Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-10-13

post! L just rlZ one yoop.
'Hooray!' 1 yooped. Now let town
meetin' come and go! This'll be some
thin to talk about as I make my rounds
as constable!'
"Irowed over, scooped the carcass up.
chucked it in the boat and started for
home. I hadn't gone more'n ten rod
when I heerd tremendous rumpus in
the boat I looked around. The con-
sarned picker'l had come to and was
humpin' himself and tossin' about fierce
as a wildcat As / riz up he made a
spring for me. 1 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!' I says, I'm going to get
that amazin' picker1 even if town meet
in comes and goes 1 says, and have
to resign as constable
81 hung around there, waitin' him to
gether back to his den ag'in. While I
was waitin' / see a fishhawk as big as
an eagle sailin' round over the pond,
came down like a cannon ball fa1lin'.
and when he hit the water, nigh where
that picker'fs den was, it looked like
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 fghtin' like
a tiger.
"'My ferocious and voracious pick
er'l, by Josh!' says.
''There want no doubt about it. /
was so sot back that I just sot back in
the boat and gawBed at the fish as the
hawk tugged and tussled to git up and
away with it. 1t was a hard tussle,
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, 1 says to
the picker1, but I'm thinlin' your
sands O. life is runnin' tol'able skeerce
at lasti' I says.
But they want. Suddenly see the
hawk waver in the air and then begin to
drop. 1t come down in two pieces, for
that picker'l had reached up and got
his jaws sot on the hawks neck, and
jest chawed the big birds head square
bin down, but the hawks claws was
sot deep in the picker1's back yit, and
clung there. They didn't let loose till
they all came plunkin' down in the
water, when the holt was broke, and
the picker'l was free. But he lay. there
on his back as if he was stunned. l
come to my senses jest then, and riz my
gun to finish him, when he give hop,
grabbed the hawk by the leg and down
he went out O sight, taking the hawk
with him, all but the head, which lay
there on the water, and still a gapin'!
BY JOSH I says. This is gittin' in
terestin'! I'm going to git that picker'l
fore / quit, if l have to fetch cannon
over here and lombard him!' l says.
He beats all natur'!' 1 says.
81 hung around, thinkin' mowt get
a shot at him fore night. He hadn't
been down with the hawk more'n two
minutes fore there come swirl and a
swosh. and up he swooped and got the
hawks headi
He slowed all o. that big bird away
in his maw,' I says, and is toppin' oil
on its head! I'm thinkin' he'll be takin'
a nap now says, and then I'll give
him his settler
81 scrooched down in my boat, and
jestlet it drift. 1 had been driftin' round
maybe ten minutes, waitin' for the time
that the picker'l'd about be in his
place amongst the weeds, when heerd
a noise, and iookin' lords the shore see
a slammin' big bear come wadin' out
into the pond. / wasn't loaded for bear.
but ought to been, cause that picker'l
needed that kind of load, so I KEEP
still to see what the bear was goin' to
do. He come on out a piece and then
laid down in the water, with grunt
and snort.
'Bruin is GOBLIN hisself off, says.
Dogs has been after him, guess
''The bear laid there, a comfortin' of
himself, mebbe three minutes, when
suddenly he riZ up as if there'd been a
blast sot off under him, and jumped for
shore with a howl that made everything
shake. AS he riz and jumped see what
was the matter of him. That amazin'
picker1 had its jaws sot in the bears
flank, and was holdin' on and chawin;
for all it was worth! The bear tore off
into the brush and the picker'l hung to
him and went along. l rowed ashore
and follered the trail. In an openin' so
rods from the pond 1 come to the pick
erf. He was almost standin' on his tail,
and was spittin' out big wads O. bear
hair, and stretchin' hisself and glarin;
the bear had clumb tree, and was hug
GIN limb and lookin' down at the
prancin' picker1 with bulgin' eyes
The picker'l turned on me, but 1 give
him couple o whacks over the head
with my gun and settled him at last. i
didn't stay to bother with the bear, fer
felt sorry for him, he was so skeert. l
got the picker1 to the boat, rowed in
and lugged him home.
"'Jumpin' Jonathan!' folks says.
Where did you spear him, DanI?'
Spear him!' saws constable riled