The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-12-03

and able to git up n git. lie gifts
crosser an crosser, the older e gifts, an
Jake Simpson had to run fur S life to
git away f'om i'm last week. Jake come
across the ole devil on the perarrie,
where he was a browsin' about, an ole
Crum weren't a noticin' er sump'n, an
Jake us right up close to i'm when he
diskivered the bull. an the bull diskiv-
cred him. Ole Crum mus ben unusu-
ally sour that day, fur stidder him gall
lopin' off as e g'ner'ly does, e rushed
at Jake, an afore Jake could crack is
whip, his boss were gittin' over ground
like the wind, an ole Crum us close be-
hind. The race didn't last long, fur
ole Crum suddintly concluded to give
ii up an with a wild yell he darted fur
BayroOt.
, "Many's the capers I could tell you
bout. Sometimes he gifts sassy in the
spring, an won't let the cows come
home of an evenin', mindin' 'em out
all night. He bosses the whole range,
an when some fine young bull comes
home with his hide all ripped open an
bloody. we know ole Crum's been atoul
Nv i'm"
Just as the Captain concluded his
yarn we heard q halloo away off
towards the right, accompanied by the
sharp crack of a whip, which signals
were Joined by Jake Simpson. Dolph
Carter, and four or five other cowboys.
all rugged out in camping style. The
big spur rowels jingled, and the brand
irons clanked, as the horses trotted
along across the dreary barrens.
Stretching away on a dead level
there was nothing to relieve the dull
monotony of the scenery. The ground
was covered with saw palmetto and
gallberry bushes, and the everlasting
colonnades of pine trees. Now and
then an open glade, covered with coarse
grass, broke in upon the continuity of
pine woods, and at rare intervals an
open pool of water. After three
hours ride the scene began to change
We came to vast shallow pond filled
with green maiden cane with clumps of
buttonwOod bushes scattered through
it. Beyond and skirting the southern
horizon rs far as the eye could reach
was the gloomy swamp line of Bayroot
The palmetto grew higher, and the
gray moss hung longer on the trees,
and the whole scene was one mighty
embodiment of uninhabitable desola-
ton. A misty light fell upon the woods
and blue haze hung above the Ian
guild waters. and the rough saw grass
rustled in the slight breeze that came
up from the southwest.
Started f"om her feeding ground by
the noise, frightened Indian hen
fitted from bush to bush, thrusting
her crested head back and forth, witt,
a"cluck, chuck" of astoniShrd inquiry
The snowy wings of the white gannct
rose and fell as the shy creature winged
its flight to safer distance, and great
blue heron eyed us obviously as he
stalked about among the rushes. The
day was pretty far advanced, and the
rays of the September sun began to tell
upon us, and Capt. Sterne proposed
halt and council of war
"We're agettin' close to where ole
Crum rises now, an think we better
decide on some certain an shore plan
NV operations. My idee is fur us to
ride bout a quarter Nv mile apart
an let Jake Simpson keep the dogs
close long by the side of the swamps,
an when any Teller sees the bull let i'm
holler three times, an we'll all 60 fur
i'm at once. Eff any Teller kin git close
enough, let i'm bang away. an kill the
beast, but I tell We now hit'll take
shore shot to fetch i'm down."
With this understanding we separ-
ated, and it fell to my lot to be the out
side, or furthest man from the swamp,
which threw me out among the pine
levels. I had ridden All hour, perhaps,
and was dreamily gazing across a
maiden-cane pond, watching flock of
summer ducks at feed among the
water-lilies, when 1 was electrified by a
wild and discordant cry. "Whoop-
cluck-a-luck! it came, followed by
shrill and trumpet-like "Cluck- a-luck.
cluck-a-luck!' and turning quickly ]
beheld two magnificent whooping