Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-07-15
SeIeft Stnru.
HOW NIKE RODE THEBULL

OAiho tooh ~ eioH " ~ LII oWimuiuS
and be had just got his clothes off when
he saw Deacon Smiths bull making at
him. The bull as a vicious animal, and
had come near killing two or three per-
sons, consequently Mike felt rather .ju-
bus 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 withworshippers, among whom was
the gal Mike was paying his devours to ,
So he lodged the bull, as the animal came
at him, and managed to catch him by the
tail. He was dragged rouLd till nearly
dead, and when he thought he could hold
on no longer, he made up his mind he had
better heller. Aud now we will let him
tell his own story:
so, looking at the matter in all its
bearings, cum to the con ;lusion that I'd
better let some one know whar was. So
I gin yell, louder than locomotive
whistle, and it warn't long before | seed
the deacon's Two dogs coming down like
as if they war seeing which could get thar
first. [ know'd who they were AFTER
they'd jine the bull ag'in me. So SEE
[, odd brindle, as ridin' is as cheap as
walkin' on this route, if you've no OBJ
Jections, I'll jist take deck passage on
that ar back o yourn.' So warnt very
long Citing astride of him. Then, if you'd
been thar, you'd have sworn thar warn't
nothing human in that ar mix, sile flew SO
orfully, as the critter and [ rolled round
the fcld-one dog on one side, and one
on the other, trying to clinch my feet. |
prayed and cussed, and cussed and pray
ed until l couldn't tell which l did at last
and neither warn't of no use, they were
so orfully mixed up.
Well | reckon I rid about half an hour
this way, when old brindle thought il
was time to stop to take in a supply o.
wind and cool off little, So when We
got round to tree that stood thar, be
naturally halted, SO seq 1, old boy, you'll
Jose enc passenger. sartin So jist clum
up branch. kalkerlating to roost till l
starved afore I'd be rid round that ar way
any longer. l war maxim tracks 70,
the top Of the tree, when l heard suthin' a
maxim an orful buzzin' overhead.
kinder looked up, and if thar wasn't
well, thar's no use swearin'-but it war
the biggest hornets nest ever bilt You'll
gin in now reckon, Mike, cause there's
no help for you. But an idea struck me
then that I stood heap better chance a
ridinthe bull than whar l was. seq |, ole
Teller, if you'll hold on, I'll ride to the
next station anyhow. lei that be whar il
will.
80 I jist dropped aboard him agin, and
looked aloft to see what had gained by
changin' quarters, and gentlemen, I'm a
liar, if thar warn't nigh half hushel Of
the stingin' varmints ready to pitch inte
me when the word go was gin. Well,
reckon they got it, for all hands started
for our company. Some on 'em hit the
dogs-about quart struck me, and the
rest charged on brindle.
This time the dogs led off fust, dead
bent for the old deacon's, and as soon as
old brindle and I could get under way
we followed, and as | was only deck
passenger, l had moth in to do with steer
in the craft; if l had. we shouldn't have
run that channel anyhow Bnt, as
said before, the dogs took the lead-briu.
die and | next, and hornest dre'kly arter
The dogs yellin'-brindle holerin', and
the hornets buzzin' and stingin'.
We'll, we bad got about two hundred
yards from the house, and the deacon
heard us, and cum out seed him hole
up his hand, and turn white. reckon
he was prayin' then, for he didn't expec
to be called for SO soon, aud it warn
long neither afore the whole congregation
men, women and children cum out,