Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-07


mebbe both III kill each other says
she. an then thereli be two painters
less says she.
susan KEEP on patchin', an the paint
ers KEEP on yellin', first one an then
t'other un answerin' of it, till they got
SO close that Susan could hear EN-
growlin'.
".Wuu says she, putin down her
patchin' an gettin up. If them PANT
ers is goin' ter hev their scrlmmage IN
our clearln' guess ! got right TO
see il, says She
susan walked 70 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 'em, count of II BEN
So dark on the edges O the woods
Fore long, though, on the right-hand
side. sumpin' come stealth out IN the
moonlight. like big shadder, an not
moren "A 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
"'Gloryr says Susan. Amt they
seekers? An amt they jest more than
fghtin mad" says She.
susan said that as them painters
stood there sizin' each other mp, their
ewes looked like four rcd-hot Goals an
streaks o. fire shot out from EN-, like
stril<in flint They wasn't more than
, twenty wards from the house. an SUI
san could see 'em pant, an their long
! tails a-swishin', most as 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
def. an leapin' toards each other IN
the air they huckled in, and the scrim-
mage was goin' on
Moses, says Susan, when she was
tellin' me bout II, that was the trst
time ! ever had anything 70 be sorry
fer
What! says l. Fer the painters"
Fer the painters" says susan.
Course not Sorry fer what pap was
missiny Sorry 70 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 1t! He
never got over it TO his dyin' 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 hollered in a
way that was most cheerin' sight fer
a ten-vear-old gal all alone on back
woods clearin an Susan said she al
y WAYS felt obleeged 10 them painters,
as She wouldn't missed 1t fer farm.
Sometimes they'd be standin' up like
. men a-rasselin', an gnash away at
at each other, an then they'd tumble
an roll on the ground, first one on top
I an then tother on top now an then
o rollin' ont o sight in the dark edges o
the woods. an then bouncin' out az in
e 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.
q "By an by, in one of their rollin an
% tum6liu' rounds, the two painters
D come divin' an pitchin' an rippln an
: tearin' straight to'ard the house, an
e KEEP on a comm till they banged ag1n
r the door TILL il shook an shivered'
5 Then Susan see that both painters was
Z tore UP pooty bad, an was bleedin' IKE
= stuck pigs She didn't keer nothin
Il bout the bleed, but when she see the
D. way their skins was gettin slit, she
j. most turned cold.
n GLORY. she says. What hev' / Der
% thinlSin' OFF says she. Them skinsI
A. be spilled If this here scrimmag'
goes on! Less sumpins done pooty
II quick them painter skins won't b'
yyuth the shuclxin' Of EN- Off theu
e wuthless carcassesr says she. Fv'
;. got 20 take hand in this' says she.
e, Ten year old, mind yc, an two biz
painters madder'n fury, an gittin
er madden every minute!
"Susan's pap's rifle hung on coupl
SIS o. pegs ag'iu the wall Susan had
De put a sap bucket upside down on
bench TO stand on fore She could reacl
m the gun. She was so little, but she go
r. il The winders in the house WASH
r. made To raise, an 50 Susan had to ope
re the door fore She could git shot a
he the painters. They had rolled al
il tumbled away from the house, an wa
IN both up on their hind feet fifteen G
k. twenty wards off. locked togethe
n | ClaWln one dllOllltl d. ohoel
Of stepped out. The moon lit 'em up, al
ay it glistened on the gun barl as Susa
ch run her eye over it for second or TIVE
ut an fred. When the gun cracked bot
he PAINTERS tumbled to the ground. Or
in didn't get up but tother un did. h
in sprung in the air, Susan said, as niue
uz as ten foot, with yell that beat a
the rest O. the hollerin's she had hear
he that night, an then dropped back Ike
ut, chunk Susan trotted out to where Il
en- two painters laid, an give EN- fe
Sc, kicks to see if they was dead, an the
at lugged EN- into the house.
lat Powder an ball was might
jim slleerce in them days Susan said, teI
ais in me bout it, an | wouldn't us'
up any o pap's on them painters II
in hadn't a ben fer keepin' EN- from spill
an in their skins! says she.
H. "Susans pap didn't get home till ne
of r,oruin' an Susan uSetV say that 81