The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-06-22
BACKW00DS LIFE.
A Story of Early Days in Michigan.
BY II. II. JOHNSON.
CHAPTER NH.


PATS ENCOUNTER WITH BILL BRAXToN.
Hello, Irish. Seems to me yed be
neaSer yer native element ifye had a
pick and spade and was diggin bitches,
instead of tryin' to swing an AK, which
occupation, / take it from yerawkWard-
ness, natur' never designed We fur"
Pat dropped the ak he was Justify
swinging and making the chips fly into
air from the trunk of sturdy white
wood that he was chOpping, and turned
quickly to learn who it was that thus
rudely addressed him. His gaze fell
upon Bill BraXtOn, who stood few feet
distant, leaning upon his rifle, and eye
ing with sheer, the industrious Irish
man.
The reader has learned in preced-
ing chapter, that Pat felt no ardent love
FOR this parsonage, and the tone and
words with which he just addressed
him, did not tend to increase the senti-
ment.
Fat never denied that he was an Irish
man. In fact, he boosted that he was
born on the Emerald Isle, and in a
shanty IN which the pig and COW each
occupied an apartment, and were on
terms of almost social equality with
the family; and the music which charm
ed his ears in earliest infancy consisted
OF trio composed of his mothers voice,
the squeal and grunt of the Well-fed
pig and the satisfied moo" of the sleek.
FAMILY COW; but while he gloried in the
TACT that the land of his birth was also
The home of many Irish statesmen and
patriots, he did not like to hear his ma
llOhaIty announced in a sneering. con-
temptuous manner.
Moreover, if there was any occupa-
uon IN which Pat honestly claimed to
De an adept, it was wood-chopping and
telling the tall, sturdy giants of the
forest. lie felt so proud of his occupa-
tioh mat he designated it one of the
me arts; hence this sneering allusion,
on the part of Braxton, to his lack of
skill as chopper, hit Pat in the most
tender part of his feelings. and raised
MS Indignation to the fighting pitch at
once.
But Pat preferred to resort to arms
only as last expedient, and after
grinding his teeth and scowling upor
the man before him moment, he an
sWered in as even tone as he coult
command:
Mebbe ye think yer a perilsser of tn
ART yersilf. If We are, We can take tn
ak and give me few lessons in tn
fancy part Of the art. Ye look as if Y,
cud cut yer foot off the first time wild
out any ixtra iffort; and don't know
as it wud Spite yer beauty any if We Ina,
pened TO make a few gashes in W
facet"
Hold on. Irish! There amt no use
yer gittin' yer dander up about nothir
fur if ye git little unruly, | will tai
upon myself the Office of corrector t
ward ye, and give YET spankin' tn;
will remind we of the time when We W;
alittle boy and didn't mind yer mother
Il tuck me last spankin' whin | wa
wee bit of babby," returned Pa
AN II there's any spankin' to be dor
whin I'm around, it's mesilf that'll hay
the pleasure of bein boss workman 0
the job"
Braxton laughed loudly at the Irisl
mans evident unfriendliness towar
him, and remarked:
We'll, Pat, see yer chuck full {
grit, but don't feel quite like swalle
In yer Irish carcass whole just now. ,
we'll drop that subject and be friendly
III we want to be frindly," mutter,
Pat, turning and picking up his AK
II to resume chopping. "the only way
can DO 1t is to pass on about yer bus
ness, and lave me to choose me oy
companions; fur, to be honest wild v
We amt the man cud liver be frind
to at all, at ALL"
Hold on minute, Pat. can't We TIRE
q man civil when he's come all this VI
on purpose to see ye on an importa
natter"
"Ifye've got any business wild n
spake 1t out to wuns't and have it 6