The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-06-24
HOW MIKE ROBE THE BULL.

Mike took notion to go in swimming,
and he had just got his clothes off, when
he saw Deacon Smiths bull making at
him. The bull was a vicious animal,
and had come near killing two or three
persons, consequently Nike felt rather
'Jubua" He didn't want to call for help,
for he was naked, and the nearest place
from whence assistance could arrive, was
the meeting house, which was at the time
filled with worshippers, among whom was
the ''Sal Mike was paying his deyours to-"
80 he dodged the bull, as the animal
came at him, and managed to catch him
by the tail. He was dragged round till
nearly dead, and when he thought he
could hold on no longer, no made up his
mind he had better holler." And now we
will let him tell his own story
$50, looking at the matter in all its
bearings, cum to the conclusion that I'd
better let some one know whar was. So
L gin yell, louder than a locomotive
whistle, and 1t warn't long before l seed
the deacon's two dogs coming down like
as II they war seeing which could get thar
first. l know'd who they were arter-
they'd jine the bull ag'in' me. So,' sez /,
old brindle, as ridin' is as cheap as walk
IN on this route, if you've no objections,
III Jlst take deck passage on that ar
back O. yourn.' So l warn't very long
CITING astride of him. Then, if you'd
been thar, you'd have sworn thar warn't
nothing human in that ar nlir, the sile
flew SO orfully, as the critter and rolled
round the feld-one dog on one side, and
one on the other, trying to cIinch my feet
l prayed and cussed, and cussed and
prayed, until | couldn't tell which did
at last-and neither warn't of no use, thew
were SO orfully mixed up.
''WeH l reckon I rid about half an
hour this way, when old 5rindle thought
1t was time to stop to take in a supply of
wind and cool off a little. So when we
got round TO a tree that stood thar. he nat
urally halted, SO SEE, ! old boy, you'll lose
one passenger sartin. SO | jist clum up
branch, kalkerlating to roost till starved
atore I'd be rid round that ar way any
longer. war maxim tracks for the top
of the tree, when heard suthin' maxim
an orful buzzin' overhead. 1 kinder
looked up, and if thar wasn't-weI, thar's
no use swcarin'-but it war the biggest
hornets nest ever bilt. You'll gin in
now reckon, Nike, cause there's no
help for you. But an idea struck me then
that stood heap better chance a ridin'
the bull than whar L was. Sez l, old fell
Ter, if you'll hold on, I'll ride to the noxt
station anyhow, let that be whar it will.
80 Jlst dropped aboard him agin, and
looked aloft to see what / had gained by
chaneln' quarters. aud, gentlemen, I'm a
Har, II thar warn,t nigh half bushel of
the stingin' varmints ready to pitch into
me when the word 'go' was gin. WeU.
reckin they got it, for 'aIl hands started
for our company. Some on 'em hit the
dogs-aoout quart struck me, and the
rest charged on b;indIe.
"Ihis time the dogs led off fust, dead
bent for the old deacon's, and as soon as
Old orlndle and l could get underway we
followed, and as | was only a deck pass-
eDger, had nothin' to do with steerin'
the craft if | had, we shouldn't have run
that channel anyhow. But, as 1 said
before, the dogs took the lead-brindle
and l next, and the hornets dre'kly arter.
The dogs yellin'-brindle hollerin,' aud
'he hornets buzzin' and stingin.'
"Weil, we had got about two hundred
yards from the house, and the deacon
heard us, and cum out. i seed him hold
up his hand, and turn white. Ireckon he
was prayin' then, for he didn't expect to
Dc called for SO soon, and it warn't long
neither afore the whole congregation
men, women and children-cum out. and
then all hands went to yellin.' None of
'em had the fust notion that brindIe and
belonged to this world. / just turned INV
head and passed the whole congreeation
seed the run would be up soon, for brip-
die couldn't turn an inch from a fence tba,
stood dead ahead. Well, we reached that
fence, and l went ashore, over The whole
critters head, landing on the other side.
and lay there stunned.
"It warn't long afore some of them "a
was not scared, cum runnin' to see whay