Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-09-18
1Dit a110 Gnntor.
Deacon Smiths Bull;

Mike Fink, a notorious Buckeye hum
ter, was contemporary with the celebrated
Davy Crockett, and his equal in all things
appertaining to human prowess. 1t was
even said that the animals in his neighbor-
hood knew the crack of his 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 his immediate "settle-
ment."
When we knew him, he was an old man
the blast of seventy winters had silver.
ed DER his head and taken the elasticity
from his limbs; yet in the whole of his
life was Mike never worsted, except on
one occasion. To use his. own language,
he never "gin in, used up, to anything
that travelled on two legs or four" but
one.
"That once, we want" said Bill Slash.
er. as some dozen of us sat in the bar-room
of the only tavern in the settlement"
"Gin it to- US now, Mike-you've pro-
missed long enough, and you're old now,
and needn't care" continued Bill.
"Right, right! Bill" said Mike, "but
we'll open with ticker all round fust,
it'll kind O. save my feelin's, / recken-'"
"Thar, that's good. Better than t'other
barrel, if anything"
"Well, boys" commenced Mike, you
may talk O. your scrimmages, tight places
and sich like, and subtract 'em altogether
in one almighty big 'un, and they hain't
no more to be compared to the one | war
in, than dead kitten to an old she bar!
I've fout all kinds of varmints, from an
Ingin down to rattlesnake! and never
was will'n to quit fust, but this once-and
twas with Bull! You see, boys, it was
an awful hot day in August, and | war
nigh runnin' off into pure lie, when war
thinkin' that dip in the creek mout save
me. Well, thar was mighty nice place
in Deacon Smiths medder for that partic
lar business So went down amongst
the bushes to unharness. jist hauled the
old red shirt over my head, and war think
in how scrumptious feller of my size
would feel wallerin' round in that ar
water, and was jest bout goin' in, when |
seed the old Deacon's Bull maxim a
B.line to whar stood Iknow'd the old
cuss, for he'd skar'd more people than all
the parsons O. the settlement" and cum
mighty near kiln few. Thinks |, Mike
you're in rather tight place-get your
fxius on, for he'll be drivin' them big
horns O. his in yer bowels afore that time!
Well, you'll hey to try the old varmint
naked, l reck'n. The Bull war on one
side O. the creek and on t'other, and the
way he made the sile" fly for q while,
as if he war diggin my grave, war dis
tressin'!
"Come on ye bellerin, old heathin, said
], and don't be standir thar; for, as the
old Deacon SAYS o',athe devil, "yer not
comely to look on" This kind o'reach-
eahis his andt.e. stn.S and aid made him more
wishous for he hoofed little like, and
made drive. And as don't like to
stand in any body's way,I gin him plenty
sea-room! So he kind O. passed by me
and come out on t'other side; and, as the
Captain o the Mud:Swamp Rangers
would say, "bout face for'nother charge" )"
Though I was ready for i'm this time, ne
come mighty nigh rumin' foul ONE! 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 pull'a
me out on the "sile," and rs soon as'we
war both a. top of the bank old brndle
stopp'd and war about comm round agin
when begin pull'n t'other way. Well, /
reck'n this, kind O. riled him, for he fust
stood stock still and look'd at me for a
spell, and then commenced PAWN and bel
lerin, and the way he made his hind gear
in play in the air, war beautiful! But it
warn't no use, he couldn't tech me, so he
kind O. stopped to get wind for suthin
devilish, as jedged by the way he stared! J!
BY this time, l had made up my mind to
stick to his tail as long as it stuck to his
backbone! / didn't like to holler for
help, nuther, kas it war agin my principle,
and then the Deacon had preachin at his
house, and it warn't far off nuther. l
knew'd if he hern the noise, the hull con-
STeSatlOn WOulu COllio uOWu dbu %
warn't married man, and had kind O.
hankerin arter gal that war thar, didn't
feel as if would like to be seed in that
prcdicament.
$50, says 7, you old sarpent, do yer
cussedcst And so he did; for he drug
Inc over every briar and stump in the field,
until war sweatin and bleedin like fat
bear with pack O. hounds at his heels.
And my name amt Mike Fink, if the old
critters tail and | didn't blow out some
times at dead level with the varmint's
back So you may kalkerlate we made
good time. Bimeby he slackened little,
and then had i'm for spell, for list
dropped behind a stump and thar snubbed
the critter Now, says I, you'll pull up
this 'ere white oak-break yer tail or
jest hold on bit till blow!
aWell, while was settin thar, an idea
struck me that had better be gettin out
o this in some way: But how, adzackly,
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