The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-01-30

other roar of laughter followed this cut.
BETWEEN ACTS.
The first drawing had taken place
and was as fruitless as the drawings in a
flash lottery-no one had touched the
head. The ex preacher and master of
ceremonies had provided huge jug of
"tangleleg," and as the pullers returned
they rallied around this attractive object.
While this was going on outsiders gath
cred in groups, and numerous TASKS
were fished up from the cavernous depths
of as many pockets and twinkled in the
air over the red noses of many loyal sons
of this free and glorious Republic. All
was hilarious joy and bright expectation,
every one had bet on the ganders
head The betting was brisk, and the
ex candidate sold highest in these rude
and informal pools. Many drinks de-
pended on his grip.
SECOND TILT.
The procession was formed a second
time, and the fiery sorrel bore down the
track again in splendid style, while the
gander hung quietly and serenely evil
IDENTIFY filled with an indifference and
contempt for the impending danger born
of the ignominious and signal failure of
the first drawing; but his serenity was
ill-timed, and the bony digits of the ex-
candidate grappled around his neck and
slid away, thanks to the grease" with
spirit more reckless of the gander's COM
fort than was to be expected from one
who had lately shook hands as a soft and
purring candidate near on to seventy
two thousand times. The jerk gave the
pole swing and the gander went bob
bing back and forth, up and down and
around, futtering and squalling. Close
on behind the sorrel came the flea bitten
gray, which, not being accustomed to
such futtering and squalling overhead,
shied as the fat fellow reached aloft for
the head. The girth broke and down he
thump, the gray's heels flying in the air
among human legs. Another cheer arose
from the crowd, and as he picked him.
self up his flying gray disappeared among
the pines in the direction of his home.
One chap with mingled solemnity and
mock eagerness rushed up to the un-
horsed knight with:
Il am SO glad, Jim you got the head;
let us see it,
A square blow from Jim's hard knuck-
les, planted full upon the solemn "fiz,"
laid the curious chap in the grass, and
his part of the fun ended there and then.
That was his last joke. He afterward
said he did not include that among his
jokes.
THE GANDER DEFUNCT.
The others went through, several
touching the head, and when they as
sembled for the third drawing the
gander hung limp from the end of the
reached a fever heat about this time
Dri1, lis OocooI opny,pI xrhilo fhau
were forming, and a hushed expectancy
hung over the crowd as the sorrel went
down the track again. A violent wrench
at the head threw the ex-candidate from
the saddle upon the mares crupper, but
the head held on. Two or three more
jerks followed, when beardless youth
of twenty grasped the neck, threw him
self forward on his horses neck, and the
body of the gander hung headless from
the pole. A shout from the crowd told
the contestants who were taking up their
horses out in the field that some one had
won the prize. A crowd soon gathered
around young Bazeman, the successful
"puller," who still held the head of the
gander in his hand, and all seemed
greatly excited.
DELIVERING THE PRIZE.
The exparson pushed his way into the
crowd, and, mounting stump said:
My dearly beloved friends, thou per-
ceivest that ST Bazeman hast severed the
head of the gander, and by the rules he
is entitled to 50 so, which l now hand
him in your presence. Permit me to
congratulate him on his success, and all
the other pullers, on their high moral
department, and to wish them all good
luck. This congregation and the public
is now dismissed.
CONCLUDING SCENES.
Some swore that it was unfair and
pow-wow ensued, with much drinking of
"tangleleg," and by the time the crowd
reached the grocery it was in good trim
for free fight, which was inaugurated
by the ex-candidate, who knocked a
Bazeman partisan down for saying "yal-
legged roosters amt no count for candi-
dates nor gander pullin's no how" Amid
the pell NELL | rode away. The last |
saw of Bazeman he was royalty 'corned'
and surrounded by half dozen boys Of
his own age who seemed to be trying to
take him home. He was resisting and
swearing, IN be goldarned if 1 can't
outgand derpull any man in South Ameri-
ca, accompanied by wavings of his right
hand, in which he still held the greasy
and bloody head OF the gander. His
comrades, one and all, joined him in this
dare to South America and in this con-
dition a turn of the road shut the grog
gerry and the crowd from view.