OCR Text |
Show ThPn T sd to thinking OYer hcnv 1 o err{ at it, nnll t lll'l11 1(l n\-<'r consi<l<'nlhh' nwny ways in 1ny lUllHl; and at la~t fixpd up a plan th:d .nit('<lnw. P,o thC'n I took th' 1 (larino-s of a woody i.·land that was <.lo\rn tht> riy·ernpi<'C<', and a ... :o na~it \\a ' fairly dark I rrPpt out with n1y raft and went for jt, n1Hl lti<l it th<lrc and then tnrn<'d in. I f']cpt the night throug·h, a11cl got np hcforr it was lig·ht, and had n1y brc·nkfa"t, ancl pnt on 1ny ~tore clot ht's a11< l t i <1 <1 np sonll' ot h r and one thing· or :n 1 n{ hc'r iu a bundle, and took 11H canoe and cl<'i1n'cl fnr. hon'. I land<~cl lwlow " 'lt n' I jndg<'d wns Ph ~lps' place, and hid 1ny bundle' in the \YnO<ls, and 11H'n fillPLl up thr cano<' ·with "·ah'r a1Hlloadcd rocks into h<'r and sunk h<'r whrrP I conlcl :An l her <1(rain \VhPn .~ I want eel hc'r about a qnarter of a 1nil<' b<"'low a lii t lt> ,.h,:un . ·a \\·n1ill that wa: 011 t lH' bank. Then I ·truck up the road, and when I pas (\d tit<' 1nill I ~<~ a ·ign on it, "Ph('lps' ~awmill ,, and when I roinP to th<"' i~tnn-hou ·e .. , two or tln (' hnndrC'd yard further along r kept 1ny eyP.' pe<'l<'d, but didn't s t\ nobody around, though it was good daylight now. But I di ln't n1incl, bcran. e I tlidn't wnnl to 'P<"' nobocly just y t -I only wanted to g0t thP la.v of tl111 land. Acconli11g t 1ny plan, I wn~ going to turn up i]H'n1 from the village, not from below. So I ju.t took a look, <111(1 sho\·ed along, straight for to,rn. ,, ... ell, t h Yrry fir ·t 1nan I s<'l', when I goL t h<'rr was t hr clnkr. lf<' \va: tickin(r np a hill for the I~oyal Tonc .. uch- -thrPe-night p rformanc<'--lik<' that other tirn . ~l'hey ha<l illP chr<'k then1 fraud . ! I wa.., d~·ht on hirn, befon~ I conl<l sllirk. 1 r "'} look d astoni ·h pu, and S<lJS: ' Hel-lo I \\rher\1 JJOn corn fr In? " Then he say., kincl of glad and rngcr, ' \Yhl\re's the raft ?-got. h r in a good 11lac ? " I ays: "\Yhy, that's ju:t what I wa~ acroing to a k your grace.'' Then h dicln 't look ·o joyful-and ay · : '• \rhat wa .. yonr jd(•:t for askjng 'JJte!" lu· say:-:. '" \\"" ~11,'' I says, '" wh ·n I 'PC the king in t lmt dogg<'r)' )'<1 .'t l ' n lay r ,'a y .. t () lll y ·c 1 f, we <:an' t ( r l' t h j I n h 0 Ill . for ] l 0 lll' s. t i II hl~·s soberer; .'O I W<' ll t a loafing nronud town lo pnt in t hP tinH', and \YHit. A Jnnn up ancl offl~n·tl JllC ten <:<'llts io l11·lp hi111 pull a :-;kiff O\'l'l' the' riV('I' an<l back to feleh a .'h(' p, and ~n f \r( 111L cllong; btL( w1H'U WC \V,tS dracTging hint to t1tC' boat , and tl1e Jllilll )p ft n1r al1olt of th rope and wenL beltin<l lti111 io shon: hint alona, he WiL' to . tr ng for llH1 , ~nHl j <~rked lo n~<~ and run and we after ltiln. \\r didn·t lmv<~ 110 <log a n<l so Wl' lta<l i.o c.: base .h in1 all OVl;l' the countn.· Lill \H' tir<'tl hin1 ont. \Y<' lH'\·er goL hj1n till dark, t 11<'11 wr :f ·t ·h 'Ll l1 i1n OV('r, ;nHl I start <~ d down fur the raft . \rJH•n J o-ot there and '(I(' it was gone [ say~ to 1ny~clf, 'they've gol inlo trouble and ha<l to lea\· ; a11<l 1 hey'v took n1y nio-g('r, which i · the only nigg<'l' I've got in th(1 world nnd now !'1n in a ·trange conntry ancl ain to-ol 11o proprrty no 1nor , nor noUtino-, ancl no way to 1nnk' 1ny living~, :-.o I ,' ,t <lO\\·n and cri d. I ~lept in the woods all nigld. But \\hat did beco1ne of th raft then ?-aucl .1 int poor ~I i111 ~ ., '" Bliuned if I kno\r-that i8 what's heconl<' of t lu· rafl. Tlw t old fool had 1naclc a t nul' antl got forty dolln rs, :111<l wl11~n we' fon1Hl hinl in the dogg 'ry tlw loafer~ had lna tc:lH·d lt:tlf dollar.' with hi1n ancl got ev ry c 'llt but \rhat ht.'<l spent for whi::-;ky ; and when I gol hi1n ho1n lat' la t night n1Hl fo n11d 1 Le raft gon \YC ·aid ' Tltnt Jittle ra. cal has st ol, our raft and .·l10ok us mHl run ff dow11 th' riv 'r.' ., ' 1 wonl<ln •t shak"' n1y , ~ iy,r;e1·, would I ?-1 l1 I only 11jgcrer I 1tatl in t h' world, an(l t lt' oHly prop 'rty.' ' '"' nc\' r thought of thaL Faet is, T r e<'kon \ve·<l co nlP to con ider hitn OllJ' ui<,-,nt)r 'r '· y· '.·, w (lid ·m1.·ider hi1n so - o·oo<ln 's know w' ha<l troulJ] ·n U!th £ r hirn. So wltcu ,....., '-' wp ('the raft wa gone, and "\V \flat broke, th ~r \varn·t anv- 1 bing for it but to try the H yal one~uch another shak . And y 2 |