Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-07-14
How Mike Rode the Bull.

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Deacon Smiths bull making at him. The
ball was vicious animal, and had come near
killing tf7o or three persons, consequently
Mike felt rather '.iubus.' 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
that time filed with worshippers, among
whom was the ''gal Mike was paying his
devours too. So he lodged the bull, as
the animal came at him, and managed to
catch its tail. He was dragged round till
nearly dead, and when he thought he could
stand it no longer he made up his mind to
holler. And now we viii let him tell his
own story:
80. looking at the matter in all its bear
ings, | cum to the conclusion that L d better
let some one know whar was. So gin 4
yell, louder than locomotive whistle, and
it warnt long before | seed the deacon 5
two dogs coming down like as if they were
seeing which could get thar first. know d
who they were arter-they d jne the bull
agin me- So, seq [, old brindle, as ridin' is
as cheap as walkin' on this route, if you We
no objections, I'll just take a deck passage
on that ar back of yours. So warn't very
long getting astride Of him. Then, if you d
been thar, you have sworn that thar
warn't any thing human in that ar mix, F"
the sile few so orfuly as the criiter and |
rolled round the tield-one dog on one side,
and one on the other, trying to clinch my
feet. | prayed and cursed, and cursed
and prayed, until [ coalda't tell which
did last, and neither warnt of no use,
they were so orfully mixed up.
''Well, | reckon rid about half an hour
this way, when old brindie thought it time
TO stop to take in supply of wind and cool
off little So when we got round to a tree
that stood thar, he naturally halted, so sez
|, old boy, you Il lose one passenger sartin.
So | jist clum up a branch, kalkcrlating to
roost till starved afore I'd be rid around
that ar way any longer. | war a making
tracks for the top of the tree. when heard
suthin' maxim an orful buzzin overheard.
kinder looked up, and if thar wasn't
well, thar no use sweaTin but it war
the biggest hornets nest ever bilt. You Il
gin in now | reckon, Mike, cause thar's no
help for you. But an idc struck me then
that stood heap better chance a ridin
the bull than whar | was. Sez ], old teller,
if you Il hold on I'll ride to the next station
anyhow, let that be whar it will.
So 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 bushel of the
stingin' varmints ready to pitch into me
when the word go was gin. Well. | reck-
on 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 fur the old deacon sand as soon as old
brindle and | could get under way we fol-
lercd, and as | was only deck passenger, /
had nothin' to do with steerin the craft; il
| had. we shouldn't have run that channel
anyhow But, as | said before, the dogs
took the lead-brindle and | next, and the
hornets Dire ky arter. The dogs yellin
brindle holleriu, and the hornets buzzin
and stiDgin'.
We'll, we had got about two hundred
yards frour the house, and the deacon heard
us and cum out. | seed him hold up his
hand, and turn white. / reckon he was
prayin' then, for he didn expect to be
called for so soon and it warn t long afore
the whole congregation-men, women and
children-cum out. and then all hands went
to yellin'. None of EN- had the fust notion
that brindle and belonged to this world. |
just turned my head and passed the whole
congregation | seed the run would be up
soon, for brindle couldn't turn an inch from
a fence that stood dead ahead. Well, we
reached that fence, and | went ashore, over
the critter head, landing on the other side,
and lay there stunned.
1T warn long afore some of them as
wasn't stared cum runnin to see whar | war,
for all hands kalkcrlated that the bull and |
belonged together But when brindle walk
ed off by himself. they seed how it war, and
one of EN- said Mike Fincke has got the
scrummage once in his life.
Gentlemen, from that day dropped the
courting bizness, and never spoke to gal
since, and when my hunt is M on this earth
there won't be any more Fineks, and its all
OWN to Deacon Smiths brindlc bull
The tyrant fashion makes us slaves, the
tyrant fashion digs our graves Last month
| had a sweet young friend, q maityr to the
''Grecian Bend T. her doctor said her ''spi
nal marrow had really grown as fat as tallow;
he plastered, blistered did leach and cup,