The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-08-11

the big donkey
In as few words as possible Jones
made them acquainted with the, charac-
ter of the besst. When he had finished
his account OF the scene at the livery
stable, every man Of the Buckeye Com
pany was firmly convinced that the big
jack could "walk the log" of Old Nick
himself, but mum was the word. No hint
of the fighting qualities of the animal
was to go out of the cabin. - aH
Presently Joggles, whose boarding
house was just across the street, espied
the jackass and came over to where he
was being unpacked.
A smile struggled, about the corners
of his mouth as lie came. ..f
Walking up to the beast. and eyeing
him from stem to stern for awhile, Jog.
giles said -s,.a.
"Purty good chunk of ;ackass. Bin
buyin' him ?"
"Well," said Jones, II don't know
We have him on trial. We may buy
him. He is big and strong, and seems
nice and quiet-may be a trife lazy"
Joggles, who seemed to be calculating
about how many mouthfuls he would
make for Old Pizen, at last said: 3.
"Well, yes, he seems rather quiet"
Having unpacked the jack, one of the
"boys'' gave him slap with strap, as
much as to say "You are now at liber.
ty, old fellow go off and enjoy yourself
as you please" '''
"What!" cried Joggles. opening his
eyes in amazement; "you amt goin to
turn that jack loose here? The frs,
thing you know he'll poke off up to the
fiat where Old Pizen is. Then he'll be 8
dead jack as sure as you live! Why
he wouldn't make mouthful for Pi.
zenw
"Well,I don't know" said Jones 'the
jack is very quiet old fellow, and !
guess Old Pzen won't think him worth
! bothering with. Besides, the chances
are that he will stay and pick about the
camp-won't find his way up to the fiat
at ALL !" n s'...f
"Well, just as you please" said Jog.
giles. s.prelending-some concern; "but you
know what Pizen is"
"Yes, 1 know" said Jones; "but Ii.
zen is getting old. guess he don't
thirst for the fray as in his younger days
Ishonldn't wonder, now, if the old jack
were 20 whip--in case they should gel
together" added Jones, laughing.
| .sWhatr cried Joggles, turning red
''that blamed old jlckass whip Pizen p
Not much! !! I'll bet you S100-yes, / Il
bet you S200-he can't whip one side oI
him! Come, now!" haa I'll
"The trouble is," said Jones, "that the
jack is in a strange place. He might moi
fight. However,he looks as though there
might be some fight in him. If the two
ever do get together, l rather think eel
make it warm for the broncho."
"You see, sir" said Joggles. "Well,
don't. Here, here, now-back up your
opinion OF take water. Here's S200!-
I'm willin to jist let the animals alone
let them find their way to each other
and / het this 5000 that when they do
meet Old P,z,n whips-tha. he eats youl
jack up alive! Come, now, Plxley here
shall hold the stakes. See me! see me
come down! Two hundred goes thai
Pizen whips"
Thus urged, 81. p" covered the coir
in Pixley's hand. and once it was done .
better pleased man than Joggles was
never seen on the Stanislaus. HI
thought he had the deadest thing in the
world. s.rsn 7f' of -}ir
The bet was made, away ran Joggle:
to tell all the "boys" in the csmp what q
dead thing he had on Jones; always
winding up with: "Old Pizen'll chav
him up-chaw him up alive!" The las
thing he said 10 his dodgers that night
j wasf:9iis7 Rsf"s fG - tE i'h
z."Knowin' Old Pizen as he,does, Jones
must be goin' crazy: That jack IL b.
chawed up-chawed up alive!"
j All the evening the jack remained
browsing about the camp, and the mex
morning was still Understanding witt
head down and eyes closed, dreamil,
moving his ears and lazily switching hi
scanty tail. s.a. -
j Joggles smiled contemptuously every
time he looked at the old jack Standin!
on his porch, as the miners of the CAM
}, passed on their way down to their claim
: ON the river, Joggles facetiously inquir
ed whether any of them would like II
back "that thar ferocious beast agains
!, Old Pizen for another S200?"
At last all the men of the camp wer
!, down on the river at work. About min
, o'clock in the morning one OF the me-
of the Buckeye Company happened to g
, from the bar up to the bank of the rive
, for something. A moment after, grin
ming gleefully, he called out to those be
, low: -g0.s - fig5saEs
"The impatient Joggles is going t
bring on the game. There'll be som
fun before long l see him startin' til
old jack along up the valley toward til
, fat He's on the sly and rather keen t
!, see that fight"
t Watching Joggles, he was seen in th
edge of the timber, throwing rocks t
urge the jack to move up a streak c
open ground that led to the q at betwee
T two groves of pines. Presently he cam
! back and seated himself on his porct
, getting up once in while and stretching
} his neck to see if the jack was going i
: the right direction. He was dying t
( have the animals get together.
5 At last man who had climbed upo
the bank reported that the jack was nc
5 to be seen-and that he had no dout
t gone over the ridge into the fiat.
e All was now excitement among th
+, men, and two or three of them were COZ
5 stantly on the river bank listening fc
] sounds of fray. Presently they erie
e out that the battle had begun. All hand
:. hastened to the top of the high, stee
bank, whence was TO be had fair vie
S of the open ground leading up to th
bridge, beyond which lay the fiat wher
e roamed the fighting horse. AI,houg
7 half mile distant, a terrible squealin
y and braying could be distinctly heard
g cries Of rage and pain from the contend
;, ing animals. A great cloud of red du;
z could be seen rising from the ridge
This cloud, that told of the battle, move
to and fro; sometimes appearing to al
n proach quite near to the crest of IL
o ridge, then again to recede. All th