, 1878-03-22
Jake Rawlins'' Boar Story.

tnlnB ye klu 90 are 10 keep car NV EN-,
Mess We can't help it, Did | ever tell
ye bout that ar scrape ov mine mp on
the Cimarron, two year ago? Didn't?
Wall, twas this away. | war darned
foolish 'nuif to offer to kerry dispatches
alone mind you, from Bents Old Fort
clar down to Santa Fe. Wall, tux the
old trail, and struck the south branch
of the Cimarron, bout twenty mile be-
yant the Big Chimlies. Everything
were lovely-nce weather-the Injuns
all down to Fort Powell maxim q new
treaty, and fillin their bellies with Gov
ernment grub, an their possible sacks
with paint, and their pouches with am
munition-dHrn 'em-so'st to be ready
for murderin an scalpin in the Spring,
took up the river, maxim easy march
es and campin' wherever found plenty
of wood and water. Seed plenty OF
game, and didn't go hungry much you
kin bet. The fourth day l had to keep
purity well away from the river on
count of the lowlands long the banks
being full of quicksands. To'ards night
struck ont for the river agin, not find
in any water an nary timber. 1 war q
gittin inter range O. foot hills, sort Of
spur of the Mirage mountains, an
when L headed straight for the river, I
found myself riding through sort of
pass or ravine between the hills, which
war mostly kivered with heavy timber.
When 1 got in sight of the river, the
ravine l war follerin' narrowed up like,
till thar wernt more'n room for me an
my old mar to pass All of suddint
the gully tux sharp turn to the left, an
just as l come round the corner l found
myself facin sort Of cave in the hill
side, an standin' right in the openin'
war the biggest, ugliest, savagerest
grizzly 1 ever laid eyes on. l reckon
he war about as much surprised as /
war, fur he stood fur full a mint a
glarin' at me with his little yaller eyes.
My old mar was durned near scaart to
death; l war purity considerable scaart
myself, for l seed old Eph war in
burned ugly mood, an 1 knowed 1
couldn't git away from him 30 long as
the ground war 80 badly broken. Be-
sides the cussed ravine war so narrow
1 scurcely he'd room to turn back, and
the old divil was right in my path. L
war considerin all this in bout half a
mint. Then as seed old Eph make
motion as ef he war goin ter begin,
TUX sight ct him an blazed away. Old
Wsgtail, my mar, cuss her, give q
jump jist as fired an the bullet only
scored him 'crost the forehead, rippin
the skin enough to make him madder
then blazes.
He kun at me like streak of lightin,
and before 1 knowed what war doin /
war pulled off the mar an war strikin'
out with my bowie, and bein' tore inter
ierked beef, by that thar bar thout no
ceremony whativer. l tell ye boys, that
wore tuff fight an no mistake. sooked
the bowie inter him, up ter the hilt
livery time, and he jist clawed an bit,
an rolled mo bout till l war like to be
sausage meat. 1 war gettin' mighty
weak from loss of blood, an the cussed
bar war wrastlin' mSiwuss'n iver, when
all ter wonst my margive shrill scream,
and come gsllopin back from wher-
ever she'd run to, with her ears laid
back, an her mouth wide open, lookin'
saragerouser than q sneakin Lipan
what had lost his top-knot.
The bar were just gettin the better NV
me, when the mar wheeled around
boys, I hope may die if taint the BIZ
BILE truth I'm tellin' ye-an' let out at
him with her heels, fetchin' him crack
in the ribs that would hev' killed the
biggest bull buffalo tween here an
Pixies Peak. Boys, you oughter seen
that bar! He war the most dumest,
astonished grizzley 1 iver did see. He
dropped me quicker n lightnin' an
went fur the mar, but she war too
cussed cunning for him. She war in
the narrowest part of the ravine, an
livery time he'd try to grab her she'd
give him another sockdolager in the
ribs, or longside the head, that sicken-
ed him. AThen he suddenly 'membered
me, an turned round to finish the job,
but bedn't been doip' nothin', not
'zactly. 1 war mighty weak and shaky
like, an bleedin like stuck pig, but /
had sense enough ez soon ez could git
my breath q little to pick up old "Surs
Death" here, and load her as keerfully
as could. Jista as Old Eph faced around
Iraised my shootin' iron and plunged
him beautifully in the eye, layin' him
out ez stun. Down he come, eau
hallop, an when seed he didn't strug-
gle darn bit, follyed his example and
tainted dead away. 'Twar nigh sun
down fore | kun to myself, an thar
war the bar alongside O. me, ez dead as
julius C,osar, an the old mar graizin
close by ez if nuthin' had happened. 1
war mighty weak and sore, but out
some cactus an made sort o. dressin'
fur my scratches, an then got supper;
bar meat war the principal dish, l
reOkin. Wall, lay by that fur five
days, an nussed myself up, an than
started again an got through all right.
But ever since than Ynn kin bet / ain,t