Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-03-13
THE GANDER PULLING.
a Glimpse OF Life In the Tennessee
East Putney, VI.

A Glimpse OF Life In the Tennessee
Mountains.
[From Chas. Egber, Craddocks story, "The Prophet
Of the Great Smoky Mountains" now running in
the Atlantic Monthly.I
There rose a sudden olamor upon the air
vibrant, childish voice, and then a great
guffaw. An old crone had come out of one
the cabins and was standing by the fence,
holding out to Gid Fletcher, who seemed
master OF ceremonies, large white gander,
whose foolish physiognomy was thrown into
bold prominence by thorough greasing of
the head and neck. His wings tapped, he
hissed deTcely, he dolorously squawked. A
little girl was running frantically by the side
of the old woman, cutching at her skirt
and yociferously claiming the "gaynder."
Hers it was, since MAN he'd gin me the las
aig when the gray goose laid her ladder out,
an it was sot under the old Domnicky hen
ez KEN of n her nest through settin three
weeks, like a hen will do. An then t war
put under old Top-knot, an I war the fust
aig Matched oufn old Top knots settin'."
This unique pedigree, shrieked out with a
shrill distinctness, mixed with the lament of
the prescient bird, had ludicrous effect
Fletcher took the gander with guGaw, the
old crone chuckled, and the young men
lauged as they mounted their horses.
The blacksmith hardly knew which part
he preferred to play. The element Of dom
inatlon in his character gave peculiar relish
to the role Of umpire; yet with his pride in
his deftuess aud strength il cost him a pang
to forego the competition in which he felt
himself an assured victor. He armed him
self with whip of many thongs, aud took
his stand beneath branch of one of the
trees, from which the gander was suspended
by his big feet, head downward. Aghast At
his disagreeable situation, his wild eyes stared
about his great wings tapped drearily bis
long neck protruded with its peculiar mo
tion, unaware Of the clutch it invited. What
a pity so funny thing can suffer
Tue gaping crowd at the store, on the cab
in porches, on the fences, watched the com
petltors with wide eyed, wide -mouthed de-
light. There we're gallant figures among
them, shown to advantage on young horses
whose spirit was not yet quelled by the
plough. They filed slowly around the pre-
scrbed space once, twice then each made
the circuit alone ut break neck gallop As
the first hors6man rode swiftly along the
crest Of the precipice, his head high against
the blue sky, the stride of the steed covering
mountain aud valley, he had the miraculous
effect of Prince Firouz Shah and the enchant
ed horse 10 their mysterious aerial journeys.
When he passed b. meath the branch whence
hung the frantic huttering bird, the black
many thongs, laid it upon the flank of the
horse, and despite the wild and sudden plunge
the rider rose IN his stirrups and olutched the
creased neck of the swaying gander. Tough
old fowl! The strong lgaments resisted.
The first hardly hoped 10 pluck the head
and after his wild, convulsivv grasp his fright
ened horse carried him on almost over the
bluff. Tue slippery neck refused to yield at
the second pull, and the screams Of the de.
lighted spectators mingled with the shreks
of the gander The mountain colt, clay.
bank, with a long black tail full Of cookie
burrs, bearing the third man, rearel violent
ly under the surprise of tue lash. As the
rider changed the balance Of his weight, rs-
ing in his slirrups to tug al the gander's ncck,
the colt paved the air wildly with his fore
feet, fell backward, aud rolled upon the
ground, almost over the hapless wight. The
blacksmith was fain to support himself
against the tree for laughter, and the hurrah-
ing Settlement could not remember when it
had enjoyed anything so much. The man
gathered himself up sheepishly, and limped
of the colt being probably mile away,
running through the woods a. the height of
his speed.
The gander was in panic by this tine. II
ever fowl of that gender has Mysteries,
that gander exhibited the disease. BE hiss
ed he tapped his wings he squawked he
stared he used every limited power OF ex-
preston with which nature has gifted him.
| He was so funny one could hardly look at
him.
As Amos james was about to take his turn,
amid hAttering cries of Amos II pull his
head r. Amos II git his head !" man
who had suddenly appeared on horseback at
the verge Of the clearing, and had paused,
contemplating the scene, rode swiftly for
ward TO the tree.
| 'Ye can't pull outn turn, pa'son :" cried
half dozen voices from the younger men.
The elders stared in amaze that the preacher
should demean his calling by engaging in
this public sport.
Kelsey checked his pace before he reached
the blacksmith, who, seeing that he was not
going to pull, forbore to lay on the lash.
The next moment he thought that Kelsey
was going to pull; he had ris n in his stir
rnps, with uplifted arm.
"What be you uns a-goin' ter do 2" de
manded Gil Fletcher, amazed.
"Pm a-goin' ter take this hyar crittei
down"
His words thrilled through the Settlement
like a current of electricity. The mex
phrase was lost in wild chorus of exclama
tions.
Take the gaynder down."
"What fur Z"
"Hi Kelsey hev los his mind surely h,
hev."
Then above the angry, undistinguishabl'
tumult of remonstrance the preachers voic'
rose clear and impressive The pains o. th
BEASTS be hev made teches the Lord in heav
en-; fur he marks the sparrow's fall, an
minds himself O. the pitiful o. yearth |" IL
spoke with the authority appertaining to hi
calling, The spark o. life In this fow eI al
kindled ez fraish ez yourn, fur hevin' sou
ye don't ginerally prove 1t an hevin' mt
soul ter save, this gsynder hain't yearned th'
torments o. hell, an Pm a-goin' ter take tn
oritter down"
"'Tain't yer gaynder !" conolusively al
gued the blacksmith, applying the swage o
his own conviction.
"He air my gaynder !" shrieked out
childish voice, Take him down, take hiI
down"
This objection to the time-honored spol
seemed hardly less eccentric than an exhib
tion of insanity. To apply dignified az
ION of humanity to that huttering, long sui
fering tumult of anguish familiArly know
as the 'gaynder" was regarded As ludicrou'
, ly inappropriate. To refer to the Lord an
the typical sparrow in this connection seen
ed almost blasphemy. Nevertheless, wit
the rural reverence for spiritual authorit
a and the superior moral perception of Ii
clergy, the crowd wore submlssiVely bake
. aspect, and even the young men who hs
not yet had their tug at the fowls neck SUI
cumbed, under the impression that the preacl
: er's fat mad put stop to the gander-pullin
4 for this occasion.
q As Kelsey once more lifted his hand to III
crate the creator OF the days merriment, Il
. blacksmith, his old grudge reinforced by
a new one, gave the horse cut with his whi
\ The animal plunged under the unexpeot'
y blow, and carried the rider beyond the tire
y Reverence for the cloth had no longer a r
a straining influence on the young mountai
eers. They burst into yella of laughter.
n "Crar out pa'son !" they exclaimed,
lightedly. "Ye hev bed yer pull. or
out !"
There was guffaw among the elders abo
e the store A clamor Of commenting voic
J. rose from the cabin porches, where the feI
mime spectators stood. The gander squaw