The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-02-21
BOlero XIV, Registered

~ ny WORTHY friend JOB jackson,
wi Of Wayne county" said John
Gilbert, the travelling groeeryman, has
a farm that covers great deal Of
ground. ard one Of his fields is known
far and wide as the sinkhole lot, be
cause almost in the center of il is a bed
Of quicksard, CT a quagmire, or some
thing of that sort. which has been
probed to the depth Of so feet withou.
any bottom having been found. For
years Farmer jackson has dumped all
the spare stone and other solid stuff
gathered On his farm into that pit. and
his neighbors have done the same with
similar collections from their farms,
but nothing has ever found lodging
place in il so far as soundings have been
able 10 ascertain. 4 substantial board
fence incloses this rapacious sinkhole,
10 keep cattle Pasturing in the lot from
walking into it and being swallowed
up. The last time ny travels took me
in that neighborhood I drove over to see.
my friend Jackson. found him sitting
on his front porch, looking very hot and
frustrated. AID hopping his facevigor-
ously with his handkerchief.
Hello. Uncle job said l. What has
happened to warm you up SOP
"'John,' said he, after awhile. I don't
know how fur down he viii git. but if
yen ever should 80 10 China ard see or
hear of ere ch5sin' red wagons around
the country there, you can make up
your mind lis him.
This abrupt and to me incoherent re-
mark rather startled me, but Farmer
Jackson didn't nave the appearance of
crazy man, and I sought further in
formation.
"Him?' said. Who is him@"
"'Dolero XVI, registered replied
Farmer Jackson.
Il was on the point of telling Uncle
job that l would drive on TO town and
stop when I came back, when it seemed
TO occur to him that maybe he wasn't
making himself clear to me, and he
said:
That bloodei Durham bull of mine
That's who mean by him. / bought
that bull only two weeks ago. He came
well recommended as TO evenness o.
temper, and the man I bought him of
said he was SO doeile that he'd foller me
anywhere like kitten. l think the man
believed all he said about the temper of
that bull, but the chances is that he had
never tested it with red wagons. / paid
$500 fer him and I've been goin' out
eyery day TO look ct him ever the barn
yard fence and feel tickled all but 10
death over him and over myself for buy
in him. Why, thought most as much
O. that bull as did o. my new red demo-
crat wagon, and that was the flamin'est
and dazlin'est wagon in this hull blame
peppermint .beltl'
AS l gathered the facts from Uncle
Jobs fitful narrative, the choice bull
had been en- the farm week before he
knew there was wagon of such san
culinary hue as the farmers new demo- I
crat wagon close neighbor 10 him, for
Uncle job had housed ii in a shed on
account of the snow. The snow having
disappeared, Farmer Jackson, on this
very day that l called TO see him, had |
booked his team to the red wagon and ]
started for town. He drove out of the 1
shed to the road, and then. for the first
time. the bull was confronted by the /
wagon as it rumbled by. with the full
glare of the sun on its belligerent glory. 4
The bull had taken this as a challenge
and accepted it. With a below that
startled the horses and shook Farmer
Jackson where he sat, the bull charged 1
toward the read.
'Bolero XVI., registered, that cost
me $500, is feelin' clipper this nice
spring day. said Farmer jackson. Jest
spirits, l s'pose.'
For the farmer had no idea that The
bull really had blood in his eye, and. be-
sides, the fence around the barnyard
was stanch and heavy. The bull struck
the fence with his lowered head and I
went through il as ifit had been paste
board fence and bore down with in
creased impetgosiiy upon the wagon
and its hated hue.
Why exclaimed Farmer Jackson.
blamed il don't believe that bull has
his dander up
But the farmer did not permit his
amazemeIt al this sudden and unex-
reeted outbreak of buli temper and Of
bull to subordinate his prudence, and he
whipped his horses 10 a run. thinking to
distance the bull and prevent possible
He might have sue
ceeded in this if the road had not turned
sharply TO the right just beyond the
oarnyard. On making the turn the
wagon was brought hroadside TO the
pull. and taking a short cut toward it.
The believing beast ran foul of it. strik-
ng it amidships. The shock was such
Ihat Farmer jackson was Jared from
his scat and tumbled into the ditch at
he side CT the road. The unchecked and