Smyrna times., 1870-02-09
How Mike Rode the Bull.

Mike took a notion to go in swimming, and
had Just got his clothes off, when he saw Dca
con Smiths bull making at him. The bull
was a vicious animal, and had come near kill
ing two or.three persons, consequently Nike felt
" iubuS.
He didn't want to call for help, for he was
naked, and the nearest place from which as
sistance could arrive, was the meeting house,
which was at that time filled with wOrshipcrs,
among them 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 till nearly dead, and when he
thought he could hold 10 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 all its bearings,
| cum to the conclusion that Id better let
some one know whar | was. So yelled loud
er than a locomotive whistle, and it warn't long
before | seed the deacon'S two dogs a comm
down like as if they war seeing which could get
thar first
81 knOw'd who they were ater-they'd line
the bull agin me. So says, old brindle, ridin' is
as cheap as walkin' on this route, if you have no
objections, I'll take deck passage on that ar
back of yourn." So | warn very long Citing
astride of him.
"Thcn, if you d been thar, yOu'd have swore
thar warn't nothing humane in thar ar mix
The sie flew Orfully, as the critter and l rolled
round the feld-one dog on one side and one
on the other, trying to clinch my feet. | pray
ed and cussed, and cussed and prayed, until |
couldn't tell which did at last-and neither
warn't no use, they ware so Orfully mixed up.
swell, | reckon rid about half an hour that
way, when old brinde, thought it was time to
stop and cool off little. So when he got
round to the tree that stood thar, he naturally
halted, so seq old boy, you lose one passen-
ger, sartin, so just clum up branch, kalker-
latlng to roost till L starved afore I'd be rid
around that ar way any longer
4" / war making tracks for the top Of the
tree, when | heard sumthing making an orlul
buzzin overhead. l kinder looked up and if
there wasn't-well, thar's no Vse swearin-
but it war the biggest hornet nest ever built
You'll gin in now, reckon, Mike, cause
there is no help for you.
But an idea struck me then that [ stood o
heap better chance ridin a bull than whar
was Sez 1, old fellow, if you II hold on II
ride to the next station anyhow, let that be wha
it will.
80 | just dropped aboard him again, and
looked aloft to see what had gained by chang
ing quarters, and gentlemen, | I'm liar if there
warn nigh half bushel of the stingin var
mints ready to pitch into me when the word
go was gin. Well, | reckon they got it, fo
all nd1uS SlaTIcu IOT OuE COulpduy' NOuS VI
'em hit the dOgS-about quart struck me, anC
the rest charged on brindle.
This time the dogs led of first, dead hea
for the old deacons, and as soon as old brindlt
and | could get under way we followed, and a
! | was only deck passenger, | had nothin t,
do with steerin the craft; if | had, W.
! shouldn't have run that channel anyhow. Blu
as said before, the dogs took the lead-brin
, die hOllering, and the hornets buzzing ant
! stingng.
"Well, we had got about two hundred yard
e from the house, and the deacon heard us an
p cum out. l seed him hold up his hand an
e turn white. reckon he was prayin then, fo
r he didn't expect to be called for so soon, an,
it warnt long afOre the whole congregation
q men women and children-cum out, and the
u all hands went to yellin.
None of EN- bad the fust notion that briu
/ die aud belonged to this world. just turne
n my head and passed the whole congregation
| seed the run would be up soon, for brndl
% couldn't turn an inch from fence that stOO
e dead ahead. Well, we reached the fence, an
= L went ashore over the critter S head landing o
z the other side, and lay there stunned.
" 1t warn't long afOre some OF them as wa
, Is not scared, cum running$I see what was
for ali hands kalkerated that the bull and l b,
% longed toge her. But when the brindle wall
is ed off by himself, they seed how it war, an
a one of EN- said:
|, Mike : Finck has the worst of scrummal
le once in his life.
ID "Gentemen, from that day dropped Il
cOrrtlng business, and never spoke to gal sine
Is and when my hunt is up on this earth, the
~ wont be any more Hncks, and it's all OWN
TO Deacon Smith brindle bull"