The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-12-22
Mike Fink,orthe Deacon's Bull

Mike Fink was notorious Buck
eye hunter, was contemporary with
the celebrated Davy Crockett, and
his equal in all things pertaining to
human prowess. 1t was even said
that the animals in the neighbor-
hood knew the crack of his rifle,
and would take to their secret hi
ding places ON the first intimation
that Mike was about Yet strange,
though true, he was but little known
beyond his immediate settlement.
When we knew him he was an
old man--the blasts of seventy win
ters had silvered over his head and
taken the elasticity from his limbs !;
yet in the whole of his life was Mike
never worsted except on one occa-
sion. To use his own language, he
never "gin in, used up to anything
that travelled on two legs OF four"
but once.
That once we want, said Bill
Slasher, as some dozen of us sat in
the bar room Of the only tavern in
the "settlelnents."
Gin it to us now, Mike, you've
promised long enough, and you're
old now, and needn't care, contin-
ued Bill.
Right tight, Bill, said Mike, but
we will open with Ticker all round
first. It'll kind O save my feelings,
| reckon
well, boys, continued Mike, you
may talk of your scrimmages, tight
places and sich like, and subtract
them all together in one almighty
big 'un, and they hain't no more to
be compared to the one l war in
than a dead kitten to an old bar!
I've fout all kinds O varmints, from
an Ingen down to a rattlesnake,
and never was willin to quit first,
but this once-and twas with a
ball.
You see boys, it was an awful
hot day in August, and war nigh
running off into pure lie, when
war thinkin that dip in the creek
mout save me. Well, thar was a
/ mighty nice place in old Deacon
Smiths medder for that particular
business. So l went down amongst
the bushes to unharness. / jlst got
the old red shirt over NV head, and
was thinkin how scramtuous a fel
ler of my size would feel a wallerin
round in the water, and was just
bout goin in when l see the Dea,
cons Bull a maxim bee line to whal
l stood.
i knowed the old kuss for he'd
skared more people than all the
parsons of the settlements, and cum
nifty near KILN a few. Thinks l.
Mike you're in tight place--get
your fixius on for he'll be a drivin
them big horns of his in your bow
els afore that time Well, you'll
hev to try the old varmint naked,
reckon
sThe bull war on one side of the
creek and / on tother, and the way
he made the sile fly for while, as
if he war diggin my grave, war dis
tressin!
! Come on, ye bellerin heather, sale
IL. and don't be standin thar; for, as
the old Deacon says Of the devil
yer not comely to look on
This kinder reached his under
istandin, and made him more wish
Gus for he hoofed little like, ant
made dive. And as l don't lik'
to be in anybody's way, / gin hin
Iplenty of sea room. So he kinde
passed by me and came out OF
tother side and as the captain 0
the mud swamp Rangers would say
bout face for another charge
| Though ] war ready for him thi
atime, he came mighty nigh runnil
| foul of me. So l made up my mint
1.-THE next time he went out he woult
not be alone. So when he passed,
grappled his tail, and he pulled m
i out on the siie, and as soon as W
| war both a top of the bank, oil
brindle stopped, and war about com
lin round agin when ! began pullil
t0ther way.
Well, I reckon this kinder rile'
him. for he fust stood stock still an.
look ed at me for spell, and the
J commenced pawin and bellerin, an,