The Gonzales inquirer. [volume] (Gonzales, Tex.) 1853-current, 1854-04-15
How He Lost His Tail.

Gentlemen said tall Kentuckian, haul
ing up, and leisurcly taking his seat in va
cant chair, don't make fun Of that thar dog
If you please" and with face of profound
melancholy and touching pathos, he added
"unlcss you want - hurt his fcclins"
"Oh, Of course not, sir, If you dislike t.
But pray how did he come to bc 'curtaed of
his fnir proportionsf"'
We'll, gentlemen, III tell you," said the
Kcntuckian, rcpenshng the capacous hollow
of his check with quid of tobacco. "That
thar dog was the greatest bar hunter Of Kahn
tuck. few years ago. used TO take my
rifle and old Riptearer, of Nh afternoon, and
think nothing of killing ten bars. One cold
day in the middle Of winter bcin' troubled n
good deal with IN old he bar that used to car
ry oil our pigs by the dozen, started out with
Riptcarer, determined to kill the old rascal or
die in the attempt. Well, arter we'd gone
about two miles through the woods, we all Of
n sudden came right smack on the old bar.
with his wife and three cubs. know'd |
couldntShoot 'cm all at once, and know'd if
| killed either Of the old uns, tother would
make at me, for could see they werc mortal
hungry. So, says ], rip. whatll we do?"
Kip know'd what was sayin, and without
waitin' to hold any confab about II, he guy a
growl, and pitched right in among 'cn. With
that let fly Mt the she bar, cos know'd she
was the wust when the cubs was about Over
She rolled as dead rs a mackerel. Rip, he
hitchcd on the he bar, and they had most
mighty tussle for about five minutes, when the
bar begun TO roar enough like blue murder
run up then and knocked his brains out with
the but end Of my rifle. The cubs were so
skeered and cold that killed 'em all In about
two minutes with my knife. But Rip took on
terrible about my knockin of the old bar on
the head. AT fust thought he was goin' to
tackle on me, and says /, rip, that's down
right ungintcfnl." With that, he sneaked of
in n huff but could easily see he was terri.
bly, mad yet. Well, LEFT tho bars all on the
ground, concluding to call back with the neigh
bors for EN- rs soon as could let 'em know.
On the way home, Rip KEEP ahead of me- -
Every time he thought how killed the old
bar, his tail would stand right up on cend---he
was so powerful mad, IL was gettin' on to
night, and began to grow fieczn' cold About
half mile from the house, Rip, he come to n
halt, thinkin' he'd have another look back in
the direction Of the bars. Tho scent of 'em
raised his dander wuss than over. His tail
stood right squar up, as stiff as n hoe handle.
just then it come on colder than ever, and
poor Rips tail iriz exactly as it stood was
in bad tlx-I had no fire TO thaw it, While
was thinking what I'd do To get il down
again, a big buck sprung up and dartcd right
over II fence about fifty yards ahead Rip did
not wait to be told whar to 20, but pitched
hell-bent arter the deer. cracked away with
my rifle, and just raised the fuzz between his
horns. AS soon as Rip got to tho fence, he
thought he'd make short cut, so he dashed
right through, but his tail was so brittle il
broke off between tho rails. Poor old Rip
was done for good. He never had tail tc
show after that-t broke his spirit as well as
his tail, and that's how he come to lose it,
And now, gentlemen, I'm gcttin' little dry
and if you have no objection, we'll take a horn
~ y Mirror