The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-09-12
Hold the Fort. +"


Boblink boys surrounded and cap
tured an enormous shaggy, strong
smelling, wicked looking goat o
the masculine gender, and turned
him loose in Burdock's garden, anc
nailed up the gate. and then went
home and fiattened their seven little
noses against the windows to watch
for coming events. t as..a.
Before his goatship had spent
three minutes in that garden he had
managed to make himself perfectly
at home, pulled down the clothes
line and deyoured two lace collars
pair of unde-sleeves and striped
stocking belonging to Mrs. B., and
was busily engaged sampling one
of Burdock's shirts when the ser
want girl came rushing out with a
basket of clothes to hang out.
"The saints preserve usp' she ex.
claimed coming to a halt and gazing
open mouthed at the goat. who was
calmly munching a away at a shirt.
"Shew shew! shew therer she
screamed, setting down her basket,
taking her skirts in both hands and
shaking them violently toward the
intruder. Then the goat who evi
IDENTIFY regarded her movements in
the light of a challenge suddenly
dropped his wicked old head and
darted at her with the force of a
locomotive, and just one minute
later by the city clock that girl had
tumbled back somersault over the
clothes basket, and was crawling
away on hands and knees in search
of place to die-accompanied by
the goat who butted her on the
hustle every third second.
1t is probable he would have kept
on buttingher for the next two weeks
if Mrs. Burdock who had been wit
ness of the unfortunate affair, had
not armed herself with the family
poker and rushed to her rescue.
"Merciful goodness! Annie, do
get upon your feet" aiming muir
derous blow at the brute's head and
missing it by few of the shortest
kind of inches. 1t was not repeated
owing to the fact that the goat sud-
denly raised himself upon his hind
feet and waltzed towards her and
struck her in the small of the back
hard enough to loosen her finger
nails and destroy her faith in a glo-
rious immortality.
When Mrs. b, returned to con-
| seriousness, she crawled out from
behind the grindstone where she
had been tossed and made for the
house, stopping only once, when
the goat came after and bHtted her
head faremOst into the grape -arbor.
Once inside the house the door
was locked and the unfortunates
sought the solitude OF their own
rooms, and such comfort as they
derive from rubbing and growing
while the goat wandered around the
garden like Satan in the book of
job, and seven little Bobolink boys
fairly hugging themselves with
pleasure over the performance.
BY the time Burdock got home
that evening and learned all the par
ticulars from his arnica soaked wife,
the goat had eaten nearly all the
weeks washing, half the grape
vine and one outside of the clothes
basket.
"Why In the thunder didn't you
put him out, and not leave HIM
there to destroy everythingw he
exclaimed angrily.
Because he wouldn't go, and /
wasn't going to stay there and be
killed, that's why" answered the
wife excitedly.
"WOuldn't liddlesticksp he ex-
claimed making for the garden fol
lowed by the entire family.
"Get out of here, you thiefr' he
shouted as he came into the garden
and caught sight OF the shaggy and
highly perfumed visitor.
The goat bit of another mouthful
of the basket and then regarded
him with a wicked twinkle of the
eye.
"You won't go, hey2'' exclaimed
Burdock, trying to kick hole in
the enemY's RIBS. "Pll show you
wheth-"
The sentence was left unfinished,
as the goat just then dropped his
head in Burdock's shirt bosom, and
before he could recover his equilib
rum he had been butted seven
times in fresh spots, and was down
on his knees crawling around in a
very undignified manner to the
horror Of the family and the infinite
glee of the seven young Boblinks
next door.
"Look out he don't hurt your
screamed Mrs. Burdock, as the
goat sent him flying into a mud
hole.
When Burdock had got his bald
head out of the mud, he was mud all
over his clothes, and tIied TO clutch
the brute by the horns, but desisted
after he'd lost two front teeth, and
been rolled in the mud.
="Don't make a living show of
yourself before the neighbors," ad-
vised his wife.
'Come in, pa, and let him be-"
begged his daughter.
"Golly, dad, look out he's comm |
agin" shouted his son, enthusias-
tically.
Then Burdock waxed profane,
swore three-story oaths in such rap
id succession that his family held
their breaths, and a pious old lady |
who lived in a house in the rear,
shut up her windows, and sent her
cook for a policeman or a mission
ary.
Run for it, dadr' advised his
son a moment later, when the goats
attention seemed TO be turned
away.
Burdock sprang to his feet and
followed his offspring's suggestion.
He was Logging it IN superb style
and the chances Of his reaching the
house seemed excellent, when the
fragrant brute suddenly clapped on
more steam, gained rapidly, and
darting between his legs, capsized
him into the ash-box.
His family dragged him inside,
another candidate for rubbing ar
Mica, and a blessed haven OF rest.
f1Bo Ao,tr - The hnrraa hau haar, /