FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80  
81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   >>   >|  
" said the man. "What I've done's of no 'count." "And, oh, surely, sir, you won't tell any one!" "Go to thunder, gal! What do you take a feller for? In course not," said the man. "Come, now, go along like a likely, sensible gal, as you are. You've arnt your liberty, and you shall have it, for all me." The woman folded her child to her bosom, and walked firmly and swiftly away. The man stood and looked after her. "Shelby, now, mebbe won't think this yer the most neighborly thing in the world; but what's a feller to do? If he catches one of my gals in the same fix, he's welcome to pay back. Somehow I never could see no kind o' critter a strivin' and pantin', and trying to clar theirselves, with the dogs arter 'em and go agin 'em. Besides, I don't see no kind of 'casion for me to be hunter and catcher for other folks, neither." So spoke this poor, heathenish Kentuckian, who had not been instructed in his constitutional relations, and consequently was betrayed into acting in a sort of Christianized manner, which, if he had been better situated and more enlightened, he would not have been left to do. Haley had stood a perfectly amazed spectator of the scene, till Eliza had disappeared up the bank, when he turned a blank, inquiring look on Sam and Andy. "That ar was a tolable fair stroke of business," said Sam. "The gal 's got seven devils in her, I believe!" said Haley. "How like a wildcat she jumped!" "Wal, now," said Sam, scratching his head, "I hope Mas'r'll 'scuse us trying dat ar road. Don't think I feel spry enough for dat ar, no way!" and Sam gave a hoarse chuckle. "_You_ laugh!" said the trader, with a growl. "Lord bless you, Mas'r, I couldn't help it now," said Sam, giving way to the long pent-up delight of his soul. "She looked so curi's, a leapin' and springin'--ice a crackin'--and only to hear her,--plump! ker chunk! ker splash! Spring! Lord! how she goes it!" and Sam and Andy laughed till the tears rolled down their cheeks. "I'll make ye laugh t' other side yer mouths!" said the trader, laying about their heads with his riding-whip. Both ducked, and ran shouting up the bank, and were on their horses before he was up. "Good-evening, Mas'r!" said Sam, with much gravity. "I berry much spect Missis be anxious 'bout Jerry. Mas'r Haley won't want us no longer. Missis wouldn't hear of our ridin' the critters over Lizy's bridge tonight;" and, with a facetious poke into Andy's ribs, he star
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80  
81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

trader

 

looked

 

feller

 

Missis

 
delight
 

chuckle

 

couldn

 
giving
 

wildcat

 
jumped

devils

 

stroke

 
business
 

scratching

 

hoarse

 
gravity
 

anxious

 
evening
 

shouting

 

horses


longer

 

facetious

 

tonight

 
bridge
 

wouldn

 

critters

 

ducked

 

splash

 

Spring

 

crackin


leapin

 

springin

 

laughed

 

laying

 

riding

 

mouths

 
tolable
 
rolled
 
cheeks
 

Christianized


Shelby
 

neighborly

 

walked

 

firmly

 

swiftly

 

Somehow

 

catches

 

folded

 

thunder

 

surely