The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-03-06
COWARDLY REVENGE.

q crisis in our last conversation, when
the talk turned on men Of small and
cowardly measure. 81 thoroughly saveys
that taste for battle that turks in the de-
files of folks nature like a wolf in the
hills. Which l reckons now that l, my
self, is n of the peacefulest people who
ever belted on a gun. But in my in
stincts-while I never justifies or fol-
lows his example, cl'arly apprehends
the emotions of a gent who convenes
with another gent all similar an express
es his views OF him with his gun, an
Immediately preoedes an adjournment
sine die by skelpin the opposition. Sech
Is human nature onrestrained, an the
same, while deplorable, is not surprisin.
"But this yere Olson / has In my
memory don't have no such manly emo
tions as goes with o gun play. Which
Olson l takes pleasure in sayin is a alien
an a rank outsider, an no more born in
this home of freedom than a Mexican.
Olson is go cowardly he's even ~furtive,
an for a low flung, measly play let me
tell you what Olson does. It's shorely
ornery. ..rr s,t S.
SIT all arises years ago, back in Ten
nessee, an gets its first start out of a
hawg which is owned by Olson an is
downed bya gent named Hoskins-Bill
Hoskins. It's this away: -'
"Back in Tennessee, in my dream
wreathed yooth, when anamiles goes
projectin about permiscus. a party has
to build his fences bull strong, hawg
tight an boss high, or he takes results.
Which Hoskins don't make his fences
to conform to this yere roole none
leastwise they amt hawg tight, as is
shown by one of Olson's hawgs.
1.-THE hawg comes pirooting about
Hoskins' fence, ar he goes through easy,
an the way that invadin anamile turns
Bills potatoes bottom up don't bother
him a bit. He shorely loots Bills lot.
That's whatever.
"But Bill, perceivin of Olson's hawg
layin waste his crop, reaches down a
Hawkins rife, 80 to the pound, an
stretches the hawg. Which this is where
Bill falls into error. Layin aside them
deficiencies in Bills fence, it's cl'ar at
a glance a hawg can't be held RESPONSE
BILE. Hawgs is ignorant an tharforey in
nocent, an while hawgs can be what Doc
Poets calls a casus belli they can't be
regarded as a foe legitimate.
"Now, what Bill oughter done, il he
feels like this yere hawg's done put it
all over him, is to go an lay for Olson.
Seeh action by Bill would have been
some excessive, some high, so to speak,
but it would have been a line shot,
whereas KILN the hawg is way to one
side of the mark an under. +
However, as I states, Bill, bein hasty
that away an %onoapable of perhaps re-
fined reasonin, downs the pig an stands
pat on itwaitin for Olson to fill his hand
if he feels so moved. T.
SHOW, that's where the cowardly, ma
ture of this yere Olson begins to shine.
He's ugly as q wolf about Bill copperiI
his hawg that away, but he don't pacl
the nerve to go after Bill an make q
round up Of them grievances. An hi
amt allowin to pass it up none onre
venged neither. Now. here's what Olsor
does-he 'sassinates Bills pet raccoon.
"That's right. pard, jest massacred {
pore oonf1din raocoon who don't no more
stand in on that hawg KILN of Bill'l
than me an you-don't ever advise it.
"Now, I allow you saveys all thar il
to know about q aoooon. No? WAL, 1
raccoon's like this In the first place, rhe't
plumb ingenious an amt lookin for NJ
gent to hold out kyards or ring a colo
deck on him. That's straight. A raccooi
is simple minded that Away, an his i'm
pressive trait is, he's meditative. Beside
, bein nacherally thoughtful as to his owl
, affairs, l might say q raccoon Is a hea]
melancholy. He jest sets thar an absorb
i. melancholy from merely bein alive.
, but if a raccoons is melancholy o
gets wrapped in thought that Away it's
:, after all, his own play. It's to his oredi
that once when he's tanned he's got
mountainous confidence in men an will
curl up an go to sleep whar you be al
d shet both eyes. He'splumb trustful, an
g moreover, no matter how mournful
raccoon feels or how plumb melanchol,
he gets he don't poster you with n
yarns.
o 81 reckon I converses with this yer
identical raccoon of Bills plenty FIRE
70 quent, when he feels blue an ag'i
when he's at his gayliest, an he neve
y remarks nothin to Inc except p'lite gen
eral'ties. 5
! 'If this Olson had been a dead gam
party who regards himself wronged
he'd searched out a gun Oh a knife q
mebby a club an pranced over an rect
70 fed Bill a whole lot. But he's too timi
an too cowardly an afraid Of Bill. S
to play even he lines out to bushwhac
this helpless, constructed raccoon. o
son figgers to take advantage of what
cParly a loophole in a %raccoon's const
y tuition. ti @f
. "Mebby you never noticed 1t about
raccocn but the fact is once he gets n
70 terrsted in a pursoot he's rugged SO |
|. can't quit none ontil the projects a 50
p cess. I
"Thar's herds an bands of folks /,
g namiles who's fixed similar. They o.
1t start, an they can't let up. Thar's bul
dogs. They begins a fight too easy, b
the capacity to quit is left out Of bul
dogs entire. Same about nose paint wi
gents I knows. They capers up to viii
n ky at the beginnin like a kitten to war
milk, an they never do cease no MOI
a An that's how the kyards falls to "a
IN ---n. ~ ls~-a EL