Cañon City record., 1898-01-06

struck the district, the doctor said that
the harder the victims had to kick the
better II would be for them, for If they
couldn't kick hard it would strike in
and that would be the end of 'em. The
kicking always came in the right leg.
Now Abiram Hinkle didn't have any
right leg, it having been taken off clean
in the saw mill. When the attack seized
him he couldn't kick 1t struck in and
away he went.
"Next was Simon Shelly. Simon
swore by Elijah Pink, the horse doctor,
who could cure anything, according to
Simon's belief. Elijah hadcured kick
ing horse for Simon one time by rigging
him to some sort of contrivance
that threw him every time the horse
kicked. Simon made up his mind that
he was just as apt TO have the kicking
fever as his neighbors were, so he sent
forElijah to rovide against it, He had
Elijah fit him with rigging some
thing like the one that cured the kick
ing horse. The very next day the all
ment seized him. Simon was standing
by window in his house. He gave one
tremendous kick. The rigging worked.
II threw Simon. 1t threw him out of the
window and head first into a barrel of
rain water that stood beneath it. They
didn't discover Simon in time, and that
made two fellow citizens the epidemic
carried away.
ats third victim was Erastus Sleeper.
Erastus went out to milk his COW one
evening, and just as he began the kick
ing fever took hold of him. He shot out
I. Il Il, = h. In ha SI -
disease was so very contagious that just
that one kick gave ii TO the COW. The
COW kicked. Her kick landed in Erastus
stomach, and knocked the wind out of
him so far they couldn't get it back.
Erastus' widow married JEFF Roner, the
sheep-pelt buyer.
well, this brings me round to my
own deep disappointment. Jepheniah
! Bitfkins had been paying more atten-
| ton to Deacon Peeler's daughter Nan
cy than seemed TO me safe, and when
came back home that time / made up
my mind I'd settle the matter right
| then and there and know whether Nan
cy was destined to be a Biffkins or a
Pettibone. ] went straight 10 the dea-
cons that very evening. before / had
been home half an hour. This was just
at the time the kicking fever was get
ting in its best licks, but didn't know
thing about it. Nancy was home, and
hadn't been there long before she had
promised that her name should be
Pettibone. l was happy, / tell you, and
| Just before i got ready to go Deacon
| Peeler himself came in. We had very
cheering talk for minute or two, and I
Y a . Il.
felt tremendous shock, and at the
same time / rose in the air more than
three feet. When landed was rand
ing out in the yard. Before / had come
| entirely to felt the shock again. Again
/ was lifted and swept several feet
further out in the yard. Then looked
| back. Nancy's father was just behind
! me with Il queer look on his face. His
right foot rose up and shot out, and the
| shock came third time. Deacon Peeler
was as strong as an OK. and his foot
was shod with No. 12 cowhide boot.
| This time the shock lifted me over the
\ gate and set me down in the road. Nan
cy had come running from the house,
| and she cried out:
:. Father amt kicking you, Praxy!
It's only the fever that's workin' on
\ him! He amt kicking you'll
We'll! II he wasn't kicking me |
didn't know what they called kicking
| along the Sinnemahone. and / think /
mnde a remark to that effect as hur-
| rfed home in sorrow and went to bed.
| Next day heard about the kicking
fever for the first, and then knew
| what Nancy had meant when she de-
ciared that her father wasn't kicking
me. ! went right back with a heart
| lighter than feather. but Nancy made
| 1t heavy as lead in less than half a min
| ute. ..fa -.-.a.# |..H
"'Praxiteles Pettibonei" she said,
you went and ran away from father
| last night when he was sick and suffer
| ing! You're too heartless for mel
THAT ended il all between Nancv
Peeler and me. The kicking fever had
done it-although, as remember it
now, ] saw Deacon Peeler out in mis-
garden hoeing potatoes that morning.
as quiet and steady as ever he was.
But Nancy married Jepheniah. and the
broad acres Of old Deacon Peeler TO this
day spread themselves out over yonder
Along the Sinneinahone ms the Bifflsips
estate, actually calm and peaceful and
smiling, as If they hadn't missed the
opportunity Of being this day on the
tax list in the name of Praxiteles Petit
bone NJ y. Sun