The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-09-23

i
door here, an you'll notice that some O.
them sizes up q leetle hefty theirselves.
Quickern kin tell you he 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 a wet dishrag. |
My OIL woman come along jes' then an
says:
"'"Great Peenpackl Amt he a |
snorterl"
"'An' that got to be his name, though |
I've always been sorry didn't call him
Hurricane Dick
"Just then a mule in a log inclosure
on the opposite side of the road raised
its voice in the most prolonged and ex-
asperating heehaw ever heard mule
emit.
"'That's Limpin Belix,' said the ma
tive. He hain't sung like that in three
years afore. He knows Shorter is dead,
an he's gloatin'. That's another thing
that weighs me down. l bought that
mule three years ago. got him cheap,
an he 'peered like n bargain. First
time tried him took him down in the
lot yonder to plow corn. He Heyanked the
plow the satisfyinest kind two or three
times acrost the lot, an then he stopped,
braced hisself, an hung down his ears.
I coaxed him, an laid the gad on him,
an prodded him with a pitchfork. but
he never paid no more attention to me
than if was house fly.
"I labored with him for an hour, but,
as nigh as 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.
| He seen right away what was up, an
he turned his hurricane natur loose on
to that mule. He hoped up on the
mules neck, socked his toes inter his
name, iabbed his bill way down inter
the mules ear, an hollered things in
that ear that was hair-raisin' to hear
| The mule was took back tremendous,
but he was a mule, an he riz his heels
lords the sky, an Topped his ears, an
shook his head, an tried to skeer that
rooster away. But he didn't know
Shorter was the son of a hurricane, an
arter awhile he kind O. settled down
an began to look round to diskiver what
he was dealin' with, anyhow. Shorter,
he socked his claws an his spurs inter
the mule an rammed his head so fur
inter the mules ears that l thort sure
he were gorin' his bill through to get
at what brains the mule had. An yell!
Great wildcat! how he did yell things
way down ag'in the drum O that mules
ear! An pooty soon the mule begun to
look skeert, an by and by give up, hung
his head, an went to plowin' as if he had
never quit an never intended to.
Mex day he had a notion to go OH
strike ag'in, but l got Shorter round
where he was, an he buckled in like al
'persessed an from that time to this
he's been the bes' mule in the deestric'
This mornin, though, went out te
put the harness on him, an what does
he do but kick up, an heehaw an hee
haw, sumpin' he hadn't done in thre'
wears, an 1 hain't been able to get nigl
him. He knows that Snorter's dead, an
he's gloatin', an he won't never be wutl
a cent to me ag'in, except as bait fer {
bear trap!
$50 fer four year, pooty nigh, tha
amazin' rooster has cleaned this her
clearin' O. rats an weasels an hawks
Even bar seems to have heerd O. Snort
er for there hain't one bothered u
sence he broke that mule. s'pose w
won't be able to keep sheep nor
pig, though, now, soon as it gifts ou
through the deestric' that Shorter i
dead. wouldn't feel SO clean cut u
and banged down by it, though, if W
could only find feather layin' roun
anywhere. Shorter died suddent al
complete.
"'Down yonder long the creek they
worlkin' stone quarry. Shorter hadn
never been down to look the works owe
till yeste'day afternoon. Then h
meandered that way, jest as the me
had knocked off for dinner. Sam 81
Ger brought the news up He said h
was settin' under a tree, ten rod or S
,, from the quarry, eatin' his grub. Il
seen Shorter wallSin' over that way, al
lookin' up by an by he sees the son {
a hurricane tuggin' away at sumpil
the fiercest kind. Sam got up an wer
lords the quarry to see what Snorte
|, was eXterminatin'. He got pooty mig
the spot when he see Shorter swim
|, sumpin' up over his head to fetch
down ag'in on rock, jes' like he kille
rats. Sam says when he see that h
turned an run away as fast as h
legs'd carry him, but he hadn't gor
more'n three steps when sumpin' wer
off tremendous. Sam was tumbled fla
an he said he heerd stones an thing
droppin' around there fer a matter
two minutes or more. When he cou
git up and look back at the quarry, a
.. he could see O. Shorter was hole in IL
ground as big as cellar. Sam has a
idee that Shorter diskivered the string
:. hangin' out Of some cartridges the
| blast with at the quarry, the cartridg