The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-07-31

derberry bushes in the buryin'-groun',
eff you hain't seen it yer otter, ter
then ye might get an idee what sorter
a woman she was. Pretty? Why,
she was a model, she was-a perfect
model. Hair! You n don't often
see SIGH hair nowadays ez Becky
Stump hed-soft and black like.
Eyes! Why, they sparkled jest like
they was filled with new buggy paint,
an was all watery like. An, mighty
souls, but she could plough! fer she
wasn't none of your modern girls as
Is too proud to plough. Many a day
I set over on the porch at our place ar
looked down across the valley an
seen her a-steppin' along th'oo' the
fiel', an I thot how I'd like ter hev
one han'le while she'd hev the other,
an we'd go trampin' along life's fur
row together.
"The whole thing came to a pint at
a spelltn' bee up to Swampy Holler
school," continued the Patriarch, I'M
mindful CT the interruption. Becky
Stump was there an looked unusual
pretty, fer it vas cold outside an the
wind had made her face all red on
the drive over from home. Slime was
there, too, logged out in store clothes.
"It didn't take me five minutes to
see tibet Sine Cruller was tryin' to
show off afore Becky Stump; was try
ing to prove to her that he was a
smarter lad than me.
when intermission come Sine he
gifts off in one corner an begins blow
in to a lot Of the boys. I heard him
talkin' loud about me, SO I steps over.
He sayd 1t was all a mistake; that he
could beat me at anything-spellin',
wrastlin,' or flshin'. He was shown
off agin, for he talked loud like Becky
Stump could hear. an l makes up me
mind I wouldn't stand his BLOWN.
"'See here, Sine Cruller,' I sails, sails
I, you uns is nawthin' but a blow
horn,' 1 sails. You claims you kin
wrastle. Why, I kin th'ow you in less
time IAN it takes to tell it, an If you
step outside I'll prove me Words
"'You th'ow me! he sails. Then he
begin to laugh like he'd die at the
very idee.
with that we went outside, foller-
ed by tie rest Of the boys. They was
a quarter moon overhead, an the girls
put two candles In the schoolhouse
winder, SO with the snow we could see
pretty we'll.
cat it we went. Boys, you otter "a
ben there! You otter "a seen it!
That was wrastlin'! When Sine an
me clinched I ketched him 'roun' the
waist with me right arm an gifts
hold of the strap of his right boot
with the forefinger Of me left hand.
He gifts his left arm aroun' my neck
an down my back somehow, an with
his right hand tears the buttons off
me coat an grabs me in the arm
hole CT me waist-coat. Over we goes,
like two dogs, snarlin' an snappin',
while the boys in a ring aroun' us
cheered an the girls crowdin' the
schoolhouse porch trembled an
screamed with fright. We twisted, we
turned, we rolled over an over tell
we looked like Twin snowballs. Slime
got off the boot I'd a holt, on, an
gives me a sudden turn tibet almost
sent me on me back. But I was quick.
Mighty souls, but I was quick! I ups
with me foot an landed me heel right
on his chist an he went flynn ten
feet inter a snow bank, keryin' me
coat-sleeve with him. He was lookin'
up at the moon when I run up to him,
an I'd "a he'd him down, but he turn
ed over.
But I was quick. Mighty souls, but
I was quick! l KEEP me feet an gifts
n han inter his waistcoat pocket an
hung to MIN. Whenever you wrastles
git your man by the bootstrap or the
pocket, an you has the best they is.
Eff I hedn't "a done tibet, 1 might not
"a ben here today. But l done it, an
fer a full hour me an Sine Cruller
rolled roun', ven matched Time
an agin I got sight of Becky Stump
standin' on the porch, her hands
gripped together, her face pale, her
eyes almost poppin' outen her head,
she was watchin' us SO hard, an the
very sight Of her urged me on to in
human efforts. It seemed to have the
same effect OF Sine. The blood be-
gin to run outen both me nose-holes
an yit I KEEP at it. Me heart beat so
hard it made me buttons rattle. Still
I KEEP at 1t. Sine was so hot it was
fer me jest like wrastlin' with a stove,
an still we KEEP at it. Then all Of a
student was two hours after he'd
fust clinched-everything seemed to
swim-I couldn't feel no earth beneath
Il only know'd that I was still hold
in on to. Sime-then / know'd naw-
tim.
when I came to I was layin' be the
gchoolhouse stove, an Becky Stump
was leaning owe me rubin a snow
ball acrosst me forehead. The other
folks was standin' back like, fer they
-seeAs&-to think tibet after sich an ex-
hibition 1t was settled an they didn't
want to disturb us.
Becky I whispers, did I win?
"'You did, she sails. You both
tainted ct oncet. but you tainted on
kon ..