Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-01-14
er Till every feller had Said It.

| if them critters don't guy us q chance
to shoot some of 'em, IN be hanged ii
they shall sleep a wink this blessed
night
So we pushed on, and ia less than a
half hour arter that we got right near
the long black lire Of beasts. Whether
it was bekase we'd now got the breeze
blowing towards us, don't know; but
somehow the buffers appeared to have
got over thar skeer, and war now TAX
ing their ease, picking out the green
sprigs of grass close down to the
| ground.
Well, we crept along till we'd got
within good, easy, shooting distance
and then told the boys we'd all git
ready and fire together, and fotch as
many's We could, for it war jest as like
as not we wouldn't te able to git the
second shot. The moon by this time
was shining so cl'ai and bright that
we could see almost as clear as day !;
and then it was, jest about the time
we war Citing ready to take aim, we
did see something so curious that we
stopped to look at it, and wonder over
it, and, as Pm telling facts, I'll be
frank enough to own up, Citing a lee.
tie bic skeered at it too.
The buffers, as I've said, was
stretched away in long black line
some Of 'em purity near US and some of
'em good ways off-when right sud-
den one of them nearest US, and one of
the old fellers we'd laid out to throw
with our furst shot, gin loud, awful
beller, like he'd got pain in his stom.
aoh, and began to caper round like l
did onct when l was stung by q hornet.
Now that wasn't so very much IN it.
self, for it might be something had hit
him; but when he broke away toward
US, believing .all the time-and then
stopping sudden and begun to paw the
earth and then stopped that and'pear.
ed to be braciug himself on his legs,
putting them as far apart as he could
and then purity soon rolled oyer, with
a powerful groan-it sort Of looked a
bit queer. And then. when three or
four others went to doing the same
thing, and all ending in the same way,
it really looked durn sight queerer.
Hello what's the matter thar r
says one.
The old Scratch or Injun, / don't
know which y says another.
Don't you see that BUTLER calf, that
looks like it might be yearling, dodg-
ing abnnt alongside of them fellels as
gifts the pain p says third.
We all allowed we had seen it-but
what then ?
well, that's the critter as kicks up
all the rumpus.' says hin that plnted
it out, 'and its eyther Injun,a sperret
or the devil-for il thar's any BUTLER in
it, you can hang me y
We boys all had our superstitious be-
liefs, as we'll as the old folks, and as
we looked at that thar calf, flying
round 'mongst them as perred TO be
a leetle bit fuider off.
Let's shoot at it = says one and
three or four rifles war Immediately
p'inted in that direction.
Don't says I for il it's a lnjun,
he's only making meat, and we'll di-
vide the spiles; and il its sperret, or
the Old One. you'll only waste your
powder. Let's wait bit and see what
comes ont y
Well. after the other buffers had
gone through all the motions of the
first, and keeled over in the grass, we
seen the thing, whatever it might be,
leave the herd and come quiet towards
wher3 We war.
Down in the grass, boys says j.
sand keep powerful still It'll we git that
thar critter in amongst us.and then its
like we'll git at the mystery y
So We all popped down and waited
quiet for the spook to come up; and as
war one OF the nearest to it, l fell
my hair kind % bristle up, and | hur-
ried over prayer or two into my own
mind, jist to be ready for the wo'st.
At fust, arter I'd dropped down, I
couldn't see it at all but hadn't laid
there long when | Seen its shaggy
head, with it's short horns bobbling ul
and down, as it come right on towards
the spot whar I war. | was skeered
then, l won't deny, bekause | thought
it might be some wild prairie sperret
and il I'd been alone, thar amt doub
in my mind that I'd done some purity
tall walking right off.
Well, 1 waited, holding my breatl
and trembling. till the awful thing
come up closer and closer, aud | some
how thought l could see the devil il
the shape of young butler; and then,
feeling like man does when he'
cornered up to desperation, jumped
up with yell right in front of it,. a
done so, some of the other boys jump
Il x,cll tosf. opd thop 4pith