The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-10-19
THE KExTUCK1XN AND HIS DOG.

have good joke to tell you about q
Kcntuckian and his dog. The other day
two young wags, who were sitting under
the porch Of hotel, amused themselves
making facetious remarks on the bypass
erS Presently there came along II tall
raw-boned Kentuckian, with n large rough
dog at his heels, blind Of ono eve, And
without the first symptom Of tail. The
wags were in ecstacies. Here were two
legitimate subjects for fun. The taA.leSS
dog WAS irresistible.
Neighbour said one Of the fEcetious
gentlemen, what sort Of an animal dive
call that He seems to have come from
\ country where tails were scarce
Hush = whispered the other, with an
air Of mystery, don't you know that that's
disguised volunteer from the army Of
occupation, detailed on special dutyr'
Gentlemen, said the tall Kentuckian,
hauling up and leisurely taking his seat
in a vacant chair, don't make fun Of that
thar dog, il you please and with face
Of profound melancholy and touching pa
thos he added, unless you want to hurt
his feelings
'Oh, of course not, sir, il you dislike
it. But, pray, how did he come to be
curtailed Of his proportionsy
well, gentlemen. III tell you, said the
Kentuckiau, replenishing the capacious
hollow Of his cheek with quid Of tobac-
co. That thar dog was the greatest bar
hunter in Kaintuck, few years ago. |
used to take my rifle and old Riptearer, of
an afternoon, and think nothing o killing
ten bars. One cold day in the middle Of
winter, being troubled good deal with
an old hc-har that used TO carry off our
pigs by the dozen, started out with Rip.
tearer, 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 Sudding come right smack on the
old bar, with his wife aud three cubs. |
knOw'd couldn't shoot 'cm all at once,
and knOw'd If killed either of the old
unS, tother would make at me, for could
see they war mortal hungry. So, SEE /,
Rip, whatll we do?" Rip know'd what
was Sayin, and without waitin' to hold
any cOntab about it he guv a growl and
pitched right in among EN-. With that,
let fly Mt the she bar, cos know'd she
was the wust when the cubs was about.
Over she rolled as dend as a mackerel.-
Rip he hitched on to the ae-bar, and they
had u most mighty tussel 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
cened Of my rife The cubs was so
Skeered and cold that killed 'eln all in
two minutes with my knife. But Rip
took on terrible about my knockin' Oft
the old bar OH the head. At fust thought
he was goin' to tackle OH to me, and says
!, rip, that's DOWNRIGHT ungrateful. -"
With that he sneaked off in huff, but |
could easily sec he was terrible mad yet
Well, left the bars all on the ground,
concluding 70 call back with the neigh.
bors for 'eln as soon as | could let q
know. On the way home, Rip kept ahead
Of me. Every time he thought about how
] killed the old bar his tail would stand
right up on eend, he was SO powerful mad.
1t was gcttin' on to night and began to
grow freezin' cold. About half q mile
from the house, Rip he come to halt,
thinkin' he'd have another look back in
the direction Of the bars. The scent If
'em raised his dander wuss than ever
His tail stood right squar up, as stiff as q
hoe-handle. Just then il came on colder
than ever, and poor Rips tail fri1 exactly
as it stood. was in bad FIX. had no
fire TO thaw it. While l was thinkin'
what I'd do to get it down again, . big
buck deer sprung up, and darted right
over fence about fifty yards ahead. Rip
didn't waitto-be told whar to go. but
pitched right arter" the deer. cracked
away with my rifle, and just raised the
fuZz between his horns As soOn IS Rip
got to the fence he thought he'd make q
short cut, so he dashed right through, but
his tail was 80 brittle it broke off between
the rails Poor old Rip was done for
good. He never had tail to show after
that; it broke his spirit as we'll as his tail !;
that's how he come to lose it. And now,
gentlemen, I'm getting little dry, and If
you have no objection we'll take q cock
TAIL
NJ