Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-06-05
Deacon Smiths Bull;

ter, was contemporary with the celebrated
Davy Crockett, and his equal in all thingSap-
pertaining to human prowess. 1t was even
said that the animals in his neighborhood
knew the crack of his rifle, and would take to
their secret hiding places OH the first intima-
tion that Mike was about. Yet strange,
though true, lie was but little known beyond
his immediate settlement
When we knew him he was an old man
the blasts OF seventy winters had silvercd oer
his head aud taken the elasticity from his
limbs, yet in the whole of his life was Mike
never, worstcd, except on one occasion. To
use his own language he never gin up,
to anything, that travelled on two legs or
four, but onceg"
" That once, we want" said Bill Slashcr
as some dozen of us satin the bai-room of the
old tavern in: the settlement. a ~
a." Gin it to ass now, Mike--vou've promis.
ed long enough, and you're old now, and
needn't care" continued Bill. .,rS s4~r
Right, right! Bill" said Mike, "but wcil
open with a Ticker all around, fust, it'll kind
'o'saye my fecliT's reckon
y" Thar that's good. Better than totBcriif
anything" = -.
Well boys" commenced Mike, you may
talk yourscrimmage tight places and such
like, Substract 'cm altogether in one almigh-
ty un and they hain't no moro to be compar-
cd to the one war in than dead kitten to
an old she bar! I've f0ut all kinds o. var
mints, from an lngun down to arattle snake,
and never willin' to quit fust, but onco-and
it was with bull. @ ~. ,.s
=" You see boys, it was an awful hot day in
August and war nigh runnin' off into pure
lie, when | war uainkiR thata dip in the
creek mout save me-. Well thar was mighty
nice spot in old Deacon Smiths medder for
that particular bzziness So went down
m bI,S In t;.,E y
the old red shirt over my head, and war
,thinkin' how scrumptious fellor of,my size
would feel wallcrin' round in that ar'water,
and was, just bout goin' in, when seed the
old Dcacon's bullnakin' a B line to war
stood.i ,t AlT 9. 81 -,-sees ~ ~,
=" knowed the old cuss, for he's skar'd
more people thun all the pcrsons- in tho set-
tlcment, and cum mighty near killing few.
Thinks, Mike you're in rather a tight place;
get your fxins on or he'll be driven them
big horns of his in ycrbowels afore no time.
Well.>yOu'n have to try the old varmint max
cd, reckon. s, -. - :, ~,
The bull was on one side O the creek and
on the other, and the way lie made the sile
fly for while, as if he war n digging my
grave war distressing.n
"Come on, ye bellcrin old hcathen,' said
and don't be a standin' thar for as the old
Deacon says of the, devil, Eyer not comcly to
look uDOn.H
"This kinder reached his understandin,
and made him more wichous for, he hooted
little and made dive. Aud as don'tliko
to stand IA anybody's way gin him plenty
of sea-eoom SO he kind of passed by me
and come.out on the other side ;4and us the
captain OF the mud swamp rangers would
say, "bout face for another charge.p ASH
Thought war ready for him this time he
come mighty nigh running foul ofme Sol
modeup my mind the next time he went out
he wouldn't be alone, So when no passed,
| grappled'his tail, and he pulled me out on
the sile, aud as soon as we war both atop Of
the bank old brinilo stopped and about cum
ming round again, when began pullin' the
other way. 80
We'll, reckon this kind O. fi'ed him, for
he tust stood stock still and hooked at me a
SPELL and then commenced PAWN and beller-
IN, and the way he made his hind gearing
play in the air was beautiful" .-.,..(
+" But itwarn'tn use, he.couldn' ttech mo,
so hc kind o stoppedto got wind for suthin
deSe, .sh, as judged by the way he started,
BY this time. j had made up my mind to stick
to his tail .as. hsng itstacktohis bac,i bones
didn't like 10 holler for help nuther, kase
1t war agin my principles, and the deacon
had preachin ndpraying, at his house and
it want fur offncither. s /; -
90 knowed ifhc kedrR the ,noise,e the huh
congregation would come down.; and as X
warnFt married, and had d kinde o. hnmkeFih
artcr a gal that was thar, / ttidn't feel as. il
would like to be seen in thut ar predica-
ncnt. Nf' g. = 'fF .,A@t -ftt
{" Sosqys 7, yeroId sarpept do your Gus,
sedost. And SO he did; for he drug me oyor
eYery bria-and stump in the feld,until / war
sNweatin and blecdin like fat bar with pack
o hounds at his heels, Aud my name aint
Mike Fink, if the old critters tail and didn't
blow out Nometimes at dead leavel With the
Varmints back. 4, .s......
$50 you may kalkelate we made good
time. Bhneby- he slackenqd his pace, and
then had him fora spell, for jist drapped
behind a stump andthat snubbed the criter.
Now says |, you may pull up this white ouk
st1mp-A-break yer tait--sr Just hold ona bit
"Wcll while war sitting thar, AN idea
struck me that had better 30 gettin out %
this some way. But Hotof exactly was the
pint. II let go and run he'd be foul o. me
sure. 1's i' = - -tF - ~ ~-'s's '~
:. 50 lookin stthe matter in all its bearing
| cum TO the conclusion that III better let
somebody bnolo @haf was. SV 1 Gin a Yell
louderthan d locomotive whistle, and itwain't
long, before seed the Dcacon's two dogs a
comm down like asif they war seem wiiich
could get thar fust. s.s.
knowed who they were arterv-they'd
Jines the bull Ggin ME, | was sartin, for they
were olfnl wenomous and had aspite agln
me. f.,t.,.. : 81 =,
20 So says |, brndle, rs ridin is as cheapos
walkin on this route, if you've no objections,
I'll iist take a deck passage on that ar haeko'
y0tttn. 30 wasn't very long gettift astfidc
of him then If you'd Bin thar, you'd have
sworn thar wafnt nouothin human I'm that
ar mix. the silc few orfully as the efitterdnd