The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-06-21

fust ones, and dodgin' up and down in
the dark, like they was so many dan
Gin devils. Well, | begun to feel sort
o jubous of 'em, so raised old Betsy,
and pulled at the nearest eyes. but she
snapped; primed her agin' and she
flashed: and when ] flashed, sch ano-
ther squalln' and yeiln' you never did
hear, and up the trees they went all
round me. Thinks !, them must be
somethin' unnatural, b4in' as my gun
wouldn't shoot 'em; so jest drapt old
Betsy, and put for the camp as hard as
| could split. Well, we went back the
next mornin', and what DO you think
them Internal critters had done?-eat
the deer up slick and clean, all but the
bones and horns, and little ways of
lay old Betsy,with four fingers of buck
shot and bullets but not bit of powder
in her. Then | know'd they was pam
ters.'
why, they might have eaten you
too
That's fact. Dudley said he Won
dered they didn't take hold Of me-
The drizzling shower which had al
ready nearly wet US to the skin, now
turned to drenching storm, which con-
tinued for more than an hour without
intermission. When the storm abated
we discovered the dawn approaching,
and, shortly after, W, were enabled to
ascertain our whereabouts. We were
not more than five hundred yards from
the clearing,and probably had not been,
during the night, at a greater distance
than mile from the house which we
had left in the evening.
AS we stepped from the wood into
the open road, | contemplated, for a
moment,the ludicrous appearance of my
unfortunate companion. Poo oorSam!--
daylight, and the prospect of home
brought no JOY to him; and, as he stood
before me, with the saddle and bride of
the deceased Blaze girded about his
neck, his mlskel in one hand and pm
in the other, drenched with rain. his
clothes torn, and Il countenance that told
of the painful conflict within, could not
but regard him as an object of sympa-
thy rather than ridicule.
WELL said he, with heavy sigh, and
without looking me in the tace, good
mornin', maj or.
'Good morning,'I replied, touched
with sympathy for his misfortune, and
reproaching myself for the mirth | had
enjoyed at his expense; good morning,
Mr.. Skies, | am very sorry for your
loss, and hope you will have better luck
in future
'Oh, major said he, lit amt the vaIly
of the mule that minds so much; tho
Blaze was a monstrous handy cretur
on the place. But thar's my wife;
whal'll she say when she sees me comm
home in this here fix? Howsomedever
what cant be cured must be endured,
as the feler said when the monkey bit
him.
'That's the true philosophy Iremar-
ked, seeing that he endeavored 10 take
courage from the train of reasoning in
to which he had fallen; 'and Mrs. Skies
should bear in mind that accidents will
happen, and be thankful its no worse
80 be sure she ought replied Sam,
'but that amt the way with her; she
don't believe in accidents, no how;and
then she's SO howdacious unreasonable
when she's raised. But, she better not,
he continued, with stern look as he
spoke; 'she better not come a caven-
tin bout me with any OF her rantank-
erous carryin's on this mornin', for |
amt in no humor no howl and he made
threatening gesture with his head, as
much as to say he'd make the fur fly ii
she did.
We parted at the gate, Sam for his
home, and for my bed; he sorely con-
vinced that "a bad beginning does not
always make good ending,' and full
ly resolved that it should be my first and
last FlRE-HUNT