THE SPICE-BUSH BUGABOO 



133 





The farmer, a venerable " old inhabitant," came from 

 his door- way to see what I was after, well knowing 

 from experience that I was looking for "bugs" of some 

 sort. When he had approached close to my elbow I 

 suddenly opened one of the leaves. Had it 

 contained a viper he could hardly have ap- 

 peared more excited. "Be conscience' sakes!" 

 he exclaimed, starting backward 

 with affright. " I never see sech 

 a beast. Ef I'd 'a' known I hed 

 sech wild-looking pizen critters 

 around my door-yard, I'd 'a' 

 been scar'd to go out o' 

 nights. Wut be they?" he 

 continued, pausing a safe 

 distance up the path ; 

 " a kind o' snake er 

 grub, I s'pose." 



" It is only a cater- 5 



pillar." 



"Waal, naow, wut '11 

 he make? I s'pose you 

 know. I sh'd s'pect ^ 



suthin' per tickler out o' 

 critters thet start aout like 

 thet. Like nuff you'll git 

 an aowl er suthin' aout on't. 

 Ugh !" 



" Oh, there's nothing to 

 get scared about," I replied, 

 smoothing one of the cater- 

 pillars. 



"Ugh! I wouldn't tech the 



