Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-03-15


them, poured the water out of the scabbar,
Of my revolver and rung out my shirt in 81
lence and deep disgust The animals hat
had allowed little, curly headed Dutch,nan
who complained Of chapped feet to ride hi
laundering, old horse--so he said, but hav,
an idea he stayed back to enjoy my discom
fiture; if he did, what afterwards happened
was served right anyhow. The boys had al
gone on except Tom, myself, and big Jot
Bowers " from Pike. We started and die
not 60 half mile till we came to bayou ol
slough half as large as the river, of which il
was sort Of cutoff. Here we halted; the
boys had gone on with the animals, and see
ing there was no other way, and being already
about as wet as could well get, l plunged
in and waded across, the water reaching al
most to my arm-pits. Tom hestated, hol
locd, to try to make his Dutchman hear and
come back with his horse, but it was all in
vain, the Dutchman was beyond hearing
lie then tried to coax Pike to carry him across
on his back, saying that to get wet would
bring back his rheumatism, and be the death
of him. But Pike couldn't see that having
Tom on his back was going to prevent him
self from getting wet, and he hadn't the least
sympathy for any one who was fool enough
to be "allers a-havin' the rhcum-tis." In
short, turned deaf ear to all of Toms en-
treaties, till he offered to leone out with a
half dollar" whereupon he crawled off the
bank and stood in the water up to his knees,
and Tom, giving me a sort Of triumphant
glance mounted his stced; settling poor Pike
in the mud to the waistband. Pike foundered
along bravely till reaching tie middle of the
stream; where the current being swift, he
began to stagger, and Tom becoming alarmed,
drew up his legs and convulsively wrapped
them about twice round Pixies hips.
I'll! F! murder! snake! snakc!" cried
Pike, striving to run; his eyes rolling and
his lank jaws CHASTITY with despair.
What in thunder do you mean? Don't
try your foolin' with me p cried Tom, cling
ing tighter than ever 5fT
"Snake snake! Oh lord Oh Lord -
snappin- n-tortlel snappin- tortlew yelled Pike,
striving to look behind him. AZ. .. ... t
III you don't stop foolin' and go across"
said Tenn, in determined tone, "I'll beat
the life out of your @ u,
All this time Pike had been whirling round
and round, like pig with the blind staggcrs,
crying out snappin-tortle! tappin-snortle !!
tappin snortle p but now he roared for Tom
to put down his legs
Put down yer legs put down yer inftt-
nal tegs!' ...
But Tom, thinking he intended dumping
him in the slough, clung all the tighter, be-
ing determined that if one went both should
go; and Pike, becoming desperate, yelled in
a voice of mingled wrath and anguish
tell you Tom, put down yer Id legs,
don't you know yer cutting me all to pieces
with yer Internal s." a6
But he was not allowed to finish the word,
for Tom, thinking Pike intended playing him
a trick, had been for some time fighting mad,
and being determined to stand it no longer,
drew back as well as he could and dealt Pike
pretty heavy blow in the mouth forgetting,
in the characteristic blindness of an angry
person, that he was knocking his own foun-
dation from under him for coming altogether
unexpectedly to poor Pike, and while his head
was twisted round in trying to look behind
nc gave heavy lurch backward and both
went out Of sight "bcneath the wave," Tom
underneath. For an instant the water closed
above them, then they emerged, splurging
and spluttering, about four feet apart, and
Tom as soon as he got his hair out of his
eyes sufficiently to see about him, spying
Pike so near him, made furious lungc for
him; but Pike being on his guard stepped
aside and as Tom passed seized him and gave
him such plunge that nc must have went
at least foot into the mud of the bottom Of
the slough, then broke for the shore with
such furious strides as to fairly lift the waters
from their bed and lay bare the bottom.--
Getting to land he waited till Tom, who had
by this time come to the surface, had almost
reached the shore, when he took to his heels
and did not stop till he had gained safe dis
tance from Tom, the furious. ...
Yes, run you cowardly whelp.' cried
Tom, If you had the spunk to stand up like
man I'd pound you to jally you low
lived Pike county skunk !"
"Jist yon stay whar you are, Tom, an
I'll tell you how you wur jist a-killin' me
long O yer" a.1 sr
"Now don't for Gods sake begin tha.
rigmarole again! be man and stand up like
q man, or dry up at once -
But, Tom, yer cut me nearly in two with
yer internal spurs y
Tom looked down at his heels, sure enough
there they were, most formidable pair Of
Spanish spurs, with rowcls half as large as a
dinner plate and sharp as needles he saw it
all in an instant, his countenance cleared mp,
he smiled, then burst into hearty laugh
"Haw- haw Why. Pike, you fool, why
didn't you say 1t was the spurs ~
Say it? why didn't know it myself at
fust, then when did find it out, like a dog
oned fool, yer KEEP a-rayin' so couldn't say
Hr
swell, but should have said it any how"
"Yes, you'd sed thunder an tighten, any
how with about dozen prongs of or big
spur driv to the hilt in yer most vitalcst
parts ~
swell, Pike, you shall keep the half dol
lar to buy salve for your wounds, and IT, you
think we'r square we'll shake hands and cali
il even?' ss0
:" All right! but wish you'd thoughto o.
that afore you made this internal blood-blis-
ter on my lip and looscned my two front
teeth!'' W
! Peace being thus established, wc logged on
to ovcrtake the train; and if you should ever
see Tom Lovel, and should ask him whether
l laughed at his adventure with his Pike
county nag in Carson slough, he would be
pretty apt to reply" 0 no. no chance ~
After leaving the river our road lay for
some three miles over slightly elevated
plain when we reached the mouth Of Eldora-
do Canon, which we found to be dry, tho
49,. - - - te.1