Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1870-12-01
AN EXCITING RIDE.
How Mike. Fink Rode Deacon
Smiths Bull.


Mike took a notion to go in swimming
and he bad just got his clothes off when
he discovered Deacon Smiths bull max
ing at him. The bull is vicious animal
and had come near killing two or three
persons, consequently Mike felt rather
''dubus." He did not want to call for
help, and the nearest place from whence
assistance could arrive was the meeting
house which was filed at the time with
worshippers, among whom was 1.-The gal
Mike was paying his devours to-" So he
lodged the bull as the animal came and
managed to catch him by the tail. He
was dragged around till he was nearly
dead, and when be thought he could hold
out no longer. he made up his mind he had
better '.holler.''
And now We will let him tell his own
story:
so, looking at the matter in ali its
bearings, L cum to the conclusion I'd bet
Ger let some one know where was. SO l
give yell louder than Il locomotive whis-
tie, and it war'nt long before | seen the
deacon's two dogs coming down as if they
were seeing which could git thar first. |
knowed who they were arter-they'd jine
the bull agin me. So sez |, old brin-
die, ridin' is as cheap as walkin' on this
route, and if you've no objections, I'll jist
take deck passage ON that ar back o
your'n,' So L wasn't very long Citing
astride of him.
Then, if you'd been there. you'd have
sworn thar war nothing human in that
mix, the sile flew so orfully. as the critter
and | rolled over the field-one dog on
one side, and one on the other, trying to
clinch my feet. prayed and cussed and
cussed and prayed, until | couldn't tell
which did last-and neither warn't of no
use, they were so orfully mixed up.
Well, l reckon | rid about half an hour
this way, when old brindle thought it was
time to stop and take in a supply of wind
and cool off little. So when he got
round to a tree that stood thar, he natural
ly halted SO, scz L old boy, you'll lose
one passenger, sartin. So 81 just clum n
branch kalkalating TO roost there till L
starved before I'd be rid about that way
any longer. / war making tracks for the
tree. when heard something an orcful
buzzin' overhead [ kinder looked up,
and if thar wasn't-well there's no use
swearin'-but it was the biggest hornets
nest ever built. You'll gin. in now Mike,
because there's no help for you. But an
idea struck me that | stood heap bet
ter chance ridin. the bull than whar |
was. Sez I. old feller, if you'll hold on.
I'll ride TO the next station, any how, let
that be wher it will
80 jist dropped aboard him agin
and looked aloft to see what [ had gained
by changing quarters, and gentleman, I'm
a liar if thar wash half bushel of the
singing varmints ready to pitch into me
when the word go was gn. Well ] rcck-
on they got it, for all hands started for
our company. Some on 'em hit the dogs.
about a quarter struck me, and the rest
charged on brindle.
This time the dogs left off fust, dead
bent for the old deacon's, and as soon as
old brindle and could get away, wefol-
lowed and as as was only a deck pas
senger, had nothing to do with stecrin'
the craft-if had, we shouldn't have run
in the channel, any how. But as | said
before, the dogs took the lead, brindle and
| next, and the hornets drek'ly arter. The
dogs yellin,' brindle hollerin, and the hor-
nets buzzin and stingin'
"Well, we had got about one hundred
yards from the house, and the deacon
heard us and cum out. / seed him hold
up his hands and turn white. reckon
he was prayin' then, for he didn't expect
to be called SO soon; and it warn't long
before the whole congregation-men, wo-
men and children-cum out, and then all
hands went to yellin'. None of them had
the fust notion that brindle and | belong
ed to this world. just turned my head
rast the congregation. L seed the run
would be up soon, for brindle could mt turn
an inch from fence that stood dead ahead.
Well, we reached the fence, and l went
ashore over the old critters head, landing
on the other side, and lay there stunned
..It warn't long afore some of them as
was not scared came runnin' to see whar
| war-for all hands kalkerlated that the
bull and | belonged together But when
brindle walked off by himself, they saw
how it war, and one of 'em said:
..Mike Fink has got the worse of the
scrummage once in his life,'"
Gentlemen, from that day to this
dropped the courting business, and hai'nt
spoke to girl since, and when my hunt is
over upon this airth, there won't be any
more Finks. and its all owing to Deacon
Smiths brindle bull"