The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-04-27
AN EXCITING RIDE.
How Mike Fink rode Deacon's Bull

How Mike Fink rode Deacon's Bull.
Mike took a notion to go ia swim
ming. and he had just got his clothes
off, when he discovered Deacon Smiths
bull making at him. The bull, vi
cious animal. had come near killing
two or three persons: consequently
Mike felt rather "dubus". He did not
want to call for help, and the nearest
place from whence assistance could ar
rive was the Westinghouse, which was
at that time filled with worshippcrs,
among whom was "thc gal Mike was
paving his devours to-" SO he lodged
the bull as the animal came at him, and
managed to catch him by the tail lie
was dragged around till he was nearly
dead and when he thought he could
hold out no longer, he made up his
mind hc had better 'holer."
And now we will let him tell his
own story:
$50, lookin' at the matter in all its
bcarins, | cum TO the conclusion I'd
better let some one know who | was.
So gin yell louder than locomotive
whistle, and il warn't long before !
seen the deacon's two dogs coming
down as if they were seeing which
could git thar first. | knowed who
they were after-they'd jine the bull
agin me. So sez !, 'old brindlc, ri
din is as cheap as walkin on this route,
and if you've no objections, I'll iist take
a deck passage on that thar back o
yourn.' So l wasn't very long gittin'
astride of him.
"Then, ifyou'd been there, you'd have
sworn thar war nothing human in that
milk, the sle flew so orfully, as the
critter and rolled across the field
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 last
and neither warn't of no use, they
were so orfully mixed up.
"Well, l reckon | rid about half an
hour this way, when old brindle
thought ii was time to stop and take in
supply Of wind and cool of little.
So when he got round 10 a tree that
stood thar, he naturally halted. so,
sez 1, old boy, you'll lose one passen-
ger, sartin.' So jist clum n branch,
kalkelating to roost there till starved,
afore I'd be rid about that way any
longer. war making tracks for the
tree when | heard something keep an
orfil buzzin' overhead. kinder look
ed up, and if thar wasn't-well. there
is no use swearin ii war the big
gest hornets nest ever built. You'll
git ii now, Mike, because there is no
help for YOU. But an idea struck me
then. that stood heap better chance
ridin' the bull than where | was. Se7
|, 'Old feller, if you hold on. FL ride
to the next station anyhow. let that be
where it will.
$50 iist dropped abord him agin, and
looked aloft TO see what ] had gained
by changing quarters, and, gentlemen
I'm liar if thar wasn't half Il bushel oi
the singing varmints, ready to pitcl
into me when the word was gin.
"Well, / reckon they got it, for al
hands started for our company. Some
oil 'cm hit the dogs, about quarter
hit me, and the rest charged on brindle
''This time the dogs left off fust, deai
bent for the old deacon's, and AZ sooi
as old brindlc and | could get away
we followed: and as | was only dccl
passenger. | had nothing TO do will
stcerin' the craft-if | had, we shoul(
not have run in that channel anyhow
But as said before, the dog, took tn,
lead, brindle and next, and the hor
nets rc'kly after. The dogs yellin'
brindlc hollerin' and the hornets buz
zin' and stingin'.
"Wcll. we had goi about hundrc,
yards from the house. and the deacon
heard us and cum out. seed hin
hold up his hands and turn white.
reckon he was prayin' then, for h
didn't expect to be called so soon; an,
it warn't long neither, alore the who'll
congrcgation-men, women and chill
drcn-cum out, and then all hand
commenced yellin'. None Of 'em ha,
the fust notion that brindle and | be
} longed TO this world. ! jist turned m,
head past the congregation. | seed tn
run would be up soon, for brindl
, couldn't turn an inch from a fence tina
stood dead ahead. Well, we reache,
the fence, and | went ashore over tn
critters head, landing on the other side
and laid there stunned.
at warn't long afore some OF them IA
was not scared came runnin' 10 Sc
what | WARRIOR all hands kalkerlate,
that the bull and | belonged together
But when brindle walked of by him
self, they saw how ii war, and one G
'em said
"'Mike Fink's got the worst of tn
scrimmage once in his lite.'
"Gentlemen, from that time to this
dropped the courting bizness, an
hain't spoken to girl since, and whe
[ my hunt is over on this airth. ther
won't be any more Finks, and It's a
owing to Deacon Smiths brindle bull.