The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1896-02-15

How q Critter Named pike Became tho
woliopedest Man In Sight and How 9
Good Wife Was Spoiled a. n Worry Nat
ural Consequence.
One October day Zeb White. the pos
sum hunter of Tennessee, took me along
with him when he went the rounds of
his woodchuck traps. and as we were
coming home he told me this story:
II worked so hard fur three or TO-
vars arter the wah,' he began, THAT l
got all run down and couldn't skeercely
git about. Thar war days when l felt
purity we'll, and days when l jest sot
around and hadn't strength huff TO
move outdoabs. That same var a crit
ter named Pike moved into the naybur-
hood. He was from Alabamy, / believe,
and he let it be known powerful soon
that he was a hefty man in a scrim-
mage. he talked so loud and blowed SO
high that ever body was skeart o. him,
and he jest went around steppin high
and bossin the roost. Reckon we hev
met up with SIGH chaps in the no'th?"
"Yes, I've seen several of them"
"That perky critter used to cum down
TO my cabin and brag and blow and tell
how many men he'd licked, and one day
| gin him plain TO understan that / didn't
believe in his stories. That made him
mad, and be went away sayin as how
he'd wollOp me fur his next victim.
He knowcd | was in pore health and
couldn't fight q fly, but every two or
three days he'd cum down and stand in
front Of the cabin and yell:
Nov, then. Zeb White. cum out
yere and git the awfullest wollopin q
human critter ever received. I'm no
hand to brag, but | kin tic both hands
behind me and then claw We up in two
minits. I've licked AZ different men and
never even got my nose skinned. Either
own up that ye dasn't fight u man or
cum ont aud be wolloped.
That's the way he'd talk to me-,
continued Zeb, land I'd git so mad that
| cried like u child. Bimeby l begun to
git "a leetle better. and one day when he
was calm on me to cum forth and be
wolloped l told him that if he'd show
up a week from that day I'd tackle him.
He went away crackin his heels and
whoopin and rejoicin, and the old WON
an seq to me. SEE she:
"'Zeb White. if We was a we'll man
ye could wollop that critter befo' l
could make a hoe cake. but ye've bin
down the banks all summer, and ye'
can't git we'll III n week. I'm sorry ye
passed yer word, but bein it's passed
we'll bev to abide by 1t. I'll git whisky
and roots tomorrer and brace We up"
And did You get better?" | asked.
mo. l got wuss. Whisky and roots
didn't do me no good, When the week
was up, l was III bed and too feeble to
walk across the room. That pesky critter
knowed jest how it was with me. and
yit he Gun and stood in front of the
cabin and shouts to the ole
AR this the dwellin place Of a
varmint named zeb White?'
She be.
"'Calls hisself the Postum Hunter
Of Tennessee, don't hep
Eyes, be do
HAS wrassled with bars and Wild
eats and painters, and thinks hisself
powerful on the fight?'
"'That's my Geb.'
Then | hain't made no mistake.
Would ye do mo the ev~erlastin kindness
0 tell him to step out yere while Ichaw
lis ears OF TO stay my hungerl
lies SICK nbud jest now, hut if
rell cam back arter dark he'll mako 20
cit Gya and heller like Il calfl'
"''I'il Do it, ma'aml Thar won't be
70 mo- de!ayY
mo. sab!
"'He'll cum right ont and DO p~ulvor-
ied, viii hep
He willr'
"''Then ye kin he lookin fur me,
Vidder Whtei I'll DO kinder sorry to
re death tako him from We, but l must
eY him fur my forty.eighth victiml
hood AFTERNOON. Widder White-sood
rteruooni'
That's how they talked" said Zeb
! AZ he hoayed a rock ut "a snake summing