Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-03-13
A FIGHT AT CLOSE QUARTERS.
JAMES WHITCoNB RILEY,

''I'Ye seen a good many single combats
In my time, said Col. c., slipping his
sangaree with an air of unmistakabIe en-
joyment. I've looked on at fights of two
men, two tigers, two elephants, two snakes,
and (the most picturesque of all to my
mind two eagles; but the queerest that |
ever saw was one that | came in for when
| was quite youngster. y
"Was that when you were in Ceylon?''
asked |; knowing by experience that the
worthy colonel's stories invariably began
with When | was quartered in Ceylon. y
Just so, my boy; and as you seem to be
fond of queer stories, I'd better just begin
at the beginning, and tell you all about it.
''When | first went out, brought let
ter of introduction to man of the name
of T, a queer old fellow, who had been
out there half his life, and knew the whole
place by heart. What exact post he h"id,
or whether he held any post at all, | never
found out; but, at all events, he was
quite cock of the walk in his own dis
trict, and had a hand In everything that
was done for miles around. AS to the
natives he seemed to know all their
tricks inside and out; and they stood in
wonderful awe of him, looking upon him
as great conjurer.
"I'll just give you one specimen of the
way in which he dealt with them. While
| was staying with him, a message came
from neighbor of his, who lived few
miles off, that some things had been stolen
the night before, and that, although it was
as clear as daylight that it must have been
done with the connivance of somebody in
the house, yet there was not an atom of
proof against the servants, all of whom
stoutly protested their innocence; and he
would be greatly obliged to Mr.. r to
come over and look into the matter.
"Well, no sooner said than done. +
and | rode there to breakfast, and after
breakfast, all the servants were mustered
in row; and there sat ole Tn great
cane chair, looking through them (egad ]
think | see them now with an eye Just
like gimlet. Then he made them tip
top speech in their own lingo, telling them
that Bran ah had appeared to him in his
dream, and told him who the thief was;
and that, to make his guilt plain to them
all, he was going to give a straw to each
of them, and the culprit. do what he
might, was sure to get the longest
1.-The darkeys looked awfully frightened
and drew their strsws just as though they
were casting lots to be hanged. When
they had all done, Took the straws
back one by one; and as the fifth man de-
livered his, T caught him by the
shoulder, and shouted, You're the thief!
Down went the fellow in the dust, and
with the most dismal shrieks for mercy
confessed he was the thief, and was march,
ed off there and then. When he was
gone, | asked I how on earth he nan.
aged it.
:" Easily enough, says he; the straws
were all the same length originally, and
the fellow to make sure of not getting the
longest, had bitten piece off his-and by
that | knew him!
''Well. this fellow, T, such as I've
described him, was just the man to put
me up to all the ms and outs of the place,
as he expressed it when first went to him
He began by introducing me to an uncom.
monty good dinner (which struck me as q
very satisfactory commencement and tc
his wife, the brightest, merriest little WON
an | ever meta great contrast to her dry
quaint old husband; also to his daughter
Sophy, who-but we won t say anything
about her just yet.
Before tifin Qunch) next day, T
had shown me all over the house and
grounds; and last of all, he led me up to
a great wooden shed in a corner of the com
pound (the enclosure around the house, you
know, and told me to look in.
" 1 kept this sight to the last, said he,
with a chuckle; for expected you Il think
it is the queerest of all. Look In there,
and see what you can.
cat first could see nothing at ill, ex-
cept shapeless brownish mass, from
which issued low, grunting noise, huddled
up In one corner, and so | said. But at
the sound of my voice the thing suddenly
reared itself erect, and ran at me below
ing fercely, while smaller mass detached
itself from it, and began to bleat aloud.
Then perceived that the hobgoblin was
only queer-looking COW, all covered with
thick course hair, with ahuge f1eshy hump
midway about its neck, and, stranger still,
no horns-only two hard knobs where they
ought to be.
"Old r laughed at my establishment,
and told me that this beast was a present
from a native child who was great
friend of his-an old gentleman whose
name sounded to me exactly like 'Cock-a
doodle-doo, though l dare say it was a
very pretty one according to Singhalese
notions.
my girl has made pet of her,
said he, and carries her something good
almost every day. The creature has got
to know her, and receives her amicably
enough; but she seems to suspect every
body else of design upon her calf, and
shows fight at once, as you see. Now,
then, come along IN, and have a snack;
you must want it after al your sight
seeing
And in | went, little dreaming in what
a new capacity that same cow was to figure
before had done with her.
Next morning anative shikd1i (hunter
came In with the news that cheetah
Qeopard) had ensconced itself in a grove
not far from the house; and T, who
was a keen sportsman, sailed forth at
once taking me along with him.
I'VE were not long IN sighting our
game; but, to our great disappointment, il
was lying crouched behind tree in such
a way that its head was quite sheltered,
and nothing visible but little bit of the
flank However, f was not to be
baked; he tramped steadily up to it, and
| followed with very much of the same
feeling wherewith | used to enter the
dentist waiting room In my school-boy days
The moment he got well into range, he ur
and let fly.
Then came nasty snarling yell, which
made me feel cold all over, and out rushed
the beast "a laundering big one, tool and
started right at Us. The natives all bolteC
insanity. but T stood his ground like d
rock, and was just gong to give him The
second barrel. when the brute dropped his
head turned sharp around in his tracks
and flew like rocket after the niggers