The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-04-23
WOopsFIELD, OHIO, WEDNESDAY, APRIL gs 1851

ciple. and the deacon had preachin' at his
house. and it want fur off nuther. fs
ID know'd if he hern the noise, the hull
congregation would come down; and as !
warn't married man, and had kind O.
hankerin arter gal that war thar, | didn't
feel as if would like 10 be seed in that ar
predicament, 15a
80, says /, you old sarpent, do yer Gus
sedestl And so he did; for he drug me
over every briar and stump in the field,
until war sweatin and blecdin like fat
bear with pack o. hounds at his heels.
And my name amt Mike Fink, if the old
critter's tail and didn't blow out some
times at dead level with the varmint's
back! ..l5
80 you may kalkelate we made good
time. Bimeby he slackened little, and
then I,had i'm for spell. for jist drap-
ped behind stump and then spubbed the
critter! Now, says /, you'll pull up this
'ere white oak-break yer tail! or jest hold
on bit till 1blow! # Y .',.[ s..e,as "a y
"Well, while war settin thar, an idea
struck me that had better be gettin out
O. this in some way But ho,c, adzackly.
was the pint! III let 60 and run he'd be
foul o. me sure! sf 5j aa
$50 lookin at the matter in all its bear
ins, cum to the conclusion that I'd better
let somebody know whar ! was! So ! gin
yell louder than locomotive whistle,
and it want long afore seed the Deacon's
two dogs comm down like as if they war
seein which could get there fust
=. II know'd who they war alter they'd
jine the bull agin me, war sartain, for
they war orful wenemous and had spite
agin me. .sasu Il aI
$50, says I, old brindle, as ridin is as
cheap as walkin, on this route, if you've
no objections, I'll jist take deck passage
on that ar back o. yourn! So wasn't
long gettin astride of him, then if you'd bin
thar, you'd ave sworn thar warn't nothin
human in that ar mir! the sile flew so or
fully as the critter and | rolled round the
feld-one dog on one side and one on
tother, tryin to clinch my feet! n 81
erIpray'd and cuss'd, and cuss'd and
pray'd, until I couldn't tel. which | did
llast-ahd neither war't Of no use, they
war SO orfully mixed up. utilsei % bssi,i..
swell, reckon | rid about an hour this
11'way, when old brindle fhoughti.wa tims
to stop to take in supply Of wind and
cool off little! So when we got round
to tree that stood thar, he natrally halted.
Snow, says |, old boy, you'll lose one
passenger sartain. So | jist clum upon a
branch, kalkelatin TO roost thar till starv-
ed, aiors I'd be rid round in that ar way
any longer. '1.'.' ''...
81 war maxim tracks for the top o. the
tree, when heard suthin maxim an orful
buzzin over head. | kinder looked up,
and if thar warn't-well theirs no use a
swearin now, but it war the biggest hornets
nest ever built! flsi
"You'll 'gin in now, | reckon, Mike,
case thar's no help for you! But an idea
struck me, then, that I'd stand a heap bet
ter chance ridin the bull than whar |
war. Says |, 'old feller, ifyou'll hold on,
III ride to the next station! any how, let
that be whar it will!'
$50 jist drapped aboard him agin, and
looked aloft to see what I'D gain'd in
changin quarters; and, gentlemen, Pm a
liar il thar warn't nigh half a bushel Of
the stingin varmints ready TO pitch into me
when the word 'go' was gin.
swell, | reckon they got it, for 'all
hands started for our company! Some on
'em hit the dogs-about a quart stuck me.
and the rest charged on old brindle.
"This time, the dogs led off fust, dead
bent for the old deacon's, and as soon as
old brindle and could get under way, we
folloped! And as Iwar only deck pas
singer and had nothin' to do with steerin
the craft, | swore If had we shouldn't
have run that channel, any how! .a.ss
"But, as | said afore, the dogs took the
lead brindle and l next, and the hornets
dre'kly arter. The dogs yellin -Brindle
bellerin, and the hornets buzzin and sting
in! Ididn't say nothin, for it war'nt no
use. sfa 4..'Ho as sat
swell, we'd got about two hundred
yards from the house, and the deacon hern
us and cum out. seed him hold up his
hand and turn schitel Ireckoned he was
prayin, then, for he didn't expect to be
called for so soon, and it want long nither,
afore the hull congregation, men, wimmen
and children, cum out, and then all hands
went TO yellinl 9 esaa Z. q '.....9 i.2s.
"None Of 'em had the fust notion that
.brindle and / belonged to this world. I
| jist turned my head and passed the hnH
congregation! ] seed the run would be up
soon, for brindle could I turn an inch from
| q fence that stood dead aheadl
swell, we reached that fence, and |
went ashore over the old critters head,
llandin on t'other side, and lay thar stun
ned. Il war'nt long afore some Of 'em as
war not so scared, come round to see what
Ii warl For all hands kalkelated that the
Bull and | belonged togetheri But when
brindle walked of by HIMSELF they seed
| box., n uar and ona Of sem said sMike