St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-04-06
Just to See if Buck Would Pull"
BY DICK SOUTH.

JUST TO zee II BUCK WOula fllh"
BY DICK SOUTH.
The curiosity as well as the ca1elessness
of youth is often the substratum in the
foundation of many serious accident. l
am now, in my mental wanderings, carried
back to the scenes of my boy hood. Though
it is hundreds of miles away, and near two
score years have rolled into the past since
last saw it, yet how well do | remember
the old homestead. A quaint, little, old
house with porch in front, situated on a
mound of hill that sloped gently to mar.
row bottom, at the farther side of WIFI :,
ran small river. On the opposite sids<ot
this river the land rose abruptly to<a dis
lance of two hundred feet or more; then
made off into gradually rolling table
land or flat, which comprised the farm OF
Col Lyttle and part of two or three other
farms adjoining the colonels On the de-
clivity between the aforesaid river and
fiat, grew spruce pines, cedars, and with
it's thorny leaves and red berries, the more
summer-like holly. Over the surface OF
the same declivity were scattered promis-
cuously huge boulders that seemingly had
such loose hold in the mother earth that
one might think nature had dropped them
there Internationally, My sister, Georgi-
ana used to say the "bluff," as we called
it, made her think of the scenery described
in her Swiss novel. That it was at all
like the scenery in Switzerland, l am un-
able to say, but it certainly was pictur-
esque. AS write, it seems to me but yes
terday since was barefooted boy of
twelve, or thereabouts, taking my baths
in the river or fishing for trout, pickerel
and other members of the fnny tribe in
its clear, sparkling waters, or perhaps
tying my clothes ON my head and swim
ming across the stream to chase the squir-
rels and rabbits in the "bluff, my little
dog, "Brimbo," swimming with me and
seeming to enjoy the sport as much as
did. My young friends, those were the
happiest days ever saw, or perhaps ever
shall see, on earth. When | look back
upon this bright oasis on the frontier of
my desert life, when remember the hours
of unalloyed happiness enjoyed there,
when think of the companions who with
me shared that happiness, andothen reflect
that those companions are scattered and
most of them dead, that those happy days
of boy hood pleasures are gone to return
no more, s'the tear of regret will intrusively
swell" My infrm frame, my dim old
eyes and silvery locks daily remind me
that am nearing the farther side Of the
desert. Dear young readers, shall find
on the other side an oasis with sparkling
fountains at which may quench my burn
ing thirst. and then lie down among anna
ranthine flowers and rest these weary, toll
worn limbs of mine, while strains of celes;
tial music drown the memories of the
rough, dry and dangerous road over which
I have toiled? God knows. | trust we
all shall. @ ss5.s yzg
In those ha1cyon days of which speak,
| was made the happy owner of a calf. l
named him s'Buck" In color, he was a
rich roam, and scarcely month old when
he became NINE In those days, in the
mountainous districts of Kentucky, oxen
were much used, and good yoke of them
would sell for hundred dollars, and if
the animals were thoroughbred" they
would sell for twice that amount. was
anxious to make good work OK of Buck,
and, therefore, began early to train him.
My manner of training the young bovine
was to tie rope about his head and neck,
and drive him around and across the calf
lot or COW pasture, as the Cas- mig bit be, for
he was sometimes in one, and again in the
other.
The calf lot was an oblong PARALLEL
gram of land reaching from the barn on
the west side of the dwelling house down
the river. just opposite the "blnff." The
lot contained four or five acres, and was
separated from the COW pasture by cross
fence. Both lot and pasture were open on
the side next to the river The stream
being deep at all seasons of the year the
cattle, seldom, if ever, crossed to the
other side; therefore, fence was I'M
necessary and fencing next the river
would have b. en- of little avail unless the
materials of it had been stone, for other
wise it would have been carried away by
the next fresbet that came. After Buck
| was about four months old, it occurred to
| me one morning that ought to try him
to see if he would pull little dreamed
| the catastrophe that might follow such
an experiment. nor did [ ask any one
| what he thought of the project, but went
even ahead as though were an old hand
at the business. Here was wrong.
Boys should always consult their pa
| rents, or in the absence of parents, consult
some person older and more experienced
| than themselves before theystry and ex-
| pertinent, especially when there is q
probability, or even a possibility of such
experiment resulting seriously to any per
son or animal.
Well, got my rope, which was about
| twenty feet long, and procured small
| box Of about q bushels capacity, bored 8
! hole i'm one end of it to pass the rope
through, and Il us finished, / started fol
the calf-lot 1t was frosty morning in
| November. One of those still mornings
ON which an ordinary sound may be heare
| at an unusual distance. Reaching tht
calf-lot, proceeded to tie the rope around
| Bucks neck. He was a well grown cali
for his age, and all who saw him, pre-
dicted that he would make the largest OF
| in sahe neighborhood. Having tied on'
end of the rope around Bucks neck, m.
next move was to fasten the other end t,
| the box.
This I did by passing it through thu
| auger hole and tying. Having done this
| told Buck to get up" He gave stel
or TIVE, and seeing the box move at TIL
other end of the rope, stopped, refusing
| further service. All. the coaxing and pat
ting could lavish upon him produced NJ
sensible effect. Buck stood as sto1id ana
4 motlonIess as an image of Apis. Think
ing whip might assist me In overcoming
Bucks inertia, i ran, got one and CAV,
him sharp crack about the quarters
The result proved astonishingly satisfac
tory. He started in hurry. had n,
idea that my hitherto sslazy Buck coult
get over ground So fast. # my reacer
4 ever heard scared calf give utterance !.
his terrors. they can readily form an idei
Of the music that foated on the air tina