The Lincoln County herald., 1870-12-08
How Mike Fink Rode Deacon Smiths
Ruli.


Mike took notion to 20 in swimming
and he had j ist got his clothes off when
he discovered Deacon Smiths bull making
at him. The bull is a vicious animal,
aud had come near killing two or three
persons consequently Mike felt rather
"dubus." He did not want to coll for
help, and the nearest place from whence
assistance could arrive was the meeting
house which was, at that time, filed with
worshippers, among whom was "tkc gal
Mike was paying his devours to-" So
he lodged the bull as the animal came a:
him, and managed to catch him by the
tail. He was dragged around until be
was nearly dead, aud when he thought
he could hold out no longer, he made up
his mind he had better "holler.
And now We will let Nike tel bis own
story.
80 looking at the matter 10 oil It's
bearings, l cum to the conclusion Id
better let some one know who was so
gin yell louder than locomotive whis.
tie, and il warn't long before seen the
deacon's two dogs coming down as if they
were seeing which could git thar first
| knowed who they were aiter-they'd d
jine the bull agin me. so, see I, old
briudle, ridin' is as cheap as walkin' on
this route, and if you've no objections,
III jist take deck passage on that ar
back O yourn.' So 1 wasn't very long
gittin' astride Of him.
Then, if YOU'D been there, you'd have
sworn thar was nothing human IN that
mix, the soil flew SO orfully, as the critter
and rolled over the field-one dog got
on one side, and one on the other. trying
to cinch my feet. l prayed and cussed
and cussed and prayed, until couldn't
tell which did last-pnd neither warn't
Of no use, they were so orfully mixed up
"Well, l reckon | rid about half an
hour this way, when old brindlo thought
it was time to stop and take in q supply
OF wind and cool off little. So when
he got round to tree that stood thar, he
naturally halted; SO, scz l, old boy,
you'll lose one passenger, sartin. So |
jist clum branch, kaIkerlating to roOst
there till starved, afore Id be rid about
that way any longer. l war making
tracks for the tree, when l heard some.
thing keep an oreful buzzin' overhead.
| kinder looked up, and If thar wasn't
we'll there's no use in swearin'-bat it
War the biggest hornets nest ever built.
You'll gin in now, Mike, because thar's
no help for you. But an idea struck me
then that l stood heap better chance
ridin' tho bull than where l was. Sez |,
cid feller, if you'll hold on, Ill ride to
the next station snyhow, let that be where
it will.
$50 I jist dropped aboard him agin,
and looked sloft to see what had gained
by changing quarters, and gentlemen I'm
liar If thar wasn't half bushel Of the
stinglu' varmints ready to pitch into me
when the word was gin. Well, reckon
they got it, for all hands started for our
company. Some on 'em hit the dogs,
about a quart struck pe, 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, we
followed; and as was ouly q deck pas
senger, | had nothin' to do with steering
the craft-if l had, we shouldn't have
run in that channel, anyhow. But as |
said before the dogs took the lead,
brindle and | next, and the hornets
dre'kly arter. The dogs yellin', briudle
holerin', and the hornets buzzin' and
stingin.'
SWELL We had got about a hundred
yards from the house, and the deacon
heard US and cum out. l seed him hold
up his hands and turn white l rccken
ho was prayin' then, for be didn't expect
to be called SO soon 4; and it warnt long
neither afo-e the whole congregation
men, women and child. d.en-cum out, and
then all hands went to yell,n'. None Of
them had tho fust notion that brinde and
I belonged to this world. inst turned
my head past the congregation. l seed
the run would be up soon, for brindle
couldn't turn an inch from fence that
stood dead ahead. Well, we reached the
fence, and I went ashore over the whole
critters head, landing on the other side,
and lay there stunned.
ut warn't long afore some Of them a.
wss not scared came runnin' to see whar
l WARRIOR all hands kalkerlated that the
bull and belonged together. But when
brindle walked of by himself, they saw
how it war, and one Of EN- said 1:
"'Mike Fink has got the worst Of the
scrummage once in his life.
"Gentlemen, from that day to this I
dropped the courting biziness, and hahn I
spoke to girl since, and when my hunt
is over upon this earth, there won't be
any more Finks, and it's all owiag to
Deacon Smiths prindle bull"
SINGULAR COINCIDENCE. The strik-
ing resemblance in personal and public
character between Washington and Lee