The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-07-17
But They "rore out from There"

But as l said before me and BULLY
we tore out from there, and / had to
] let him work in the lead, whilst 1 was
burnin the wind as high private il
the rear ranks. Man, sir, we went
acrost the square, hittin the high places
only, and started up the main street
But two or three men saw us ccmin
and run out and headed us off. Then
we turned and made another dark
streak acrost the square, and started
off towards the hills where the sun
went down.
TO 1t, dadburn you, to sunset and
hotter place than that if you want
to-" says to Bully, "but If somethin
don't break or slip your Marse Rufus
will be with you when the even stars
sing together"
About that time another crowd OF
men saw the cloud risin and run out
and headed us and turned us back
acrost the square. We then started out
to take the Jackson Trail road, which
didn't know where in creation IT,
would lead us. But was right in be-
hind Bully-sometimes runnin like a
quarter horse and sometimes sffdin like
a baseball man comm home to base
tryin my level blamdest to gain on him
enough to slip my hands up to the
leather part and save Uncle Luke's
whip. And we didn't take the Jackson
Trail road neither. Another crowd
headed us off and oncst more we tore
up the earth acrost the square. Then
we took notion to try another route,
and Bully he snorted and pitched out
down the old Stage road towards
Panther Creek.
Nov, dad blame your slab-sided,
razor-back pictures, l hope they will
open the way and turn us out and let
us 60" says l to Bully as 1 spit in one
hand and caught fresh holt on the whip;
"and if I amt dead when we git to
Panther Creek will kill a beef, con-
sound you, and save Uncle Luke's
whip"
But 1t never had been wrote down in
the books that way. Me and Bully
amongst us had now raised such
monstrous dust and confusionment till
the crowd closed in around the out
lines of the square and wouldn't even
let us take the old stage road and go
on home to Panther Creek. They head
ed us off and turned us back at every
street and corner, and whooped and
hollered till thought in my soul that
Bully would break my neck and tear
himself in two. II he tried oncst he
tried so times to but our way through |
the crowd and leave town, but the |
crowd wouldn't let us go. 1t was a |
free circus to them town people, YOU |
with me and Bully in |
the ring, and all that we could do was to |
follow the circle and burn the wind /
round and round and round the square.
Finally at last Bully give a quick, |
suddent lunge, the whip slipped off of
the staff and we two parted. / Sided
half way acrost the square on my face
and the brow band of my breeches, and
when l looked back / saw Bully leavin
l black streak in the other direction,
with Uncle Luke's whip windin and
lyin and curtin and twistin as il went
l glimmerin through the air.
Right then 1 felt like would raley
owe to die, though 1 didn't quite do
hat. But / was already bruised and
)unged up and bleedin and down, so 1
est turned loose and tainted and laid
here in it.
When l come back to my senses the
men folks had picked me Up and put
ne in the wagon, and sent for two doc
ors and preacher. But the first
hing l saw when 1 opened my eyes
'ncst more upon the wonders Of this
world was Uncle Luke Willis standin
here by the wagon with his long whip
n his hand. They told me that a big
rowd of men had caught Bully and
-ot the whip, then tied a bundle of fod-
er to his tail and stuck fire to it and
urned him out towards the sunset
ills.
But the naked sight of Uncle Luke's
Whip was both medicine and ointment
or me. And when we got back home
o Panther Creek that night I was
ight bad disfigured and tremendous
red and hongry. but still handsome,
al healthy and still happy.
RUFUS SANDERS