Arkansas democratic banner., 1851-06-10
Deacon smiths Bull; or, Mike Fink
 in a Tight Place.
BY scRo0GINs.

contemporary with the celebrated Davy Crockett and lis equal in ali things appertang to human proweSs. It was even said that the animals in his neghborhood knew the crack of his ride, and would take to their secret hiding places on the first ntimatlon that Mike was about. Yet strange though true, he was little known beyond his i,ll- mediate " settlement"
 When we knew him he was an old nan--the blasts of seventeen winters had Slyered over his head and taken the elasticity from hts limbs yet in the whole of his life was Mike never wonted, except upon one occasion. To use his language, he never 'gin in, used up, to anything that tray elled on two legs or four," but once.
 " That once, we want" said Bill Slasher, as some dozen of us sat in the bar-room of the only tavern in the '' settlement
 " Gin it to us now Mlke-you've promised long enough, and you're old now, and needn't care ," continued Bill.
 "Right, right Bill" said Mike, "but we Il open with hcser all round fust it'll kind O save my feelin's, reckon--"
 "Thar, that's good. Better than Bother barrel, if anything P
 "Well, boys'' continued Mike, tyou may talk Q your scrmmages, light places and sich like, and subtract 'em altogether in one almighty big un, and they halnt no more to be compared to the one war in, than dead kitten to old she bar Pve fout all kiudS O varmints, from an Ingin down to TattleSnake and never was will'n to quit fuSt, but this once--and twas with a Bull !! " You see, boys, II was an awful hot day in August, and was nigh runnln' of into pure iIe when l war thnkin that dip in the creek mout save me. Well, thar was a mighty nice place in old Deacon Smiths medder for that partic' lar biz zness. So l went down amongst the bushes to
 unharnesS. iist hauled the old red shirt over my head, and war thinkin' how scrumptous a fel- Ter of my size would feel wallenn round in that ar water, and was jest bout gon' in, when seed the Deacons Bull maxim a B-lne to whar stood
 "I know'd the old cuSS for he'd skard more people than all the parsons O the settlements" and cum mighty near kiln a few. Thinks l. Mike you're Tn rather tight place-get your
 hxns of, for he'll be drvin' them big horns O his in yer bowels afore that time We'll, you'll hev to try the yarnint naked rcckn. " The Bull war on one side O the creek and on the tother, and the way he made the sile' fly for while, as If he war diggn my grave, war diStresSiul Come on, ye bellerin old heathen, said I, and don't be standn thar; for, as the old Deacon says O the devil, yer not comedy to look on.' ' This kind U reach'd his understanding and
 made him more wisbous for lie hooied little like, and made dive. As don't like to stand in any bodyS way, gin him plctty Searoom So he kind O passed by me and came out tother side and, as the Captain O the Mad-Swamp Rangers would say " bout face for mother charge /" Tho war ready for i'm this time, he come mighty nigh runnin'.f foul Q me So made up my mind the next time he went out he wouln't be alone. So when he passed l grappled his tail, and he pulled out on the se,' and soon as we war both a top of the bank old briadie stopp'd and war about comi1 round agin when began pulfn tother way.
 Well, reeoRn this kind C 'riled him. for he lust stood stock still and lookd at for spell, and then commenced pawin and bellerin. and the way he made hls hind gearin play In the ar, war beautiful,
 " But 1t war mt no use, he couldn't tech me so he kind O stopped get wind for Sumthn devish, as JHdged by the way he started By this time had made up my mind to stick to his tail as long as 1t stuck to his back bone didn't like to holleT for help, nuther, kaSe il war agin my principle and then the Deacon had preachin at hls house and il wasn't far of nuther.
 ~ knowed II he hern the noise, the hull con gregatlon would come down; and as l want married man, and had kind O han&erin artef gal that war thar, didn't feel as if would hk,; to be seed in thst pardlcament. " So, says 1. you oia serpent, do yer cnssedst And so he did; for he drug ne over every brier snd stump ia the field, untsl war sweatin and bleedin' like fat bear with pack O hounds, al
 his heels. And my name aut Mike Fink. fl the old cgtter'S tail and ddn't blow out someiiemes dead level with the varmiuts back
 So you may kalkelate we made good time- Bimehy he slackened little and then had i'm fora spell. for ilsi drsPped behind stump and thar sagbbed the crtter! Now, says you II pull up this ere white Bak-break yer tail or just hold on a bit till blow
 Well, while war SettiH thar. an idea struck me that had better be gettn out O this in some way. But hof, adzackly. was the pint. il 1 let ! go and run he'd be foul q ms sure
 "So lookin at the matter in all its bearlns come the conclusion that I'd better let somebody know whar was So gin 3 yell louder than locomotive whistle and It warnt long afoFe seed the Deaeons two dogs cosnin down like as ii they war seeia which could get thsy fast " know'd q who they val aTter--theyd jine the Bull agn me. l war sertain, for they war offal
 weneaoas and had spite agsn me, ''Sso, says I, old brindle riding ls as cheap as watkia, on this rout If you've no objections, Pll list taka-aeGk passage on that back O yourn So wasn't long getting asirlde cf him, and thea you'd ave sworn thar warnt nothing human in that ar ssr the sle flew sp orfuily as the eritter and rolled iound the held--one dog on one side and one on toiheT. trying to elinch my feet
 "I pEayd and enss'd. and cuSsd and prayd d
 until couldn't tell which did last--and neither wsIat an, ase. they war so ozfally mixed up.