170 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



rough dues before we gets back to 'em again. Just 

 think on it a bit, will yer, for you've had the drop on 

 us heavy like." 



" If I let you go, will you promise not to come 

 here again ? " 



"Yes; it ain't likely, considerin' the way you've 

 bowled us over, as we should feel the least bit in- 

 clined to." 



" Very well, you can go ; and the next time you 

 hear about chawbacons waking up once a -week, 

 don't you believe it." 



I was speaking to one of my rustic friends about 

 the fish being dropped about in the fields, away from 

 water. "Ah," he said, "that ain't nothin' ; them 

 'ere herons is right down artful ; they've had a 

 roughish time on it lately, all this 'ere burnin' heat. 

 The fust showers we gits, off go them herons again : 

 they knows all about it ; 'rectly a freshet cums down 

 the stream an' gits in the ponds, out clutters the 

 fish from the holes where they've bin hidin', like 

 mad things they are, rollin' an' wrigglin' out o' 

 their senses for pure joy ; they gits anywheer, most 

 special if the water runs over the grass. Them 

 herons gits sumthin' then. An' when they flaps 



