Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-13
SILE REEVES GRIT.

"Got killed huntin' coonsi Not Sile
Reeves, y don't meant Not Sile Reeves.
him t't a sloshed the woods for better'n fifty
year, an kim out On top in more painter
fights an bar tussels with cattaymounts TIM
any other chap ez ever ramped ball inter a
rifieF Y don't meanter to tell me thr Sile
Reeves has gone an got killed q huntin,
coons-a sneakin'. thievin', ring tailed var
mint rh't amt no good ter anybody cent q
hungry niggera An niger, even, ED
hunt a coon bgosh, ,nless be were SO hungry
tht he were treadin' on the sooburbs q
starvation, oughtn't ter be let cut bait for q
mink trapi SHE Reevesi Did he go back on
hisseif in the days O. his old age an git killed
a coonin'7 Gittin' killed's bad enough. but to
go coonin'-rm burned If b'lieve itr'
The Old Settler was moved A man from
Sugar Swamp had brought news OF the death
OF Sic Reeves, famous hunter. who. sc-
cordipg to report, was cutting down a tree
IN which a coon was holed, when the tree
fell unexpectedly and crushed him TO death.
why, boys" continued the Old Settler,
rSile Reeves didn't take no back seat fer
noe.dn' mr. nobody When he were only a
ten year OF he had moro grit thin hunk O.
sandpaper twicet his size His folks lived
over on tn north edge o. the swamp, whar
his OF man were tryin' to pry farm outen
from under the stratty o pebbles tht were
the predomineerin' outcroppin' o tn sile
tharabouts, an he'd discovered enough dirt
to mako pastur' lot 'Tw'an't but ten rod
square, but you KID ha' built a new wall
around Jericho with the stun it she'd. In this
E,edder, as Sile's pap called the clearin,. TIL
OF man started tn stoclin' O. his farm with
a sir months old calf, which he fetched eli
tn way from Lost Crow barren. One morn
In he went out TO chuck soma 'tater peelin's
over the wall inter the pastur', t. kinder help
the calf through the day, when, 10 an behold
ye! the calf were goneI Sile's father thought.
o course, the calfd jumped the wall an tuck
TO the woods, an be cussed it from Dan to
Beersbeby fer a durn wuthless, britchy crit
ter tht didn't know which side its bread
wero buttered on. SIZE was busy in another
clearin tryin' TO find room here and there
FOR a bill o. beans witch it were a tolabls
tough job to do, cause the pro raty O. stun to
dirt were in tn vicinity O. two ton o stun to
half pint o dit. Sile's father called him an,
TOP him to go an hunt up the calf, an not to
be all day about it. nuther an not to come
hum without II, re didn't want the hide
tucken often him. The OF man, even when
he were in a good hunlor, were crosser'n a
bar, an when he were mad, J-e-e-e-rusaleml
but wouldn't he make things bounced But to
go arter the calf were just Oh persimmons fer
Sic, fer be were durn tired o purs1in' agri-
cultur' with a cTowbar. TIL youngster felt
pretty clus to sartin th't the calf d ben in
fooenced to leave its pastur' by either r.
painter or a bar, both o. which WANT nd
ways sca'ce IN them precincts. So be sneaksd
his dads OF fiintlock rifle down often TIL neg
it hung on in tn cabin an skedaddled fur tn
woods.
mind We, Sile were uniy ten year OF an
want big o. his age nuther.
well, when supper time kim, Sile wa'n't
back yit, an his OF man b'gun to sw'ar, an |
think OF BuInpy Reeves KID put better cuss-
words an more NV em inter a sQuar' inch o.
talk thin any man It ever smiled th' air o
heaven. About bed time he see fur tb, fust
Y th' OF fiintlocI were gone, an then he begun
t let hisself loose Th' cusses got t. comm so
thick an powerful Ut Bumpys OF woman
which she I'D hold her own pooty well her
self with ordinary ev'ry day run o cussin'-
got skeert an loft the cabin. Sile's dad
swore t he'd bet his farm agin a last years
crows nest-which were bout an even bet
twixt us-th't Sale were followin' some chip /
munk truck al over tn swamp, an d f,got
Rll about abe calf Mex mornin' Sile hadn't
showed up yit, an tn OF man went out t.
look for him long with Sam Ward an nv
leif, which / were a boy then ez he'd Knocked
uNer my fust deer, an he'd sent bah arter a
bar. SAN am me were a drivin' TIL ridges
fer deer, an happened long b. Reeves Just or
be were goin' out ter look up Sile So we
went Hong. Bout noon me am Sam came
onter tn boy. He were five mile FIN hum.
setttn long side o. one o. tn biggest bar car
casses L ever sec His clos was all feared e
sstters, an his face were all streaked with
blood, zif be were an Injin painted fer tn
warpath
''OP man Reeves KEN up by this time, an,
when he see Sile settin' by tn dead b'ar. an
III OF flint lock standin' up agin a tree, an,
Sile all scratched an bloody, an his clos
bout right fer gun wipers, he were so mad
be couldn't say word fer up'aITis of a min
Ute, an then b'gun e give tn GUS words
chance. Twere quite spell fore Bumpy
got down t hard pan, an then he went at
SHE
is this tn way ys go out t. hunt up a calf,
ye drotted little imps Here We ben the best
part o. two days a foolin' yer time away
follerin' Internal OF bar round tn kentry,
right In the busiest time o bean plantin', an
4 tearip tn unly suit o. K'ntucky jane they
Is in the hull township otfn yer bacEl
Whar1s til calfl Vile yev ben foolin' arter
Int bar, what's become o. tn calf, We young
whelp o the holieri Whar1s tn calf An
why hainf We fotched it hump
lit were q refreshin' sight & see SiIe cock
Up his eye at the oP man One eve were
plumb shut up, an ez black es bars ear.
A big piece were gone outen one cheek. 81,
tothar were sweiled out like blowed up
pigs bladder. I'm jiggered if it want
enough TO make wild cat laugh t look at
bat boy.
"I went out arter that calf, dad, an were
BOUND T. get her, said Sile. i got her, an
vas fetchin' her hum ez fast e l cud Ef
red 3 waited bout two hours longer I'd
lad her thar-or, leastways, wat th' is left
II her. IF we got time to rip open this
,'ay's carcass vi find yer calf, sartin-'
t'Ye see SIZE had kim onter tn OF bar Al,
''pg-ised him putin tn calf away inside o
lissssf, an when Sile sent bail arter him th'
var had grabbed up what were left o. the
ritter an dug out fer hum Sic follered
ruin fer tea mile, an come up { him in hts
en- long lords night Sile Civ him tn
ugS and III bar tackled him, but were
'ounded too bad b git away with th' boy,
vi czsawed him up tol'ble hansome fore he
in zp the ghost SHE jest czrled down
ocgside th' bar an slep' till n1ornin', an
'ere draggi1' bruin an tn calf thit were
lside O. him hum wien me an Sam Ward
I'm along outer him a restfn' in tn swamp.
Z tht want Qjs soraeood~ tell me vhasit
,A-~s