Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-07-19
new Hs Los. HI. ran.

| Gentlemen" said a tall Kentuck
ian, hauling up and leisurely taking
his seat in vacant chair, "don'i
make fun of that thar dog if yoJ
please" and with face of profound
melancholy and touching pathos he
added "unless you want to hurt his
feelings"
ooh, of course not, sir, if you dis.
like it. But pray, how did he come
to be curtailed of his fair proper
lions 2"
"Well, gentlemen, I'll tell you y
said the Kentuckian, replenishine
the capacious hollow of his cheek
with quid of tobacco: "That thar
dog is the greatest bar hunter in
Kaintuck. A few years ago used
to take my rifle and old Riptearer.
Of an afternoon, and think nothing
of killing ten bars. One cold day
in the middle of winter, bein' troub-
led good deal with an old he bar
that used to carry OF our pigs by
the dozen, started out with old
Riptearer, determined to kill the
old rascal or die in the attempt.
Well, arter we'd gone about two
miles through the woods, we, all of
a sudden, came right smack on the
old bar with his wife and three
cubs. l know'd I couldn't shoot
'em all at once, and / knoW'd if /
killed either of the old 'uns t'other
would make at me for could see
that they were mortal hungry. So
says !, rip, whatn we do?' Rip
know'd what / was sayin', and
without waiting to hold any eonfab
about it, he guV a grOwl and pitched
right in among sem. With that l
let fly at the she bar COS i know'd
she was the worst when the cubs
was about. Over she rolled as dead
as mackerel. Rip he hitched on
the he bar and they had a most
mighty tussle for about five min
utes, then the he bar began to roar
enough like blue murder. Irun up
then and knocked his brains out
with the butt end of my rifle. The
cubs was so skeered and cold that
killed 'em ali with my knife. But
Rip itook on terrible about nv
knockin' the old bar on the head.
AT fust l thought he was goin to
tackle on me, and says /, Rip that's
downright ungrateful.' With that he
sneaked off in huff, but could
easily see he was terribly mad vet.
Well, l left the bars on the ground
concluding to call back with the
nelghbors for 'em as soon as / could
let 'em know. On the way home
Rip kept ahead of me. Every time
he thought of how killed the old
bar, his tail would stand right up
on eend-he was so powerful mad. |
1t was getting on to night, and be-
gun to grow freezin' cold. About !
half mile from the house Rip had
come to a halt thinkin' he'd have
another look in the direction of the
bars The scent of 'em raised his |
dander wuss than ever. His tail |
stood right squar up, as stiff as a !
hoe handle. just then it comes on |
colder than ever, aud poor Rips tail |
fritz exactly as it stood. 1t was in a |
bad fiX-I had no fire to thaw il. |
While was thinkin' what / would !
do to get it down again, buck deer |
sprung up and started right over
the fence about fifty yards ahead. |
Rip did not wait to be told whar to /
go, but pitched evil-bent arter the |
deer. L cracked away with nv rifle /
and just raised the fuss between his
horns. AS soon as Rip got to the
fence, he thought he'd make short
cut, so he dashed right through but,
his tail was so brittle it broke off
between the rails. Poor old Rip
was done for good. He never had
no tail to show after that-it broke
his spirits, as well as his tail, and
that's how he come to loose it. And
now, gentlemen, Pm getting little
dry, and if you have no objection,
We'll take horn"