I had not walked twenty yards, before a woodcock
that was feeding on the edge of the marsh
started up from under my nose, when, clapping my
gun to my shoulder, I let fly at him, and down he
came.

“Aha, Ponto!” said I, “when did I ever fail to
bring down a woodcock? Bring it along, Ponto,
you rascal.—Rum-te, ti, ti! rum-te, ti, ti!” and I
went on my way singing for pure joy, without
pausing to recharge, or to bag my game. I reached
my old house, and began to roar out, without reflecting
that I was now something more than Sheppard
Lee, “Hillo! Jim Jumble, you old rascal!
get up and let me in.”

“What you want, hah?” said old Jim, poking
his head from the garret-window of the kitchen,
and looking as sour as a persimmon before frost.
“Guess Massa Squire Higginson drunk, hah?
What you want? S'pose I'm gwyin to git up afo'
sunrise for not'in', and for anybody but my Massa
Sheppard?”

“Why, you old dog,” said I, in a passion, “I am
your master Sheppard; that is, your master John

[figure description] Page 070.[end figure description]

Hazlewood Higginson, Esquire; for as for Sheppard
Lee, the Jersey kill-deer, I've finished him,
you rascal; you'll never see him more. So get
down, and let me into the house, or I'll—”

“You will, hah?” said Jim; “you will what?”

“I'll shoot you, you insolent scoundrel!” I exclaimed,
in a rage,—as if it were the most natural
thing in the world for me to be in one; and as I
spoke, I raised my piece; when “Bow—wow—
wough!” went my old dog Bull, who had not bitten
a man for two years, but who now rushed from his
kennel under the porch, and seized me by the leg.

“Get out, Bull, you rascal!” said I, but he only
bit the harder; which threw me into such a fury
that I clapped the muzzle of my gun to his side,
and, having one charge remaining, blew him to
pieces.

“Golla-matty!” said old Jim, from the window,
whence he had surveyed the combat; “golla-matty!
shoot old Bull!”

And with that the black villain snatched up the
half of a brick, which I suppose he kept to daunt
unwelcome visiters, and taking aim at me, he cast
it so well as to bring it right against my left ear,
and so tumbled me to the ground. I would have
blown the rascal's brains out, in requital of this assault,
had there been a charge left in my piece, or
had he given me time to reload; but as soon as
he had cast the brick, he ran from the window, and
then reappeared, holding out an old musket that,
I remembered, he kept to shoot wild ducks and

[figure description] Page 071.[end figure description]

muskrats in the neighbouring marsh with. Seeing
this formidable weapon, and not knowing but that
the desperado would fire upon me, I was forced to
beat a retreat, which I did in double quick time,
being soon joined by my dog Ponto, who had fled,
like a coward, at the first bow-wough of the bulldog,
and saluted in my flight by the amiable tones
of Dinah, who now thrust her head from the window,
beside Jim's, and abused me as long as I
could hear.

p016-081

Previous section

Next section