rain of mama, and they Gale


in the neighbors and had a thank
f giving.


t Now, Jack went home and to
p his wife that he had lost his fis
d and no more was thought of it uni
a the next night at preaching, wh'
r the preacher got up and took b
t text from this circumstance, al
f went on to relate the facts and
0 show that days of miracles had n
e passed, and the Lord was still fee
5, ing his flock; and he had the co
e gregation all excitement and rea,
It to shout, when Jacks wife got
" and said:


, aBless de Lord, can tell
e about dat, and she told. and as S
e told Jack slipped out the side wi
/ dow, and the tale knocked the soc
IS out of the miracle, and light dawn
y on the minds of the people just
/ she made a lunge at Sarah. Gre
L CONSERVATION seized the multituC
It and the preacher mounted On I
le back of a bench and cried ol
id "Men and brethren, dere's so
d mistake bout disp' Finally ii
h quieted down, but Jacks wife y
st gone to hunt him, and the neis
RI, bors say their houses shook
i'll night as if being rent by ear
Us quakes.


in Deadwood CITY in the Bis