The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-11-01


and wouldn't hev hoss ahead of him
he jest couldn't! Ef he dropped down
dead in his tracks the next mint, he
acOuld be ahead, and he alters got
ahead, and SO his name got up; and
fellers KEEP comm to try their hosses,
and Cuff d take Tam out to race with
fust one and then another till this ere
got To be regular thing, and begun to
be talked about.
Folks sort o. wondered if the doctor
knew, but Cuff was sly as n weasel and
alters had story ready for every turn;
Cuff was one of them fellers that could
take bird off bush-master hand he
was to slick things over!
"There was folks as said they be-
leved the doctor was KNOWN to it, and
that he felt sort O. carnal pride, sech
as minister oughtnt fer to hev, and so
shet his eyes to what was a-goin' on.
Aunt Sally Nickersen said she was sure
ont; twas all talked over down to old
Miss Bummiger's funeral, and Aunt
Sally she said the church ought to look
into it. But everybody knew Aunt
Sally: she wos alters watchin' for folks
haltin, and settin' on herself up to jedge
her neighbors.
wal / never believed nothin' agin
Parson Williams; it was all Cuffs con-
trivances but the fact was the fellers
all got their blood up, and there was
hoss-racin' in all the parishes; and it
got so they'd even race bosses Sunday.
oval, of course they never got the
doctors boss out Sunday. Cuff
wouldn't a. burst to do that, Lordy-
massy, no! He was alters there in
church, settin' up in the doctors clothes,
rollin' up his eyes and lookin' as pious
rs eff he never thought O. racin' bosses;
he was an awful solemn.lookin' niger
in church, Cuff was.
"But there was lot o them fellers
up to Pequot Holler-Bill Atkins, and
Ike Sanders, and Tom Peters and them
Hokum boys-used to go out arter
meetin' Sunday afternoon and race
bosses. Ye see, it was Just close to the
State line, and, if the s'lectman was to
come down on 'em, they could jest whip
over the line and they couldn't take 'em.
Wal, it got to be "A great scandal the
fellers talked about it up to the tavern,
and the deacons and the tithingman
they took it up and went to Parson
Williams about it; and the parson he
told 'em jest to keep still, not let the
fellows know that they was bein'
watched, and next Sunday he and the
tithingman and the constable they'd
ride over and catch 'em in the very act.
$50, next Sunday afternoon Parson
Williams and Deacon Popkins and Ben
Bradley Che was constable that year,
they got on their bosses and rode over
to Pequot Holler. The doctors blood
was up, and he meant to come down
on 'em strong, for that was his way of
dom in his parish; and they was in a
sort o day-o- Judgment frame o. mind,
and logged along solemn as a hearse,
till they come to rise the hill above the
holler they see three or four fellers with
their bosses gettin' ready to race; and
the parson says he, Let's come on quiet
and get behind these bushes, and well
see what they're up to and catch 'em in
the act
But the mischief on it was that Ike
Sanders see 'em comm, and he knowed
Tam in mint'-Ike knowed Tam of
old-and he jest tipped the wink to the
rest. Wait, boys says he; let 'em git
close up, and then I'll give the word
and the doctors boss will be racin'
ahead like thunder
oval, so the doctor and his folks
they drew up behind the bushes, and
stood there innocent as could be, and
saw 'em gittin ready to start. Tam he
begun to shuttle and paw, but the doc
tor never mistrusted what he was up to
until Ike sung out Go it, boysr and
the horses all started, when, sure as you
live, boys, Tam gave one fly and was
over the bushes and in among 'em, goin'
it like chain lghtnin', ahead of 'em all.
Deacon Popkins and Ben Bradley
jest stood and held their breath to see
'em all goin' it so like thunder; and the
doctor he was took so sudden it was all
he could do to jest hold on any way, so
away he went, and trees and bushes and
fences streaked by him like ribbins, his
hat flew off behind him, and his wig
arter, and got catched in a barberry
bush; but, Lordy-massy, he couldn't
stop to think o them. He Just leaned
down and caught Tam round the neck
and held on for dear life, till they come
to the stopping place.
wal, Tam was ahead of them all, sure
enough, and was snorting an snufiiing
as if he'd got the very old boy in him,
and was up to racing some more on the
spot.
THAT ERE Ike Sanders was the impu-
dentest teller that ever you see, and he
roared and hawhawed at the doctor.
Good for you, parson' says he. You
beat us all holler,' says he; takes par
son for that, don't it, boys?' he said.
And then he and Ike and Tom, and the
two Hokum boys they jest roared and
danced around like wild critters. Wal,
now, only think ont, boys; what stu
alton that ere was for minister-a man
that had come out with the best of mo-
tives to put stop to Sabbath-breakin'!
There he was rumpled up and dusty,
and his wig hangin' in the bushes, and
these ere ungodly fellows gettin' the
laugh on him, and all accuse o. that ere |
boss. There's times, boys, when min
listers must be tempted to swear if there |
amt preventin' grace, and this was one
o them times to Parson Williams. They |