The daily gazette., 1878-06-28
TOOTH AND NAIL.
BY NJ. @.

had occasion, few days since, to take q
Journey down the river and several miles
back from It,. using q saddle horse Dark
ness overlook HIM in sparsely settled
district, and as the roads were in bad
conditiOn,and the evening looked threat
ening, he halted before Il forlorn look
Ing hut and asked if ho could tind lodg-
ing.
II reckon You might" said q sorrow
ful-eyed squatter, after hesitating mo-
meut.
The Vicksburger found little to eat, and
his horse found still less. The squatter
and his wife were all alone and they had
but a few words for ths stranger, and
scarcely spoke to each other. When the
evening grew cold the traveller camped
down on the floor ON blanket, and be-
Ing very tired he fell asleep, while the
host and hostess were smoking their clay
pipes at the other end OF the ioom He
had slept about two hours, when the
squatter shook him by the shoulder and
said:
"Stranger, Pm powerful sorry to dis
turb ye, but want to AK favor"
"Yes-yes-whati In it?" inu uired the
Vicksburger, as he rubbed his eyes and
sat sYe Yp' like to see fair n,av dam, vs .tran.
ger?"
"Yes, ofcOurse." -rr. ..-.seg-
"WaIl,me the old woman can't agree;
she's cross an techy, and / guess Pm q
tritie ugly. Leastwise we don't hang up
worth old boots. We've fit an fit; I'm
old an shes chuck full of grit, and it's
about an even thing !"
"Wcll Pm sorry" put in the. Vicks-
burger, as the squatter hesitatei.
"We've been q talkin' since ye cum,
stranger, and we've made up to ask We
to hold the candle aud to let's 90 in for
an Old rotiser of u fight--a regular old
sokdolager, which shall settle our fuss
If lieks she'll go; II she licks I'll CO."
"I'in sOrry If there's any trouble and
hope you won't fight"
we've got to do it, stranger" replied
the woman, II won't live with man
who kin lick me. an he's just as high
born. Sans good as the run of men. but
he's lazy and sassy and he wants to wear
the hat on his earl"
"She's right, stranger" said the SQUAT
ter, "and this cabin can't hold both of us
any longer. Its to be squar' fight no
kicking or clubbing, and we won't go
back on your decision"
The Vicksburger protested, but the
woman placed lighted a candle in his
hand and posted him in the door, and
man and wife stepped out on the ground
together.
"Suke, Pm goia'Yto wallop ye right
smart in just four ~hoots aud a sholler p
said '. the sqpatter-ias, heSpushed up his
"sam ye don't weigh enough into three
| tons !' She repliedin agrim voice and
the battle commenced.
The Vicksburgsr mentally bet twenty
to one on the man, but in two minutes
he reduced the odds to ten, and in two
minutes more he was betting even. The
wife was like wild cat, sprihging, dodg-
ing, striking and elawing, and pretty
soon her husband had 10 stand on the
'Look out for the Bengal tiger, suke, +"
he warned as he clawed the air.
81 kin lick the boots off,n you, Samp
she replied and tue battle grew tiercer.
One of the woman's sharp nails struck
| the husbands eye and blinded him for
| an instant. As he threw up his arms she
planted both her hands into his hair,
yanked him down and in another mo-
ment had the "gouge" on him.
/ "Sam, do you cave ?" she asked as they
both Law quiet.
That's tho dead word, Suke, and Pm
a likt d man". he mournfully answered
She let him up and he turned to the
Vicksburger and inquired:
stranger was it u far fought?
~ guess it was"
"Then l travelw
He entered the hut, put on his coat
and hat, and as he came out he reached
his hand to his wife and said:
"Good-by, Suke, we agreed far an
squar' an here go" Then turning tC
the traveller he added:
"Much obliged, stranger-ye held tn.
candle plum far an ye didn't holler fol
either one of us"
And he walk.d down to the fence
leaped over, and was soon lost to sight
"Good huff on the shoot" mused tht
wife, as she gazed after him, "but hi
fighting weight is clar run down t.
nuthin'!" if