St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-09
FIGHT IN THE WILDERNESS


! lain i no greet of master hand a talkin
about myself,
But SIN I've sOrter got PLAYED out and laid
up on the shelf
With age and rheumatic and sich, I've pom
dered more or less
About that scrimmage o. mine he'd down
thar In the wilderness.
It's track o. woods and briers, with plenty
o rocks around,
Inc lonesomeSt place on the face of airth
that hev ever found.
But right in the middle's q clearin' say an
acre, more or less,
IA purity place, with its grass md pond, in the
heart O. the wilderness.
Wekep' drove O sheep in thar, an Bige
Was Grand Mogul, an strutted roun' belig-
gerent and kan.
But let a Twin thing appear around thar but
the drove,
If Bige once saw it 'peared likes if a cyclone
he'd arrove.
He'd butt woodchuck or an OK, or anythin
He was the strongest butter, 1 think, I've
ever seen.
1t didn't somehow seem to make no diff tn
He'd go fur anythin but sheep like woolly
cannon-ball.
was young man and i'll luv with Am
Clerindy Clark,
An sutferin' from tie same complaint was
big yGung sIlas Park.
ClSundy kinder ftirted round an KEEP US on
string,
Til we both got so jealous that we'd du most
anything.
One day says tn Sile, says I, "This things
gone fur enough;
1t you don't keep away from thar I'll use yer
mighty rough
Says he, IF ketch yer aroun' Clerindy any
more
I'll whale yer like sack, likewise III kick
yer out o"door.''
Yer will! y says l. "Well, now. look here,
-, yer hain'L no cause tn shout
L IL meet yer in Their clearin' an we'll Jest
hev this thing out.
Ii yer licks me Clarindys yourn, and vicy
yercy mlne.''
''Ail right" says he, 'tu-morrer morn at
zactly half past nine."
was on hand nd SO was he; we was well
matched in size
Nd you could tell we want in fun by lookin
in our eyes.
We pulled our caps and Jackets off and threw
EN- on the ground,
Then full o. gilt and purity mad we stood I'D
for the round.
Thar wa mt much science in our style; twas
give an take all through,
An both OF us see stars enough tn fill the
heavily blue.
got crack at Sile at last and caught him
on the ear.
1t lifted him from off the groun' about six
inches clear
Just then stepped back in a hole and tum-
bled on my back
M Slle was on me quicker'n scat. so mad
his face was black.
He he'd me by the throat before I'd hardly
struck the ground,
And choked me till the trees md sky began
to wtirl around.
''Give up Clarindy now:'' asked Sile. as soon
as he could speak.
shook my head, and that was ALL We see 7
couldn't squeak.
Fur sie had shut my breath off so l hadn't
Fur talkin', and just allowed I'd die right
then and thar.
just then I looked behind SiIe's back. an
thar, upon rise,
saw old Bile a-standin' with the devil in
his eyes;
see him drop his head down low an, stick
his tail up straight.
An then knew that all had to do was just
to wait.
Though was choked almost tn death snick-
cred then an thar,
An prayed the Lord tn let old Bige Just hit
him Squar an fair;
/ shut my eyes nd let Sile hev his Way about
q minnit,
Because | knew the fight was mine, nd Bige
would help me win it.
IL i
from Sile,
A minnits silence then spla sh. Now.
stranger, ye may smile
But it's Their truth; old Bige he'd struck him
solid, square nd fair.
Nd Knocked him tw enty- seven feet straight
for'ard through the air.
He landed head fust in Their pond, md when
he struck fur shore
l TUX pole md showed him back md down
ne went once more.
Says l: Who takes Clerindy, Sie?' He
gasped md looked at me-
II amt goin tn drown fur her: I guess
she's yourn.'' says he.
Well, stranger, jest tn cut it short, got her:
she's my wife.
An we've he'd nigh on fifty year O. active
married life.
Happy We ask Well. of; nd on, Clerindy's
got tongue
Same's all thir Clarks, likewise, she's purity
tollaDe high strung.
I've seen the time, twixt you nd me, when
sOmethin' d ried her gail,
L sorter felt that Sile d got ther best o. me
arter all,
Nd kinder regretted that Bige was round
that day, | must confess,
Nd felt that Twin was ruther WIS than
death II eth wilderness.
William Edward Penney in n. Y. World