Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-02-09

SO Gabe he came along, and we ~eat
up on the ridge couple o. miles and
went to getherin' chestnuts. My gun
was settin' ag'in tree and was keep
In my eye skinned, and by and by !
grabbed the gun and let her belch into
a bunch O. laurels. OF course Gabe
hadn't seen nor heerd nothin', and when
the buck jumped out from behind the
bushes and went lopin' away see had
put q bullet in him fair enough. Gabe
see him goin', and with yell he started
hot-foot on his trail, and got plumb in
range SO Icouldn't foller the buck with
another shot. Gabe could run, like
hound, and at first was madden than
q hit snake cause he got in my way SO.
I couldn't shoot ag'in, but then sort of
an idee struck me and had to smile.
That deer is hit SOS he's bound to
lay down fore he goes great ways
I says, and if Gabe happens to run ag'in
him I shouldn't wonder but what he'll
have chance to show how easy he kin
lick a buck, well OF wounded, as he's
been braggin' so much that he kim
II calc'lated. that If the deer lasted
long enough, the way he was headin',
he'd strike the creek and lay down in
the water, so took short cut and
made for the creek. 1 got there jest
as the buck came plungin' in and
dumped himself down at the edge of
deep hole, longside of pile of drift
wood. squatted behind row of
alders and peeked through. 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:
"'I guess the best thing for me to do
is to souse right in there and jest flop
the durn critter over and drownd him.
and yank him out on the bank, so he'll
be all ready when Danl comes up!"
sand burned If Gabe didn't souse in.
He grabbed the buck by one horn and
put his foot gin t'other, to jest flop the
deer over and drownd him. Say!
come the highest kind to spilin' half the
lerin', for that deer jest riz up, and for
the next minute or two it churned and
doused Gabe up and down in that deep
hole as if the buck was washerwoman
and Gabe was bedquilt he was givin'
an all-pervadin' 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 on Gabe as proper us if he was
standin' under mill dam. could see
Gabe cape and gasp and ketch for
breath every time he'd come up from
outen the water, and 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 60 O. the bucks horns
and pike for shore, cause he had an
inklin' that if he did the buck would
ketch him with horns and hoofs both
and spike and punch him full O. holes
before he could git up the bank. 1t was
hard on me, I tell you, to lay there a.
SEEM that little circus and have to keep
in from howlin', but had to do it or
spite the fun, for if Gabe had found
out that was there he'd "a let go the
deer and dug for land, KNOWN that I'd
"a been neighborly enough to put q ball
in the deer and stop it before it could
spike him. So I had to stuff my hat in
my mouth to keep from spilin' the fun.
by and by 1 see that besides churnin'
Gabe in the creek the buck was dressin'
him down every now and then with one Of
his sharp fore hoofs, which would ketch
Gabe nigh the shoulder and slash down
almost the full length o. the arm. It
want long fore the clothes was all
ripped often the arm, and the hoof be-
gan at the meat. Gabe didn't have much
time to do 1t, but he'd manage to wiggle
and vince considerable every time 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 on for nigh five minutes before
Gabe said anything, and then he begun
to holler. He wouldn't hardly git his
holler started good, though, fore the
buck would shut It off by sousin' him
under the water, and that was so con-
sarned funny that how ever did keep
in I can't begin to say. After awhile
the buck begun to git tired. cause he
had ball in his shoulder and he was
bleedin' like Sam Hill.
"This is gittin' too hard on that poor
deer says to myself, and guess I'll
holler to Gabe to come in
II was jest goin' to raise up and do it
when the deer quit churnin' Gabe and
stood still. Iguess Gabe thought that'd
be good time to make break for
shore, and he let go the deer's horns
and turned to make it. The buck spurt-
ed up ag'in, and, maxim one lunge.
ketched Gabe some'rs nigh the seat of
his trousers and riz him so amazin' that
he landed in 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 glazing at Gabe. but
it was too tired to have any more fun
with him. Gabe sot there and mopped
the water and mud out of his eyes with
his sleeve and heerd him saw: