The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-10-12
DAVID AND GOLIATH.


Tho Story as Told by Local Preacher In
tho Southwest.
Dr.. Persons "reminiscences.
Last week, my bretterin, as was a.read-
in my bible, I found q Glory of big fight
q. Samuel. xvii.) It was powerful inter.
estin' and I studied It almost all the week.
There was two armies campin' on two
boiler, and, I reckon, some good bottom
land and medder lot lyin' between them.
In one Of the armies there was big Teller
"a whoppin' great big teller-aud every
day he went down into the medder lot
md looked up the hill to t'other camp and
just dared 'em. He told 'em to pick their
best man and send him down, and he'd fight
him. And he jest strutted around there in
bis soger close, and waited for 'em to send
on their men. And such soger close new
or heard tell on atore.
He had brass cap and brass trousers,
and a coat made like mail 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
EN-. They jest oil sneaked away, and the
big Teller went back to camp. But he
didn't quit thar. the big Teller didn't. He
was spiiin' for fight, and he was bound to
have it. He jest went down into the bot
tomland. into the medder light, mo,nin'
and evenin', and dared 'em and dared 'em.
tell you he pestered 'en 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 it any on 'em would go down
and lick the big Teller he'd give his gal and
o right smart chance Of plumber. But they
we've all 80 skeered that even that didn't
start one of 'em. The big Teller went down
and dared 'em and pestered 'em more'n a
month. forty days the Bible says.
don't know what they'd done if it
hadn't a-been that peart little Teller had
come down to camp one day to fetch some
extra rations to his three big brothers that
their old dad sent to 'em from home.
Kind old pap he was, and sharp, too, for
he sent along big present to the boys
Cap'en. Well, jest as the little Teller drove
up, they were all gwine out to fight, and the
little 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 'em again,
and they were all so skeer'd that they jest
run like mad. The little Teller heered him,
and then went back into camp and heered
all the sogers talking about him, and what
the old Gineral would give to have him
licked. he asked them Q heap of ques-
tons about it all, and his big brother he got
mad ut 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 ace mighty mean sometimes.
But the little Teller talked heap with
the other sogers, and they told the old Gin
eral about him, and he told them to tell the
little Teller to come and see him. The little
Teller was mighty pluoky, and he jest up
and told the old Gineral Saul that
he'd fight the big feDer! The Gineral look
ed at the handsome little feller-he was
real handsome-and says he, kinder softly,
:! recon-" and shakin' his head, "its too
big job, you're only chunk Of a 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 old lion and
bar got among his dads sheep, and was
gWlne off with lamb. He broke for i'm,
and as soon as he met up with old bar, he
damned him till the bar turned on him
Tor hug; but he got one band into the
long hal. under his jaw, and he lamme'd
him with the othern till he was dead. He'd
killed the lion and the bar, and he know'd
he was enough for the old big Teller.
Then the little Teller talked raal religious
to the old gineral. You see he'd got relip-
ion afore that, and he knowed that the Lord
would help Teller, if he was right, and got
into tight place. He told Gineral Saul
that the Lord had made him mighty supple,
and looked out for him when the old lion
and bar tried to get their paws into him:
and he knowed He'd see him through the
fight with the old big Teller, for he was Just
DARN en- and pesterin' 'em to make game
OF religion. When the old gineral seed he
was so plucky and religious. too. he knowed
them's the kin that ut powerful. and he told
him to 60 in, and he made little prayer
tor him hisself. Then the old ginersl put
his own soger close on the little Teller, and
strapped his sword onto him. But they
were heap too big, and he shucked EN- of
directly, and made for dry branch down
in the bottom. Then he hunted five little
rocks as smooth Us hen egg, put 'em in a
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
Teller in the medder lot. When
he seed him comm he was powerful mad
they'd sent him down such little felers,
and jawed awful. But the little Teller jest
talked back religious. and kept his eyet
peeled. And reckon the big Teller couldn"
ben lookin'. I've studied heap on it
and I just know the big Teller couldn't o
ben q lookin', for the little Teller got out
his sling and drew away and SHE'D little
rock at him. and popped him, and down he
tumbled. Then the little Teller 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 fellers long sword and
off with his head. Then it was them Phil.
lstlne sinners turn to be skeered. and they
broke for the brush; and all of them chil'en
OF Israel, fellers jest shouted and chased
EN- clean over the mountain into valley
and then com'd back and got all their camp
plumber.
My brethein, that's the best story of a
fight I ever read after, and you can't buy no
better story book nor this very Bible.