Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-08-07

donkey.
In as few words as possible Jones
made them acquainted with the char
acter of the beast. When he had
finished his account of the scene
at the livery stable, every man in the
Buckeye Company was firmly con-
vinced 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 90 out of the cabin.
Presently Jogglcs, whose board
ing house was just across the street,
espied the .jackass, and came over to
where he was being unpacked.
A smile struggled across the cor
ners of his mouth rs he came.
Walking up to the beast and eye
ing him from stem to stern for a time,
Joggles said:
"Purty good chunk of a jackass.-
Bin buyin' him?"
"Well," said Jones, 81 don't know.
We have him on trial. We may buy
him. He is big and strong, and
seems nice and quiet-may be trifle
lazy"
Joggles, who seemed to be calcu-
lating about how many mouthfuls he
would make for Old Pizen, at last
said:
"Well, yes, he seems rather quiet -
Having unpacked the jack, one of
the "boys' gave him slap with a
strap, as much as to say: "You are
now at liberty, old fellow; 60 offand
enjoy yourself as you please"
"What!'' cried Joggles, opening
his eyes in amazement. "You amt
going to turn that jack loose here?
The first thing you know he'll poke
off to the fiat where Old Pizen is.
Then he'll be a dead jack as sure as
you live! Why, he wouldn't make a
mouthful for Pizenw
"Well, don't know" said Jones,
"the jack is very quiet old fellow,
and guess Old Pizen won't think
him worth bothering with. Besides,
the chances are that 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;
''bnt you know what Old Pizen is.''
"Ycs, l know" said Jones; "but
Pizen 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 to-geth-
er," added Jones, laughing.
"Whatr' cried Joggles, turning
red, "that blamed old jackass whip
Pizen? Not much! I'll bet you
$lo0-yes, I'll bet you S2OO-he
don't whip one side Of him! Come,
now!"
"The trouble is" said Jones, "that
the jack is in a strange place. He
might not fight. However, he looks
as though there might be some fight
in him. If the two ever do get to.
gether, rather think he'll make it
warm for the broncho."
"You do, eh?" said Jogglcs
"Well, l don't. Here, here, now
back up your opinion or take wa
ter. Here's 5000! Pam willin' to
iist let the animals alone-let them
find their way to each other-and ]
bet this 5000 that when they dc
meet, Old Pizen whips-that he eats
up your jack alive! Come now, Pix
ley here shall hold the stakes. Sec
me, see me! come down! Two hun
dred goes that Pizen whips''
Thus urged, 81. p" covered the
coin in Pixley's hand, and once i,
was done a better pleased man thar
Joggles was never seen on the Stan
islaus. He thought he had the dead
est thing in the world.
The bet made, away ran Joggle:
to tell all the ''boys'' in the camp
what dead thing he had on Jones
always winding up with-"Old Pi
zen'll chaw him up-chaw him W
alive!" The last thing he said to hi'
dodgers that night, before he went tc
bed was: "Knowin' Pizen as h.
does, Jones must be goin' crazy
That jack'll be chawed up-chawet
up alive!"
All that evening the jack remained
browsing about the camp, and tn.
next morning was still stand
ing with his head down and eve.
closed, dreamily moving his ears
and lazily switching his scanty tail
Jogglcs smiled contemptuousl,
every time he looked at the old lack
Standing on his porch, as the miner,
of the camp passed on their way dowr
to their claims on the river, Joggle.
facetiously inquired whether any O
them would like to back ''that thai
ferocious beast against Old Pizen fol
another 5000.
AT last all of 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 60 from the bar up to
the bank of of the river for some
thing. A moment after, grinnine
gleefully, he called out to those b.
low: "The impatient Jogglcs is 60
ing to bring on the game. There1
be some fun before long; | see hin
startin' the old jack along up the val
lev toward the flat. He's on the sly
and is getting rather keen to see tha
fght!"
Watching Joggles, he was seen il
the edge of the timber throwing
rocks to urge the jack 70 move up /
streak of open ground that led to tht
| flat between two groves of pines
Presently he came beck and seated
himself on his perch, nlp once
| in a while and stretcl eck t.
see if the jack was righI