The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08


an idee struck me and had to smile.
'''That deer is hit SOS he's bound to
lay down fore he goes a great ways.
1 says, and if Gabe happens to 'Un ag'in
him l shouldn't wonder bUt what he'll
have a chance 10 show how -ss he kin
lick n buck. well or wounded as he's
been bragen' so much that T. n
81 calc1ated that if the asted
long enough. the way he W .~adin'.
he'd STRIKE the creel: and lay down in
! the water so I took a short ut and
made for the creek. l got there jest
as the buck came plungin' in and
dumped himself down at the edge Of a
deep hole, 'longside of a pile Of drift
wood. l squatted behind a row of
alders and peeked through. l had
| hardly done it when along came Gabc.
He stopped On the bank and seen the
deer. After lookin' at him a minute
Gabe, talkin' TO himself, but loud
enough for me to hear, says;
CT guess the best thing for me to dc
is to souse right in there and jest flop
the durn critter over and droWnd him,
| y
be all ready when Danl comes up!"
"And d1rned If Gabe didn't souse in.
| He grabbed the buck by cre horn and
put his foot ag'in t'other, to jsstfcp the
deer over and Grownd him. Say.
come the highest kind to spiIin half the
fun by Dustin out and rollin' and hol-
lerin'. for that deer jest riz up, and for
the next minute or two it churned and
dCused Gabe up and down in that deep
hole as if the buck was washerwoman
and Gabe was a bedquilt he was givin'
an all-pcryadin' washin' and rensin' to!
Every time the buck sloshed Gabe down
in the creek the Water'd fly up more'n
three foot, and kept goin' up and fallin'
back Cn Gabe as proper as if he was
standin' under a mill dam. could see
Cabe cape and gasp and ke tch fer
breath every time he'd come up from
outen the water, and I see that he was
changin' his mind about how quick and
easy he could lick the snortin' buck
that run them woods.
''The fun Of it was, you see, that Gabe
didn't dast let go O. the bucks horns
inklin' that if he did the buck would
ketch him with horns and hoofs both
and spike and punch him full @ holes
before he could git up the bank. Ii was
hard on me, I tell you, to lay there a
seein' that little circus and have to keep
in from hOwlin', but [ had to do it or
spile the fun, for if Gabe had found
ho+ ha' 30 lat l,o
deer and dug for land, known that I'd
"a been neighborly enough to put ball
in the deer and stop it before it could
spike him. So 1 had to stuff my hat in
my mouth to keep from splin' the fun.
by and by see that besides churnin'
Ga6e in the creek the buck was dresain'
him down every now and then with one Of
his sharp fore hoofs. which wcCId ketch
Gabe nigh the shoulder and slash down
almost the full length o the arm. 1t
want long fore the clothes was all
ripped often the arm, and the hoof be-
gun at the meat. Gabe didn't have much
time 10 do it, but he'd manage 0 Wig9le
and vince considerable every tine the
hoof slid down and took the skin with
it, and the faces he was maxim was bet
tern any clown in & circus. This here
went Oh for nigh five minutes before
Gabe said anything, and then he begun
to holler. He wouldn't hardly git his
holler started good, thoug'. fore the
buck would shut it off by s0Usin him
under the water, and that was so con-
sarned funny that how l ever did keep
in | can't begin to say. After awhile
The buck begun to git tired, cause he
had a ball in his shoulder and he was
beedin' like Sam Hill.
"'This is gittin' too hard cn that poor
leer,' says l TO myself, 'and [ guess I'll
hollcr to CGbe TO come in
81 was jest goin' to raise up and 10 it
when the deer quit churrin' Gabe ard
stood still. guess Gabe thought thatI
be good time to make a break for
shore, and he let go the deer's horns
and turEed to make it. The buck spurt-
ed up ag'in, and, maxim one lr2ge,
lletched Gabe some'rs nigh the seat Of
his trousers and riz him SO amazin' that
he landed in a sprawl On the bank.
Gabe gathered himself up and looked
back quick TO see if the deer was comm
at him ag'in. But the deer wasn't. 1t
stood in the creek glaring at Gabe, but
il was too tired TO have any more fun
with him. Gabe SGT there and mopped
the water and mud out Of his eyes with
his sleeve, and | hcerd him say:
81 wouldn't have Danl know this
not for $40!'
Then | riz up and put ball through
the buck and tumbled him. Gabe looked
around kind o. skeert, but when he see
me standin' there GRIMM the hull
thing struck him. And, consarn his
pictur', what do you think he had the
grit to say? Why, he drawed his face
and scowled as if he was put out the
worst way, and snapped out;
"'Consarn you, DanI! You're always
polin' your nose where you amt want
ed! Here ! was settin' jest to give that
deer chance to recooperate SOS to give
him show for himself fore l went
back and finished him, and here you
come and sock bail through him and
end my fun.'
Sand he pretended to be so mad that
! he went away and wouldn't help me git
| the buck out O the creek, and ! ad to
drag it out all by myself! Seems to me
! there hain't no use O. bein' neighborly
/ to such folks as Gabe!"-N. Y. Sun.
Indians Smoke Gigs rettes.
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