The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-08-06
Chr Albanp 8eoister.
Baycd by bulldogs.
A TOUGH YARN OF AN OLD TEXAN
HUNTER.


ulon Stump-or sold Zeb Stump" US he
was better known among his hunter con-
freres.
have been all my life fond Of listen
ing to tales of adventure, in which wild
animals played part; and, whenever
opportunity occurred, have solicited the
telling of them. In NY notebook find
more of these tales accredited to Zeb
Stump than any other man and perhaps
no other man ever met by me was capa-
bic, from his own experience, of relating
so many.
| will not answer for their being all
strictly true though despite his "queer-
ness,'' Zeb had reputation for yaracity,
and the worst ever alleged against him
was little axaggeratiou. The truth is
that he enjoyed the telling of an adven-
turous tale, as much rs his hearers did
the listening to it; and he could scarce
have excelled as story teller, without
dealing in little Establishment.
One day we were turkey hunting to-
gcther in the Mississippi bottom, not far
from his own domicle, which was sim
ply the cavity Of a hollow tree We had
enjoyed i forenoon of toleKlbly fair sport;
and, seated upon log, well shaded by
the oyertoPping cottonwood, were recruit
ing our strength with a sspone' of corn
bread and chunk of boiled bacon,
that Zeb, ever provident on such occa-
sions, had drawn forth from his wallet.
After satisfying the inner man, l had
offered him cigar, which he declined
on the excuse, that he callers purfarrcd
pipe" He made no objection, how
ever to joining me in stomachic, which
| was wont to take along with me ON these
excursions, in the shape of flask of old
cognac brandy. Although unaceustomed
10 this particular spirit, Zeb pronounced
it good !; better'n n any corn" he'd ever
tasted.
After the second pull at the pewter -
| observed that it produced a pleasant ef-
feet upon him and, seeing him III this
cheerful mood, determined on drawing
from him Il story-some adventure with
wild animals, feline OF ursine-of which
l knew the old hunter to have his
share.
Deity setting my trap, soon had him
into it.
Ye may talk bout yur bars began
he, "an yur painters, an other wild beests
bein' dangerous, an so they ur, unner
sartin sarkimstances, ez this chile hez
reezun to know. But war oncest in a
serape wi anymal as air konsidered
tame, not moron sixt' part the size o.
eythcr bar or painter. An when l say a
scrape, l mean ngly 'un /; preehaps the
ugliest ever CHANGED to this hyar chile,
an he hev fit both bar an painter, to say
nuthin' O. wounded buck, which air some
times wuss than BOTH
"a tame animal :"
"a tame anymal; an not much larger
than tom cat, at that"
l can't think of what animal you
mean"
''lYait. young fellur, au' you Il hear all
bout the eritter I'am speakin' o."
The old hunter had the knack of tell
Ing story, in such. a way as to bring out
its points in their proper places. Know
ing this, consented to be silent.
:" 'Twar bout three years ago, on my
first trip to Texas. | went to see how
the new country 'ud SCOT me an it did,
: for l intended goin' back there putty
soon. Wal, / landed on the island O.
Galveston. an from thar I went up Buff
falo bayou, to the town O. Hewston.
"Thar war fellow at Hewston who d
gone out from Tennersee. | used Is
know hem, when we were yung 'uns the
either am IN coorso l wanted to find
him They tolt me he wa MT in the town
but out at place bout three miles off
on the purraira, whar thar wur q esteb
lishmcnt KEEP by an Englishman, for tht
KILN o cattle. My ole chum he'd somt
sort O post unner this Britisher to which
the slaughterin' yurd belonged.
al started off in search Q, the place
goin' afut for l wa mt rich enuf to pur
vide me VII beest, tho kud bough
one o. the best for a ten-dollar bill. Nive
mind bout thes. | rud upon shank
mare, which l alters purfars, anyhow
specially when huutin' Hoses sSeer
the game.
at war bout twelve O. the clock whel
/ reached the cattle KILN establishment
Thar wa mt no house, nor the show O. any
thin like one-ceptin' sort O kiverc,
shed, whar they slowed away tie hides G
the cattle they killed for it war them
an not the meat, that the bizness wa
carried on for. All roun' the shed run
fence made o. posts set on thar eends
that reck'u they must "a hauled a goo
ways for thar want stick % timme
to be seed anywhere within miles o. tn
place. In this fence spied gate, jes
the same as the rest o. the incloseyul
only I knew it by q pair O. posts raisin'
leetie< higher up than the fence itself.
ssTorst this gate l deereckted m
steps.
fThar want human in sight, eythe
outside the fence or inside o. it. But
knew it war the slaughterin' place.
kud tell that afore I'd got 'ithin half
niIe o,it, by the stinkeo' the skins
81 fouu' the gate upon the letch ]
war double one; SO openin' one half
slept inside, an looked about me.
"1 kedn't see critter o. any kint
Thar want the show O tho livin' thin
neythur about the yard, nor unner. th
shed, which last war open all roun'.
war clar that the encloseyur war desar
ed.
"tZeb Stump, sez to myself, ye'y
he'd yur long walk for nothin', an unne
n darned sweaty sun too. 1t air ella