Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-12-13
OLD JIM'S TIGER.
It L. a Big Fellow, the Skin Meas
uring Over Nine Feet.
He Tells in His Own Peculiar Way How,
with His "GoOd Dogs and
Powerful Fine Gum" He
Killed 1t.

Walking down the broad street OF
L one afternoon recently, l CHANGED
to enter store upon some trifiing pre-
tense, when to my delight discovered,
stretched over dry-gOOds box, the
largest and handsomest tiger skin 1
ever saw! 1t was evidently fresh
killed, for the blood was scarcely dry
in places and to the touch it felt as
velvety as though the 1.-the form it
had covered still stalked in stately
sovereignty through the glancing
shadows of Suwanee's swamps!
''Who killed it?" was of course the
first question; indeed, seeing this, the
clerk anticipated us with: ''Old Uncle.
Jim killed it, and just brought it in a
moment ago." where is old Jim?"
asked my companion, DR.. c., with
some eagerness, CHANGING around the
store. ''Ah! here you are, old man!
Come down off that barrel and tell us
about it! How is it you have quit that
potato patch and gone to killing
panthers now?' Old Jim's black face
Enlightened with proud. responsive
grin. as he slid down off the barrel
and approached the doctor, doffing
greasy and battered wool hat: ..Dats
ges only tiger, doctor; him no painter,
him 'tirely too big for painter" and
old Jim glanced with conscious pride
towards the dry-goods box. "All
right, Jim, have it your own way
painter or tiger-he is whale; about
nine feet long, l should say" measur-
ing it critically with one eye closed,
half quizzing.
mime foot and two inches, sab,
'zactly; Mr.. W Jest now meajered
hit wild his little string" and old Jim
munched away contentedly at his
dimes worth of stale cheese and
crackers.
"All right, then, that settles the size
of him; now. you go ahead, Jim. and
tell how you took him in" remarked
the doctor. smilingly.
+ Old Jim is good-natured darkey of
about sixty years experience (mostly
acquired in his cane and cotton
patches). and, feeling himself the hero
of the occasion. he took his position
in the middle of the floor, and with his
old gun laid affectionately across his
knees, begun his interesting recital.
This gun. by the way. deserves descrip-
ton. claiming. as it does, a part of
honor in this story. It is an ancient
dOuble-barrel "muzzle loader" the
rusted barrels of which are tied down
to the hadly-battered stock with old
cotton and twine strings! The left
lock is hammerless and the tube to the
right barrel destroyed almost beyond
recognition. However, he manages to
shoot it by using old musket caps. But
to return to Uncle Jim and his tiger
yarn
well. you see, gentlemen" rolling
mp the whites of his eyes till they
looked like glass marbles, "you see
my place runs back, hit do, right
ontef de Wakasassy swamp and bein'
as keeps some good dogs, and has q
powerful fine gun, natchully goes a
huntln' sum times, tho my ole lady
90 say when she quarlin' like. dat
duz nuthin' else but hunt
$50 yistiddy mornin' l had bizness
down in de back feld-dat's what
tells her-dat has 6iSness down in de
back field. / had sum taters down
dere whut needed lookin' after, fur de
grass is erbout tuck um. but dem dogs
Is mighty fon' of me, and dey tuck en-
foller me out dere, dey did. and fore /
knows it, one er dem puppies gins to
snooze er round er log. and den gins
% whine. and ole RemuA he trob up