Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-09-09

them sizes up a leetle hefty themselves.
Quickern I kin tell youhe swung that
rat up over his head an slapped it down
k'splosh on a big stone that lays in
there. Three times he done that, an
then chucked the rat to one side. There
want no more life nor backbone left
In it than there is in wet dishrag.
My OF woman come along jes' then an
says:
"'"Great Peenpack! Amt he a
snorter!"
"'An' that got to be his name, though
I've always been sorry didn't call him
Hurricane Dick
Gust then q mule in log inclosure
on the opposite side OF the road raised
its voice in the most prolonged and en-
asperating heehaw 1 ever heard mule
emit.
"'That's Limpin Belix,' said the na-
tive. He hain't sung like that in three
years afore. He knows Shorter is dead,
an he's oloatin'. That's another thing
that weighs me down. bought that
mule three years ago. got him cheap,
an he 'peered like bargain. First
time tried him took him down in the
lot yonder to plow corn. He yanked the
plow the satisfyinest kind two or three
times acrost the lot, an then he stopped,
braced hisself, an hung down his ears.
[ coaXed him, an laid the CAD on him,
an prodded him with pitchfork, but
he never paid no more attention to me
than if I was house fly.
"T labored with him for an hour, but,
as nigh as l could make out, that mule
had made up his mind to stand there in
the sun till the Judgment day. was
maxim up my mind to go home an let
him stand, when along come Shorter.
Re seen right away what was up, an
he turned his hurricane ratur' loose on
to that mule lie hoped up on the
mules neck, socked his toes inter his
name, jabbed his bill way down inter
the mules ear, an hollered things in
that ear that WIS hair-raisin' TO hear
The mule was took back tremendous,
5ut he was mule, an he riz his heels
to rds the sky, an Hoped his ears, an
shook his head, an tried to sliecr that
rooster away Eut he didn't know
Shorter was the son Of a hurricane, an
after awhile he kind O. settled down
an began 10 look round TO diskiver what
he was dcalin' with, anyhow. Shorter,
he socked his claws an his spurs inter
the mule an rammed his head so fur
inter the mules ears that thort sure
he were gorin' his bill through to get
at what brains the mule had. AM yel8
Great Wildcat how he did yell things
way down ag'in the drum O. thatmule's
ear! An pooty soon the mule begun TO
look slteert, an by and by give up, hung
his head, an went to plowin' as if he had
never quit an never intended TO.
"'Nex' day he had a notion to go on
strike ag'in, but 1 got Shorter round
where he was, an he buckled in like all
'persessed an from that time to this
he's been the bes' mule in the deestric'.
This mornin', though, went out TO
put the harness on him, an what does
he do but kick up, an heehaw an hee-
haw, sumpin' he hadn't done in three
years, an hain't been able to get nigh
him. He knows that Snorter's dead, an
he's gloatin', an he won never be with
cent to me ag'in, except as bait fer Il
bear trap!
$50 fer four year, pooty nigh, that
amazin' rooster has cleaned this here
clearin' O. rats an weasels an hawks.
Even bar seems 20 have heerd O. Snort
er, for there hain't one bothered us
sence he broke that mule. s'pose we
won't be able to keep n sheep nor
pig, though, now, soon as it gifts out
through the deestric' that Shorter is
dead. I wouldn't feel so clean cut up
and banged down by it, though, if we
could only find a feather layin' round
anywhere. Shorter died student an
complete.
"'Down yonder long the creek they're
workin stone quarry. Shorter hadn't
never been down to look the works over
till yeste'day afternoon. Then he
meandered that way, jest as the men
had knocked off for dinner. Sam Sill
Ger brought the news up. He said lie
was scttin' under tree, ten rod or SO
from the quarry, eatin' his grub. lie
seen Shorter wallin' over that way, an
lookin' up by an by he sees the son of
hurricane tuggin' away at sumpin'
the fercest kind. Sam got up an went
lords the quarry to see what Shorter
was exterminatin'. He got pooty nigh
the spot when he see Shorter swing
sumpin' up over his head to fetch it
down ag'in on rock, jes' like he killed
rats. Sam says when he sec that he
turned an run away as fast as his
legs'd carry him, but he hadn't gone
more'n three steps when sumpin' went
Off tremendous. Sam was tumbled flat,
an he said he heerd stones an things
droppin' around there fer a matter o.
two minutes or more. When he could
git up and look back at the quarry, all
he could see O. Shorter was hole in the
ground as big as cellar. Sam has an
idee that Shorter discovered the strings
hangin' out of some cartridges they
blast with at the quarry, the cartridges
being .l1ivered up. Shorter, thinkin'
'heJ "de 4dts td4is' JeS went LOT one,
an never llnowed his mistake. That's
Sans idee, an the heft O. evidence is
that he haiD't fur from right.
SO you kin ruther imagine that
there's gloom settin' down on this clear
in thicker'n feas on groun'hog dog,
an I guess I'll go down to the Holler an
break the news gentle, fer if it hits
'em student they mowt shet up the
tavern On. Y. Sun.
x.,, 1,,..