Middletown transcript., 1899-02-11
! UNCLE DAWDiS GRIEVANCE
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EEYHEN the Montreal vxpregs. bad


LEYHEN the Montreal express. had
W rushed past Owls Head station,
oXs1 up in he AdirOndacks. with the
plow in front Of the engine sending the
snow to either side of the track like
the bone in the mouth of an Atlantic
liner. the guides stamped the snow from
their boots and settled down on the
benches around the stove to talk over
election.
''How does it happen, Uncle David, \
said Pete Guppey % old Mr.. Shorter,
ssthat you ain't been TO the polls these
ten year am more, an every election
we send the wagon for yon reg'larly2'
"When y catch your Uncle David
a-casting vote in the state of Moo
York, Pete, yon just make note Of IT."
ard Uncle David opened his big buck
horn haudled knife and began to strop
| it deliberately on his boot top.
"What cher got against yotin', Uncle
Dave2" IS
"Nothiu' at all against votin', as
yotin'. bu. the state of Moo York amt
treated me square, an l'm not a-goin'
to help her out with my vote, not by a
darn sight, an just make note of that
| for your Uncle David"
Mr.. Shorter tested the edge Of his
knife with his thumb, and, the result
| not being satisfactory, he resumed his
stropping. "The state of Moo YORK
| robbed ne of S1O0, IL year ago, an
until | get that back with interest they
can send all the darl ed old wagons 10
the county to me on lection day, but
they won't get my vote. just u years
ago next month the state of Moo York
fined me $100 for killin' buck out OF
season. That was the biggest buck !
ever see. He weighed 80 pounds
dressed. an bis horns were bigger'n
elks. The great state of Moo York ac-
cused me of killin' him out of season
am had to pay the fine. Didn't l
shoot himP Course not. He shot him
self by his own darned carelessness, but
I had no Witnesses an couldn't prove
it. 1t was this way, an just make a
| note of il. an when Pm dead an gone
you tell it 10 your boys as warning,
/ provids this railroad dpl4's drive all the
deer outer the woods.
"There was dreadful fall Of snow
that December and when IT crusted
over | went out looking for spruce
gum. just by way of company took
along that ole carbine, Pete, which l
sold three year ago to Joe Garner.
That was powerful shootin' gun FOR
/ its sizs, pow, can tell you. ! hadn't
no notion Of seein' deer, but there was
lots of bear signs round in the fall, old
rotten logs tore apart an such like, an
| T took the old carbine along just 10
case. worked alor 6 over toward Pine
Tcp hill. an the snow was between SIX
an eight feet deep down in the gully
The crust was strong until | got down
there. an then quicker'n a log drive II
dropped with me, an down | went I'll
nv head was cove ed with snow.
tried to climb out, but it was no 60
Every time I'd get up SOS | could gral
the crust it would break with me an
down Ia &c. Then | hollered, bu
} there wasn't darned soul within thre'
miles Of me an / knew it. While
was a-thinking it all over | heard
cracking on the crust that sou.de'
like somethin' approaching on tro
likeP The first thing | knew whop
ping big buck ppked his nose over I'd
hole where | was, an' then, with
: snort rs be saw me, he tried to jun
: across. He most made it, but his hin
quarters sunk back, an seeing NJ
chance I grabbed his tail, before b
conld stick 1t up, with one hand, an
clung to my old catbine with the Other
! can remember now just how ielt
tI,e nla buck. with me rs handicaE
| struggled to pull his hind quarters ou
Of that hole, and every time his hrof
hit me they tore my clothes. don
know how he felt about il, but b
acted mighty skairt an lie thrashe
around a powerful lot. | elnng to hii
like grim death cause | knew that
was my only chance to get out Of II
hole.
"Tha old buck he worked an tu
selled. an kicked like a good one, al
the fust thing / knew 1 was out OF u
hole an a-travelin' at the rate OF NJ:
minute, a-clinging TO that buck
tail. L dassent let go, for fear I'd IL
through the crust again. Part OF y
time we went SO fast that | was han
ing out straight from the buck, wi
nv feet clear off the crust. Geel b
Is that old fellow was a swift rlnnG
He was headin' toward Owls HeI
all right, an thinks to myself, SO lol
as he goes in mg direction an ! G.
hold on Pll hold. YOU see, Id gott'
kinder used to the motion by this tim
an SO long as could keep clear Of =
heels I was pretty comfortable. Eve
once in awhile be would give me XII
with his hind feet. an would let 0
yell tiat would make hin jump as
q was an electric battery. u y
or fell, ,ws want to travel fast, just bit
z on teaind big buck make a note
it, big buck. !,
"We must a-cieared about two NIL
. across the country in this fashion Wh
: saw out of the corner of my eye Y
Jason's old line fence right anea
That meant trouble for one OF us
ldon,t believe that buck could raise
1