Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-11-09

that when he turned her loose ON the
British she kicked down q whole COM
p'ny an come nigh lamin' GinerI Jack
sons war boss.
"'While ago was down ON the creek
s-shootin' cat squirrels. She kicked me
back ards over stump, an then she
made another kick at me as lay thar
helpless, an ef she hadn't a-struck her
breech ag'in big rock s'pose she'd
a-kep ON kickin' tell she kicked herself
clean out Nv the woods. oh, she's a
high kicker, femme tell We. She's as
good gun as ever wus, an she's ben
in the family fur fo' generations, but
eff ever the devil possessed any critter
on this yearth he's got control Nv OIL
Killbuck this mint. This amt the fust
time she's played me such capers.
"She beats all creation when it comes
down to out an out cussedness. I've
had trials an triberlations 'nough with
'er to make Christian out'n the hard
heartedest Jew that ever KEEP Sat'day
fur Sunday.
"I've thought NV havin' Ter changed
f'om a flint an steel to pincussion
lock, but when think bout how long
she's ben in the family, an how my
daddy hated these new-fangled cap
engagements what go with the pincus-
sion locks, an when rickerlect how
my daddy's granddaddy kerried that
gun an fit the British with SIGH great
slaughter at New Orleans, hain't got
the heart to make any change in FER.
''The wust trick she ever done me
wus oncet when had baited sucker
hole in the Oothcaloogy an tuck old
Killbuck long fur ducks. Ye see in the
winter these big greenheads feed in the
reaches Nv the creek, an eff Teller don't
ketch no fish he has chance to git a
duck or two, an eff he don't git no ducks
he has chance at the suckers, an don't
waste SO much time.
"Hit wus cold, frosty mornin' an a
purity good skin Nv ice on the edges an
in the low places. slipped down to
my baited suckerhole early, an seed
f'om the blubbers arisin' that the fish
was a-feedin'. Creepin' out on log
what wus partly hid by the bush over
head, I laid my gun cross my lap an
baited my hook an drapped it in. I'd
made SIGH little noise that not bird
had duttered, an sassy little cat squir-
rel sot on a stump jest Gross the creek
an barked an chartered an switched
his tail at me as eff he dared me to take
a pull at him.
''But I wusn't out fur squirrels that
mornin'. When go a-squirrel huntin'
stick to squirrels, an when I'm out
fur ducks let the squirrels rip an
stick to ducks. I hadn't zen settin' thar
more'n ten minits when I hearn duck
quack jest round the bend, an cooked
my gun an KEEP one eye on my cork
an the other on the bend in the creek,
wonderin' which'd be fust, ducks or
suckers.
'Jest as I hearn another quack no.
diced nibble at my cork. stuck the
muzzle NV my gun ag'in the bank an
made ready, beca'se hit was a-gittin' ex-
citin', as still couldn't tell which would
be fust, suckers er ducks. 'Quack,' went
the duck, jest round the turn, an a
stronger nibble bobbed my cork. 1
stuck my pole atwix' my knees an
fetched my gun round in position, for
sump'n toll me that it would be ducks
fust.
"Jest then 'quack' went the duck, an
a fine pair NV greenheads came sailin'
round the bend, not 30 yards away, an
down went my cork. I jerked my pole
with one hand an at the same time
fired at the ducks. Je-whillikins! Ye
thought ye hearn blast while ago, but
hit wusn't circumstance to the report,
an at the crack Nv the gun wus lifted
clean off'n the log over back'ards into
the creek. As went I jerked the pole
so hard that I flung the little pollywog
NV catfish what'd ben a-bitin' my hook
bout 20 feet high an landed it 'mongst
the bresh above my head.
"That wus the fust thing I nodiced
when come to the top. The mex wus a
tur'ble churnin' in the warter which
gradu'ly moved to'ards t'other bank,
an finally seed OF Killbuck a-kickin'
herself out'n the warter onto the high
land. The ducks wusn't nowhar to be
seed. I s'pose I'd blowed 'em clean off
the face Nv the yearth.
Il walked cross on the log an picked
up OF Killbuck. She wus a-tremblin'
like sump'n alive, an when looked at
the muzzle hit wus split down bout
three inches. Ye see when leant the
muZzle ap'in fhe hank a xvad nv mud
got stuck in it, an I wus that eager to
git shot at them greenheads, an that
accepted with the fish a-bitin' that I
didn't nodice it. had to take her to
a gunsmith an have the bar'l sawed off
blow the split, but now she's as good as
ever an jest as bad as ever bout kick
in'."-Detroit Free Press.
Not Going to Spoil Him.
| When walking in hayfield one after