Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-05-01
[PROPRIETORS.
Dcncon Slnith,s RuII,

was contemporary with the celebrated
Davy Crockett and his equal in all things
appcrtaining TO human prowcss. 1t was
even said that the ANIMALS in his ncighbor-
hood knew the crack ofhis rifle, and would
take to their secret hiding places on the
first intimation that Mike was about. Yet
strange though true. he was but little
known. beyond hisimmcdatc settlement"
When we knew him he was an old man
the blasts of seventy winters had silver
ed DER his head and taken the elasticity
from his limbs, yet in the whole of his life
was Nike never worsted, except upon one
occasion. To use his own language, he
never "gin in, used up to anything that
travelled on two legs, or four" but once.
THAT once, we want" said Bill Slash
er, as some dozen Of us sat in the bar
room Of the only tavern in the ''scttle-
ment"
"Gin it to us now, Mike--you've prom.
ised long enough, and you are old now, and
needn't care" continued Bill.
Right, right Bill" said Mike. "but
Wen open with a licker all round iust; it'll
kind o save my feelin's l reckon
"Thar, that's good. Better than t'other
barrel, if anything!"
"Well boys" commenced Mike, "you
may talk your scrimmoges, tight places
and sich like, and subtract 'em altogether
in one almighty big 'un and they haint no
more to be compared to the one | war in,
than a dead kitten to an old she bar! I've
fout all kinds o varmints, from an Ingin
down to rattlesnake and never was will
lin to quit fust, but this once--an twas with
Bull!
You see, boys, 1t was an awful hot day
in August, and | war nigh runnin off into
pure lie, when | were thinkin' that dip in
the creek might save me. Well there was
mighty nice place in old DeaconSmiths
meddcr for that parti'lar Dizziness. SO
Went down amongst the bushes to unhar-
ness. .jist hauled the old red shirt over
my head, and war thinkiu' how scrumtious
a fellow Of my size would fell waller
ing round in that ar water, and was jest
bout goin' in when | seed the old Dea-
cons Bull a maxim B-hne to where /
stood.
81 know'd the old cuss, for he'd skar'd
more people than all the parsons o the
settlement, and KUN mighty near kiln
few. Thinks |, Mike you're in rather
tight place, get your fxins' ON for he'll be
a driven them big horns O. his in your
bowels afore that time Well, You'll
have to try the ldvarmint naked recls H.
"The Bull war on one side o the creek
and | t'othcr, and the way he made The
'sile' fly for awhile, as ifhc were diggin'
my grave war, distrcssin!
"Come on, ye bellcring old hcathcn,
said |, and don't be standin thar, for as the
old Deaconsayso' the devil, yer not come
ly to look on
"This kind o reached his undrcstandin'
and made him more wish 'ous for he hoof
cd a little like, and made a drive And us
| don't like to stand in anbody's way, |
gin him plenty of sea-room SO he kind o.
passed by me and come out on t'other side.
and as the Captain o the Mud-Swamp-
Hangers would say, bout faccior mother
charge"
Though | war ready for i'm this time,
he come mighty nigh runnin' foul o me!
So | made up my mind the next time he
went out he wouldn't be alone. So when
he passed ] grappled his tail, and he pulled
me out on the 'sile' and as soon as we were
both a top of the bank, old brindlc stopp'd
and were about comm round agin when !
began to pull t'othcr way.
"Weli, rccki'n this kind o yalcd him.
for he fust stood stock still and look'd at
me for spell, and then commenced paw
IN and bellern. and the way he made his
hind gearin play in the air, war beautiful!
"But it warnt no use, he couldn't terh
me, 50 he kind o stopped to get wind for
suthing deveIish, as | .jeagcd by the way
he staredl By this time made up my
mind to stick to his tail as long as it stuck
to his back bonel / didn't like to hollcr
for help, nuther, kase, it war agin my
principle, ana then the deacon had preach
in at his house and it warn't far of nuther.
81 knowcd if he hern the noise, the
hull congregation would come down; and
as warn't married man, and | had
kind Of hankerin arter gal that war thar,
| didn't feel as if would like to be seed in
that ar predicamcnt.
$50 says I, you old sarpcnt, do yer Gus
sadestl And so he did, for he drug me
over every briar and stump in the field,
until war sweatin and bleeding like a
fat bear with pack ofhounds at his heels.
And my name amt Mike Fink if the old
critters tail and didn't blow out some
times at a dead level with the varmint's
back!
$50 you may kalkelat we made good
time. Bimeby he slackcned a little, and
then | had him for spell, for jist drap-
ped behind a stump and thar snubbed the
crlttcrl Now says you'll pull up this
ere white oak-or break yer taat 50 jist
hold on bit till ! blow!
"Well, while | war settin thar, an idea
struck me that had better be getting ont
was the pint! If let 60 and run he be
foul o. me sure!
$500 lookin at the matter in all its bear
ins, l cum to the conclusion that better
let somebody kaov whar was So
gin yeH louder than a locomotive whistle,
and it want long afore | seed the Deacon's
two dogs comm down like as ifthcy was
sccin which could get thar fust.
Il know'd who they were arter-they'd
jine the Bull agin me. | war sartain, for
they were orful wenemous and had spite
agin me.
$50 says / old brindle, as iiden as cheap
as walkin, on this rout, if you've no objcc-
tons, III jist take deck passage on that
ar back o your'n! Sol wasn'tlong get
ting astride of him, and then if you'd been
thar, you'd ave sworn that warn't nothing
humin in that ar miri the sile flew so or
fully as the critter and ] rolled round the
field-one dog on one side and one on
tother, trying to clinch my feet!
Il pray'd and cuss'd. and cuss'd and