The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-07-30

he will stay and pick about camp-won't
find his way up to the flat at all"
"Well, just as you please, " said Joggles,
pretending some concern; +" butyou know
what Old PiZen is?"
"Yes, know" said Jones; "but Pi-
zen is getting old. | guess he don't thirst
for the fray as in his younger days. L
shouldn't wonder, now, if the old jack
were to whip HMM case they should
| get together" added Jones, laughing.
What!" cried JOggles, turning red,
-" that blamed old jacEaSs whip Pizen?
Not much! I'll bet you Sl00-yes I'll bet
| you S200-be can't whip one side of him.
| Come nOwl"
1.-The trouble is" said Jones, that the
/ jack is in strange place. He might not
/ fight. However, he looks as though
there might be some fight i'm him. If the
| two ever do get together, | rather think
he will make it warm for the broncho."
You do, eh?" said Joggles, "Well, 1
don't. Here, here, nOw-back up your
opinion or take water. Here's $500! I'm
willin' to jist let the animals alone-let
them find their way to each oIher-and
bet this $500 that when they 90
meet, Old PiZen whips-that he eats your
jack up alive! Come, now, Pixley, here,
shall hold the stakes. See me, see me !.
come down! Two hundred goes that Pi-
zen whips!"
Thus urged, 81. P.' covered the coin
in PiXley's hand, and once it was done a
better pleased man than Joggles was nev-
er seen on the Stanislaus. He thought he
had the deadest thing in the world.
The bet made, away ran JOggles to tell
all the boys in the camp what dead
! Z ha ho1 Innnc OH ypin
up with: "Old PiZen'n chaw him up
-chaw him up alive!" The last thing
he said to his dodgers that night, before
he went to bed, was: "Knowin' PiZeI
as he does Jones must be gOin' crazy.
That jack'n be chawed up-chawed up
alive,"
All the evening the jack remained
browsing about the camp, and the next
morning was still Understanding with
head down and eyes closed, dreamingly
moving his ears, and laZily switching his
scanty tail.
Joggles smiled contemptuously every
time he looked at the Oldjack. Standing on
his porch, as the miners of the camp pass
ed on their way down to their claims on
the river, JOggles facetiously inquired
whether any of them would like to back
''that thar ferOciOus beast against Old Pi-
zen LOT dnOtneT SZUU!
At last all the men of the camp were
down on the river at work. About 9
O'Clock in the morning one of the men of
the Buckeye Company happened to go
from the bar up to the bank of the river
for something. A mOmentafter, grinning
gleefully, he called out to those below:
9 The impatient JOggles is going to bring
on the game. There'll be some fun before
long: | see him startin' the old jack along
up the valley toward the fiat. He's on the
sly, and is getting rather keen to see that
fight"
Watching Joggles, he was seen in the
edge of the timber. throwing rocks TO urge
the JACK to move up streak of open
ground that led to the flat between two
groves of pines. Presently he came back
and seated himself on his porch gettinc
up once in a while and stretching his neck
to see if the jack was going in the right
direction. He was dying to have the ami
mails get together.
At last a man who had climbed upon the
bank reported that the jack was not to be
seen, and that ne had no doubt gone over
the ridge into the flat.
All was now excitement among the
men, and Two or three of them were con-
stantly ON the river bank listening for
] L
out that the battle had begun. All hands
hastened to the top of the high, steep bank,
whence was to be had a fair view of the
open ground, leading up to the ridge, be
yOnd which lay the fiat where rOamed the
lighting horse. Although half mile dis
tant a terrible squealing and braying could
be distinctly heard-crieS of rage and pain
from the cOntending animals. a great
cloud of red dust could be seen rising from
the ridge. This cloud, that told of the bat
tie, moved to and fro; sometimes appear
ing to approach quite near to the crest of
the ridge, then again to recede. All this
time there was heard the most fearful
squealng and braying imaginable-some-
times very distinctly, again more family,
as the varying breeze waited the sounds or
as the scene of the battle shifted.
Looking toward the camp, Joggles was
seen jumping up and down and running
frantically about evidently intensely eX-
cited. Soon he was observed to get a lad
der and mount upon the roof of his porch,
and thence to climb to the top of his house.
vainly stretching his neck to obtain view
of the fight.
Tow the cloud of dust was seen to rap
idly approach the crest of the ridge, and
soon it came whirling over it. Then were
seen two dense clouds of dust, both rolling
rapidly i'm the direction of the camp. Wild
snOrts and hOarse brays were heard.
Swiftly the red clouds rolled on, and soon
in the foremost the form of an animal
could be seen. A puff of wind showed
this to be the BronchO-Old PiZen. At
the distance of three or four hundred yards
behind rolled rapidly following cloud. as
we AVE sometimes seen two small whirl-
winds in playful mood. What was this
last cloud could not be seen, but the
Buckeye boys" felt that their jackass
was thar!
Down into the camp charged the terri
fled bronchO, snorting with fear at every
lump and occasionally half turning his
head in order to see if the terrible jack was
still in pursuit. As the frantic horse tore
through the camp with nOStrilS distended,
name flying in the wind, and tail sticking
out straight behind, JOggles was heard
shouting wildly from the roof of his house,
"Whoa, Pizen whoa, PiZenl" But just
at chat moment there was no "whOa in
Old Pizen. Down through the little town
he came-making directly for the bar, as
though il search of human ASST tance.
Straight on he came till he reached the
bank OF the river, here fully twenty feet
! in perpendicular height. AT the bank he
| halted, hesitating to take the fearful leap,
and with eyes starting from their sockets
took one long despairing look behind.
| There came the venOmous and indomitable
jackass, never breaking his steady, rolling
gallOp.
With outstretched neck, ears laid back,
and scant tail whipping up and down with
each bound, on he came. The old brOncho
erected his tail, took one more glance at
his approaching foe, gave a snort of terror,
and leaped from the bank down into the
river. Luckily for him the water was
deep. Rising to the surface he swan to
| the opposite shore, and came out all right
on bar that put out from the bank on that
side. Here he halted, evidently feeling
| himself safe.
The jack thundered on, and came near
plunging into the river before aware of its
presence. But by bracing all aback till
/ his launches almost touched the ground,
he came to halt. But it was only for
moment. Seeing the old broncho on the
/ other shore he stretched out his neck and
| giving diabolical ''yee-haw," unhesitat-
| ingly plunged into the river and diligently
! struck out for the horse.
This reckless and energetic persistence
D - L. H.