Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-25

The story as Told by a Local
Preacher In The Southwest.
rom DR.. PiersOn's "Reminiscences !

readin' my Bible, | found story OF {
big fight Il. Samuel, xvii). 1t wa
powerful interestin', and l studied i
almost all the week. There was tvs
armies a campin' on two mountains
right fornenst each other, and hollel
and, I reckon, some good bottom lane
and medder lot lyin' between 'em
La one of the armies there was a biz
feller-a whoppin' great big TELLER
and every day he went down into tn,
medder lot and looked up the hill t
t'other camp and just dared 'em. H,
told EN- to pick their best man anC
send him down and he'd fight him
| And he jest strutted around there in
his soger clothes and waited for EN- tC
send:on their man. And such sogel
clothes l never heard tell on afore.
| He had a brass cap and brass
trousers, and coat made like mai
bags where they are all ironed and
riveted together But the fellers in
t'other camp jest clean funked. They
daren't fight the big teller, nary one
on en-. They jest all sneaked away,
aud the big teller he went back to
camp But he didn't quit thar, the
big Teller didn't. He was spilin' for a
fight, and he was bound to have it.
He jest went down into the bottom
land, into the meddtr lot, every day.
mornin' and evenin and dared EN- and
dared 'em. tell you he pestered 'em
nightly. The old Teller, Saul, the
Gineral, he felt more chawed up and
meaner than the sogers, and, when he
couldn't stan it no longer, he told the
boys that if any on 'em would 60 down
and lick the big Teller he'd give him
his gal and right smart chance of
plumber. But they were all so skeer'd
that even that didn't start one of EN-.
The big teller went down and dared
'em and pestered 'em more'n month
forty days, the Bible says.
| don't know what they done if
it hadn't been that a pert little fel.
Ter had come down to camp one day to
fetch gone extra rations to his three
big brothers that their old dad sent
them from home. Kind old pap he
was, and sharp, too, for he sent along a
big present for the boys Cap'en. Well,
jest as the little teller drove up, they
was all gwine out to fight, and the lit
tie Teller left his traps with the driver
and legged it after the sogers, and told
his big brothers howd'y. Right thar
the old big teller came out and dared
EN- again, and they were all so skeer'd
that they just run like mad. The
little TELLER heer'd him, and then went
back into camp and heer'd all the So
gers talking about him, and what the
old Gineral would give to have him
licked. He asked EN- heap of ques-
tions about it all, and his big brother
he got mad at him, and twitted him
about keeping sheep, and gave him
right smart OF sass. He was plucky,
but you see he had to stan it, cause
twas his big brother. Big brothers
are mighty mean sometimes.
But the little fellow talked heap
with the other sogers, and they told
the old Gineral about hiS,, and he told
them to tell the little Teller to come
and see him. The little Teller was
mighty plucky, and he just up aud told
old Gineral Saul that he'd fight the
big Teller The Gineral looked at the
handsome little feller-he was really
handsome-and ses he, kinder softly,
II reckon" and shakin his head. tits
too big a job; you're only a chunk of
boy and he's an old fighter" The
little teller spanked up and told the
old Gineral that he'd had one bar
fight and he had killed the bar. He
said there was an cid lion and a bar
got among his dads sheep, and was
gwine off with lamb. lie broke for
i'm, and as soon as he met up with
the old bar, he lamm'd him till the
ban turned on him for a hug; but he
got one hand into the long har under
his jaw, and be lamm'd him with the
other till he was dead. He'd killed
the lion and the bar, and he knowed
be was enough for the old big Teller.
Then the little Teller talked real re-
ligious to the old Gineral. You see,
he'd got religion afore that, and he
knowed that the Lord would help a
Teller, if he was all right and got into
a tight place. He told Gineral Saul
that the Lord had made him mighty
supple, and looked out for him when
the old lion and b ar tried to get their
paws into him, and he knowed He'd
see him through the fight with the old
big fellow, for he was just DARN EN-
and pesterin' EN- to make game of
religion. When the old Gineral seed
he was 50 plucky, and religious, too,
he knowed thems the kin that fit
powerful, and he told him to 20 in,
and he made little prayer for him
hisself. Then the old Gineral put his
own soger close on the little Teller,
and strapped his sword onto him. But
they we're heap too big, and he
shucked 'em off directly, and made
for dry branch down in the bottom.
Then he hunted five little rocks,
smooth as hen egg, put EN- in little
bag where he carried his snack when
he was a.tendin' the sheep, got his
sling fixed all right, and hurried up to
meet the old big fellow in the medder
lot. When he seed him comm he
was powerful mad they'd sent down
such little Teller, and jawed awful.
But the little Teller jest talked back
religious, and kept his eyes peeled.
And | reckon the big Teller couldn't a
ben a lookin'. I've studied a heap on
it, and | just know the big Teller
couldn't ben lookin'; for the little
TELLER got out his sling and drew away
and SHE'D little rock at him, and he
popped him and down he tumbled.
Then the little fellow rushed up and
/ mounted him, jest as an old hunter
loves to get on bar after he's shot
him, and he out with the big feller's
long sword and off with his head.
Then it was them Philistine sinner s