The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-05-19
sWhat,s thatan I asked.

ssThe Levitical rule was that if one
mans beast kills another mans beast,
then he whose beast did the killing shall
take the dead beast and leave in its
! stead his own live beast, and thus the
affair shall end"
saThat may be Scripture" said I, sfbut
it seems hardly the fair thing-in this
case. For my beast was a valuable
animal; and I should call your beast a
I scapegoat covered with sins and in
iquity." q
We both had a laugh over it.
''It scarcely seems fair, I admit" said
Mr.. Paul. 'It is Scripture, neverthe-
less" EseT.
He went on to tell me that he had
been away from home, at an "ordina-
ton meeting, when his beast broke his
rope. Since morning he had been
searching for him.
"Well, neighbor Paul." said I, eve
will follow the Levitical' rule this time"
So he took the dead John Gilpin in
his wagon and drove of, leaving me the
living. But I had much better have let
him take them both.
Next morning at breakfast Bean re-
ported that Peelygarlic had, in some
way, got free from his chains. hunted
dow the barn-door again, and left for
parts unknown; forshe was not with our
fock.S EGE : =
"Let him gor" said I. "Don't follow
him. And pray fortune he may never
come back!"
But had not stopped to consider the
consequences e
We heard no tidings from him for a
week or more, when one afternoon there
rode into the yard a man whom I knew
l. was in a passion the moment / saw him.
He demanded to know if I was the
owner of a beast which he proceeded to
describe in such unhandsome terms that
1 instantly recognized Peelygarlic.
At first, I was on the point of dis
claiming all ownership of the brute, but
on a second thought I concluded he was
mine, by the Levitical law, and I had &C.
cepted him as my property. I had to
acknowledge him.
The irate farmer had mistaken the
cause of my hesitation. He fairly shook
his fist In my face.
"In give ye twenty-four hours" he
shouted, "to come to my place and set
tie for his killing my full-blooded Me-
rinor and he drove off of a great rate,
the angriest man in the county. :.
Nothing remained but to go and "set-
tie. "Accordingly Bean and [ set off next
morning. 1t was rather over three
miles. The fact of our coming put the
man in a rather better humor; and a flew
fair words on my part pacified him so far
that he now admitted that his "full.
blooded Merino buck" was only half
blooded, and accepted $40 as a fair
equivalent.
But. meantime. Peelygarlic had gone
from there, IN quest of new adventures;
and fully awake now to the fact that
he was a dangerous representative to
have abroad, Bean and I gave chase.
We came up with the old chap about
two miles further on, in a pasture where
there were two cosset, sheep and six OF
eight young cattle, among which was a
black-and-white bull; and Peelygarlie
wasifghting the bull.
Killing bucks had ceased to amuse
him. He had turnedrh his attention tc
larger game, and certainly it was the
most amusing encounter I ever Witnessed
THE bull went roaring and charging
after the RAM, While Peelygarlic, being
the lighter fighter, lodged about and
butted as he got a chance.
Bean andSI stood and watched the
uB1b anQ auSHeQ we DOIn nOpeQ bnt
bull would Kill him. AT length Peely.
garlic got in one of his skul1-smashine
blows plump between the bulls horns
fairly knocking the animal down; and b,
followed it up with another on the bulll
sides which made the creatures ribs re
sound like a bass drum. In fact, I guess
he would have killedsth bull if We ha6
not interfered.
/ We chased him into a corner of thu
fence, captured him and took him home
What to do with him now, unless W,
killed him, we hardly knew. Finally W,
put him in the barn cellar, and he stage,
there for as much as a week, till one day
there came along an odd featured man
in an old thorough trace wagon, from
the township next above, to "borrow'
some seed. wheat.
He happened to look into the barr
Il cellar. What he saw in Peelygarlic tina
made him wish to buy him, is more thar
Iknow But he came In and offered me
five dollars for him. It is needless t
say 1 took it.