Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-06-13


see 1t, says she.
Susan walked to the winder an
looked out The moon was shinin'
about on the half full an the patch o
clearin' on that side o the house was
purity well lit up. Susan could hear
the painters yellin' an growlin', but
she couldn't see EN-, count Of II bein'
so dark on the edges o the woods
Fore long, though, on the right-hand
side, sumpin' come q stealth out In the
moonlight, like big shadder, on not
more'n second later another one
come stealth out from t'other side
They crept along, an they crept along,
till the moon was shinin' full on to EN-,
an then they both stopped, not more'n
fifteen foot apart.
"'Gloryl' says Susan. Amt they
seekers? An amt they Jest more than
fghtin' madl' says she.
"Susan said that as them painters
stood there sizin' each other up, their
eyes looked like four rcd-hot Goals, an
streaks o Are shot out from EN-, like
strikin flint, They wasn't more than
twenty yards from the house, an Su-
san could see 'en pant, an their long
tails a-swishin', most Us plain as day.
They didn't scrooch there an glare an
snarl an spit at one another long
Suddenly each one Of EN- give
screech that Susan said most made her
deef an leapin' toards each other In
the air they buckled in, and the scrim-
mage was goin' on.
"'Moses, says Susan, when she was
tellin' me bout it, that was the first
time | ever had anything to be sorry
fer
"Whatl says l. Fer the paintersY
"'rer the paintersI' says Susan.
Course not! Sorry fer what pap was
missin'l Sorry to know that there was
setch a scrimmage as that goin' on,
right on his own h'arthstun, says she,
an pap wasn't there to see III lie
never got over 1t to hisdyin' day. says
she.
"Wull, them painters tore an clawed
an chawed each other round that
openin', Susan said, an yooped an
yelled an shrieked an hollsrSsa In a
way that was a most cca.,eerin' sight fer
= ten-year'old Eal all alone on q back
woods clearin', an Susan said she al
ways felt obleeged to them painters,
Is she wouldn't . missed II fer farm.
Sometimes they'd be standin' up like
men a-rasselin', IN gnash away at
At each other, an then they'd tumble
an roll on the ground, first one on top
an then t'other on top, now an then
rollin' out o sight In the dark edges O
the woods, an then bouncin out ag'in
into the moonlight Of the openin', an
all the time a-rippin' an'a.tearin' away
with teeth an claws, an yellin' with
fury an screamin' with pain,
ny an by, In one Of their rollin' an
tumblin' rounds, the two painters
come divin' an pitchin' an rippin' an
tearin' straight to'ard the house, an
KEEP on comm till they banged ag'in
the door till 1t shook an shivercd.
Then Susan see that both painters was
tore up pooty bad, an was bleedin like
stuck pigs She didn't keer nothin'
bout the bleed, but when she SEQ the
way their skins was gettin slit, she
most turned cold.
Glory She says What hev' ben
thinkin' OFF says she Them skinsll
be spilled II this here scrimmage
goes onl Less sumpin's done pooty
quick them painter skins won't DO
with the shuckin' Of EN- off their
wuthless cnrcasses.' says she. I've
got to take hand in this says she.
"Tcn year old, mind W, an two big
painters maddern fury IN glttln'
madden every minute!
"Susan's pap's rife hung on Il couple
O pegs ag'in the wall. Susan had to
put sap bucket upside down on
bench to stand on fore she could reach
the gun, she was so little, but she got
1t. The winders in the house wasn't
made to raise, an 30 Susan had to open
the door fore she could git Il shot at
the painters. They had rolled an
tumhled away from the house, an WIS
both up on their hind feet, fifteen or
twenty yards of, locked together
an chawin' one another as Susan
stepped out. The moon lit EN- up, an
1t glistened on the gun bari an Susan
run her eye over It for a second or two,
an fired. When the gun cracked both
painters tumbled to the ground. One
didn't get up, but t'other I'm did. He
sprung in the air, Susan said, as much
as ten foot, with yell that beat all
the rest o the hollerin's she had heard
that night, an then dropped back ker'
chunk Susan trotted out TO where the
two painters laid, an give EN- few
kicks to see II they was dead, an then
lugged EN- into the house.
" Powder an ball was mighty
skecrce in them days, Susan said, tell
in me bout it, an | wouldn't used
up any o pap's on them painters II II
hadn't a ben fer keepin' EN- from spilc-
in their skins! says she.
"snsan's apdidn't get home till mex
mornin', an Susan usety say that she
was powerful glad, cause II he'd
come that night he wouldn't n had Il
wink O sleep, thinkin o what he
missed in not seem the scrimmage
Them was the biggest painters
ever killed in York state, said Susan
tcllin' me bout II, an when think o
the size o this'n we killed tonight,
says she, it makes me 'shamcd that
woke ye up, Moses, Std o goin' out an
dcalin' with it by myself says she.
"Why. sir, there never was but one
definition Of astaundn', an that was
Susanl'' said reminiscent Hermit
Miles \. Y, Sun.
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