The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-02-09
RnI Rnrton,s Bull Story.


One evening crowd of young people con-
gregsted at Bill Burtcn's ranch, and when
the first quadrille WAS over he took stand
in front OF the fire and parting his coat tails
in a comfortable manner remarked:
THAT was purity neat dancing; you all
know the step and handle yer. hobs purity
peert. bat some of you young folks can't
hold er candle to sum old 'uns I've seed
an that kinder reminds me of old Widow
Harkins l knowed back in Georgy, when l
was a boy"
''Oh, tell us about her, Uncle Bill" ex-
claimed chorus of voices.
"Wall, she wus Their all firedest activest
old heifer l ever knowed. She lived up in
the Peach Branch settlement nigh to Bill
Browns, an was kin-aunt or suthin'-tO
Their Millers IRON Alabamy. When l
knowed her, she was crawlin' on to eighty
years old, but she was tougher'n Ter pecan
sapling an the way that ERE old critter
knocked dust that June day was FER caution
to 'er mustang colt"
WAS she scared, Uncle Bill?" inquired
the crowd.
"Wall, now, guess she was kinder skeert.
You see one day L had jes' cum outer the
field from plowin' an turned old job. in
ther lot. Darn that old mule, he hsd jes'
busted new pair of traces 10 flinders try
in to kick FER parcel of humble bees ofern
his hind legs. He was alters gettin' in u
yaller jackets nest or suthin' else, an c. sarn
his ole pctur, he busted my left leg outer
jint jes when camp meetin was cumin'
on bout 'er week arter that. AS / was
goin ON to say, L wus huntin' round FER
stable gettin' up 'er new set of gear when 1
heered the derndest yellin' an err bellowin'
up ther lane, an it pesred to me it wus cumin
closer all the time, an L elm on the fe C
an gin to look. Their fust thing | SEED
wus er big cloud 'er dust IAN ther next
thing my eyes lit on wus Bill Browns ole
brindle bull jest er rippin' an Ter rearin' an
er lifiin up his tail al 'er chas,-' ole WId-
ow Harkins fur everything she wus worth.
Thar wus Their bull with his head down AN
tail up, an thar wus ole Widow Harkins
with her balInoral histed, jez' 'er clatterin
down ther lane like 'er couple Of race horses.
L warn't much pious in those days, an get
tin kinder excite L TUX off my hat an
yelled, Sling out yer bes; hOof, 20 it, old
gal. till you make Their gap in the cali-pen
an thar you re safe When L hollered TO
her it braced her up. She puckered her
mouth like ther butt end Of 'er persimmon,
hsted her bslmoral 'er little higher, an l
tell yer it fairly made me sweat to see Their
way that ole citizen did climb over dirt.
She sorter looked back over one shoulder
an saw that bull about ten feet behind her
an still er cummin Ter rppia' an resrin'.
But feelin' she wus safe, she jest pulled the
balmoral over her head, IAN the ole bull
stood still, astonished, an went off kinder IN
a kitten 1 would jest like TO see some of you
quadrille dancers try to take the rag off
Widow Harkins."
"You Bill!' shouted his wife in dismsy
He stopped dead short, and there was
pause-a long, dreary pause, until one of
the young men looked out Of the window
and said he thought it would rain before
morning. The young ladies said they
thought it would, toe, and old Bill Burton
went down to the .cow-pen to see if the
calves had been turned out, and neger came
back in the parlOr again that night.