Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-11-10

as constablen
"Irowed over, scooped the carcass up,
chucked it in the boat and started for
home. hadn't gone more'n ten rod
when heerd tremendous rumpus in
the boat. / looked around. The con-
sarned picker'l had come to and was
humpin' himself and tossn' about fierce
as a wildcat. AS l riz up he made a
spring for me. / lodged him and he
shot past me and out into the pond. He
turned and there amt no kind O. doubt
that if he hadn't seen me grab my
gun he'd jumped back into the boat
and tackled me. AS it was, he shook
his head and glared, and dove out o
sight fore could give him shot
"'By JOSH says, I'm going to get
that amazn' picker'l even if town meet
in comes and goes says, and have
to resign rs constable
81 hung around there, waitin' him to
gcther back to his den ag'in. While !
was waitin' see fishhawk as big as
an eagle sailin' round over the pond,
and by and by he began to drop. He
came down like cannon ball fallin' >,
and when he hit the water, nigh where
that picker'rs den was, it looked like n
spoutin' fountain. The hawk went clean
out of sight, and when he came up he
had fish in his claws. The fish was
an old socker, and was fightin' like
tiger.
"Mv ferocious and voracious pick
er'l, by JOSH | says.
"There want no doubt about it. l
was so sot back that just sot back in
the boat and gawked at the fish as the
hawk tugged and tussIed to git W and
away with it. 1t was n hard II ssle,
the way that picker'l wriggled and
squirmed and fit, but the hawk riz and
riz, and got more'n hundred foot high
"'You're an amazin' fish, | says to
the picker'l, but I'm thinkin' your
sands O. life is runnin' tol'able skeerct
at last' | says.
But they want. Suddenly see the
hawk waver in the air and then begin to
drop. 1t come down in two pieces, tor
that picker'l had reached up and got
his jaws sot on the hawks neck, anu
Jest chawed the big birds head square
off. The head and the body came tum
blin' down, but the hawks claws was
sot deep in the picker'l's back yit, ant
clung there. They didn't let loose til
they all came plunkin' down in the
water. when the holt was broke, ant
the picker'l was free. But he lay there
on his back as if he was stunned.
come to my senses jest then, and riz my
gun to finish him, when he give hop
grabbed the hawk by the leg and dowr
he went out O. sight, taking the hawl
with him, all but the head, which lay
there on the water, and still gapin'!
"'By JOSH says. This is gittin' in
terestin'! I'm going to git that picker
fore l quit, if have to fetch cannon
over here and lombard him! / says
He beats all natur'! says.
81 hung around, thinkin | mowt ge
shot at him fore night. He hadn'
been down with the hawk more'n tw'
minutes fore there come a swirl and ;
swosh, and up he swooped and got TIT
hawks head!
/ "'He slowed all o. that big bird ava!
in his maw, | says, and is toppin' OF
, on its head! I'm thinkin' he'll be takin
a nap now | says, and then III Civ
| him his settler
5 81 scrooched down in my boat, ant
Jest let it drift. had been driftin' roun'
: maybe ten minutes, waitin' for the tim
that the picker'rd about be in hi
5 place amongst the weeds, when heer'
a noise, and lookin' lords the shore Sc
! a slammin' big bear come wadin' on
2 into the pond. wasn't loaded for bear
but / ought TO been, cause that picker
t needed that kind OF a load, so ! ker
I still TO see what the bear was goin t
I do. He come on out a piece and the
laid down in the water, with a grun
and snort.
! "'Bruin is coolin' hisself OFF, | say:
Dogs has been after him, guess
D "The bear laid there, a comfortin' Q
. himself, mebbe three minutes, whe
D suddenly he riz up as if there'd been
blast sot off under him, and jumped 70
l shore with howl that made everythin
shake. As he riz and jumped see wha
n was the matter of him. That amaziI
j picker'l had its jaws sot in the bear
e flank, and was hodin' on and chawiI
/ for all it was worth. The bear tore o
s into the brush and the pickerl hung
n him and went along. ! rowed ashol
: and follered the trail. In an openin'
e rods from the pond / come to the pici
er'l lie was almost standin' on his tai
+ and was spittin' out big wads o bei
S hair. and stretchin' hisself and glarir
;, the bear had clumb tree, and was hu!
n Gin limb and lookin' down Mt II
d prancin' picker'l with bulgin' eye
e The picker'l turned on me, but | CIV
k him couple O whacks over the hes
J. with my gun and settled him at last.
r didn't stay to bother with the bear, II
e | felt sorry for him, he was so skeert.
got the picker'l 10 the boat, rowed
r and logged him home.
It "Jumpin' Jonathan folks say
IT Where did you spear him, Danl"
V "'Spear him!' says, consid'able rifle
And then / told 'em how it happened.
= didn't notice it just then, but it sort
II struck me afterw'ds that my feller eli
o zens wasn't rallyin' so much as one IN;
o as they had been, and the night
e town meetin', after the votes was coun
lie ed, Eli come in.
u "Dan1' says he, 1T was the pickle
IS that done il. Iknowed it would. You
II orter said you'd speared it, says /
a The picller'l's what put Beezer in sa
It he. You'd orto said YOU speared
y Dan'ln
d What l says, lie jest to be co
Y stable? Eli says, 'never!'
y eli got up and looked at me OF
e | rappous