The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-01-05
The Bull Beat.

as he espied old Babcock's big red bull lum.
bering over gates and fences, and making a
"bec line" for our COW yard. "Blast him !
do sayl There goes two panels Of the new
fence, smash, and cuss him, there he goes
! right over the grindstone through the cab
bage patch--sm in.m.ack into the COW
yard "
why the devil don't you set the dogs on
him, Uncle Jess Z" ventured to observe as
the whole family, big and little--Aunt Katy
and the whole co.iluke Of the boys and gals
throngedthe door, to see Babcock's bull
perioria htauslomary destruction V get M.
TO Urck Jess t6sf .ysrd. e
Dogs bc hsagedl Thsy wo1'y tseh him;
fcar'd Of him a death !"
SHOOT the ugly cuss, then, Uncle Jess"
"Shdot hin sllaint tried that! Pep
percd him one morning with my double bar
relied gunApIYt Of shot; no ne, the eussed
crittcr .Snded Il no more than he does the
flies tai dog.rotted ef stand it much
longer I've complained Of himio Babcock,
nigh on to forty times SO have the neigh
bors Babcock swears he can't keep the
bull in--knocks down everything, and Glars
out Jest when he's min to-"
"Uncis Jess" says !, am moor him, or
put him TO his trumps, if you'll stand the
damages"
Damages, Lord bless me, haint ! stood
EN- these twelve monthsY Damages Ef
you'll drive him of, Dick, I'll give you the
sorrel colt and a pair o boots, Christmas,
be hanged ef don't !"
"Ili try" saysI, taking up my gum and
loading il with a double handful OF bucksho,
and powder, and calling the dogs, | started
! for the COW yard, met the two gals, with
empty pals, cursins like troopers old Bah.
! cock Wild bull.
Looking over the fence, espied the bull
amusing himself with ieats Of jugglery,
tossing up Uncle Jess ay.ricks, unhlngng
| barn doors, and tossing them upon his broad
horns as easy and delighted as boy with u
| shu,,lecoek.
"Now, old bull, I'll give you merry
/ pandcm0niuin in the rear, and then set The
! dogs on you while cousin Jake and the
Dutch boy will charge with pitchlorks and
/ give you its at once
! TO make sure thing Of it, | climbed over
the bars, to get nearer to the bull, who sus-
| pici0ned something was going on, turned his
ugly face towards and came at me. let her
rip, gave him the pop bang | had intended
ed, Of course, had done his knit,ing--cx.
pected to see him fall down; but no sir,
he merely shook his head, the shot rolled oil
like drops Of sweat he turned up his wall.
eyes, cooked up his tail, aud giving one roar
and snort, he charged bayoucts with his
horns at the bars carried them easy my
self, cousin Jake, and the Dutch boy, with
the two dogs, were standing behind the
fence. and before you could say smear
case" lac bad US One dog was knocked
into the middle Of last summer, the other
scootcd, Jake fell over the Dutch boy, and
very suddenly over the fence! Babcock 5
bull was master OF the field, aud looked
about him, with the ludicrous brayado OF a
drunken prizc.fghter in a Quaker meeting,
he seemed TO say
"Well this is deuccd fight"
And then, TO assuagc his irri,atcd bump
Of dcStructiycness, he pitched into the
fence. and throw j, pretty much all over the
cow-yard sud road.
Uncle jess viewed all these proceedings
and in spite OF the expense roarcd out
Come in, come in Hen kill the whole
cusscd team Of you lia ha, ha Com
in, before the rain drowns you, too, you
tarnal fools, YOU"
a thunderstorm had been coming up for
the previous hour, aud nov it burst, over
us, the rain falling in scattered drop, liz
us hickory nuts, and the thunder began 10
roll long and loud. One Iddcn crack and
roar Of Heavens artillery seemed to impress
the bull with the notion tha; il was popping
away at him again but seeing nobody
about, he gave a yalorous roar Of dctan C.
paved up the littci, and strodc oil towards
some Of the 'sooks," and "briniles,' under
a huge old white-oak tree, near the road 49,
And his bullship mus. needs have the tree tc
himself so he in,mated to his icmal,
friends, in the most pointed manner with
his horns-that they mast siide, and they
did, leaving old Babcock's bull with his sta
wart side against the body Of the tree -
Again the thundcrs rolled and roared, ant
again bull looked around 10 see il any pop
, guns, dogs, Dutchmen or fences wer,
sneaking about. ready to he knocked into
cooked hats; satisfied that it was all gas, hc
. resumed his amusement and gave a low
sucn roa- TO each humble rumble Of thun
+ der. But now cloud as black as ink low
cred over the head Of Babcock's bull, and
bursting with one of those awful and deaf
; ening peals Of double distilled thunder; tn,
top Of the gigantic tree crackcd-was rem
asunder, while ball of fire seemed to rur
down the tree, ripping its massive trunk
and dashing the splinters about like chat
, before the wind.
"Thar, thar, boys, by Jim and Neddy
,, the old bulls got it !" roarcd Uncle Jess
For my part, the lightning had blinded
me as stood on the piazza. two hundred
!, yards from the tree but looking over to TIT
! spot, there lay Bsbcocks bull, stretched fla
as hoe.cake knocked clear as a whistle
, through the heavy and high worm stake an,
, rider, fence, into the road The rain wa
+ now descending in glorious stylc--it rcvivc'
i, the bull, for he got MP after considcrab
!. formality, stretched himself very ei,urely
, bumped up his back until he looked like
camel, then up went his tail, perpendicular
he wheeled around to ste what he could sec
, looked at the fence, then at the tree, smel
, the earth, and looking all arounl very va
cantly, he seemed to say, after much deli
beration--
, "Well, I'll be darned if you hadn't m
!, that tftne ii-------
, And then putting IN his best lcks, he Gu
i for home, over the fences, hedges and ditch
es, and never from that day to this, tw
years ago, has Babcock's old bull ever com
within a mile and a half Of Uncle jess
|, plantation. The last fire knocked him.
) NATURAL BARoMETERs.- Rs.-Chick.w weed is al
excellent barometer. When the flower ox
5 pands fully, we are not to expect rain 70
T. several hours; should it continue in tina
, state, no rain will disturb the summer
y day. When it half conceals its miniatur
n flower, the day is generally showcry; but
= it entirely shuts up, or wells the white flow
= or with its green mantle, let the traveller pu
on his great.coat. The different species G
!, trcfoils always contract their leaves at tn
approach Of storm so certainly does thi
u take place, that these plants acquired tn
n name of the husbandman's barometer. Til
y tulip, and several Of the compound yello,
e flowers, all close before rain. There is
!. species of wood.sorrel which doubles il