Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-11-24
FIGHTING
FOR SAIL

was on a hunting tour out in the Crock
les and it was my guide l addressed.
and the subject of the inquiry was the
better half of his left ear.
In fair fight" was the reply.
II trust l have given no offense," I
fastened to say.
Not the leastest, Mr.. Sprawley, for
know you didn't mean ter"
| l made no reply, but left 1t to Mr..
Scruff to more fully explain or not, as he
ehose' the circumstances attending the
loss of his ear.
He appreciated the delicacy, and, afteY
swig frolA his ticker of whisky and
snakeroot, first offered to myself and de-
clined-principally honesty compels me
to add, on account of the snakeroot-my
companion proceeded.
Me an Sile Budd, you see, was both
eourtin Sail Bowler. 1t was hard to tell
which on us she give the most encourage
ment to.
"Old Bowler seemed to like us both, an
when me an SLED happen to go to see
| Sau on the same evenin, as CHANGED
poorly often, the old man'd set up to
Keep the peace atween us, an thar we
three'd set a-talkin an abusin the wealth
er an the neighbors till Said git tired
an slip off to bed-arter which me an
Sled pick up our hats an leave, partin
at the door without biddin one another
| good night.
After awhile things begun to run
down in the settlement. Fust they built
courthouse, then a schoolhouse, an as
soon as they got schoolmarster to come,
darned eff the game didn't seem to git as
skeered as the boys did. Soon you
couldn't git crack at anything bigger'n
gray squirrel or a wild turkey.
The schoolmarster was a hifalutin
chap. He wore store clos, talked out O.
the dixenerry an boarded round with the
scholars. He soon larnt the best places
to bunk at, an one O. the best he seemed
to think, was old Bowler's. Three nights
in the week the marster was to be found
thar sittin up to Sail, but lettin on he'd
come home with her brother Bill to help
him out in long division.
Me an Sile Budd served separate no.
tees on the cuss to the effec' that eff he
didn't mind his eye we'd sev'rally bung
| it. He thanked us Individually for the
! politeness, said that he was a noncom-
| bytant, an besides that he didn't mean
nothin.
"Bimeby the schoolmarster began to
take a shine to me. He took an thirst
in huntin.' he said. an wanted me to
teach him.
Zone day, when l was shown him how
to draw a bead, he broke me off sud
denly:
"'Do you know what Sile Budd sezY
"'No, don't seq 1.
He SEE he can lick you,' SEE the
schoolmarster.
Hes a liarr SEE l, AN he knows it,
10 m mis- Zoe
the schoolmarster; 4 only repeat what
Sile sez.'
"'Will you see him soonY sez l.
"'This even'n, prob'bly,' SEE he.
"'Will you take him a message from
meY SEE l.
ITO obleege you SEE he.
"'Waal you jes' tell him. SEE l, that
lobe Scruff SEE he can whip the con-
safe out o. the best Budd that ever brag-
ged,' SEE l.
"I'll tell him. SEE the schoolmarster,
| to obleege you, but | wouldn't be the
means O. maxim mischief for ennything'
"The schoolmarster kept his word
punctooal, an a poorly sassy verbal cor
respondence sprung up atween Sile an
me, the schoolmarster actin as postman.
''The upshot was, we agreed to meet
an fight it out at the crossroads one Sat
urday afternoon.
"On the opp'inted day, with the excep-
ton o the sick an afflicted. most every
man, woman an child in the settlement
was on hand. Among the absent was
Sail and the schoolmarster.
"Sile an me tuck off our jackets an tied
our galluses round our waists.
"'Pitch in, boys! shouted old Bowler
when all was ready.
1--WE fit by main stren'th, for we hadn't
no science to mention. Thar was no dodg-
in or sparrin or goin down to avoid pun
ishment. 1t was jes' a square, stand up.
give an take fight.
AT last we clinched an wres'led round
an round the ring Sile had both onder-
hollis, but | could beat him on the trip,
so thar want much advantage either
way, an when we come down it was a
dog fall, neither bein on top.
"As we lay side an side the scrimmagin
went on as hard as ever. At last Sile got
my left ear atween his teeth, an got one
o. his fingers atween mine, an we jes' hilt
on an worried like a couple O. coon dogs.
"'Part 'em, boys; part EN- screeched
old Bowler, or they'll dis6gure one an
other! Neither on 'em won't never hol-
Ter. It's a fair draw
when we was drug apart, l was a
a
left ear, an the fust j'int o. Sile's right
forefnger mister'ously disappeared.
"'Come. boys seq old Bowler, takin me
an Sile at one side when we'd washed an
fixed up a bit; come. boys, you've fit like
men, an there mustn't be no bad blood
atween you. | know what it's all about.
So both on you come right along home
with me, an Sail shall make choice atween
you on the spot, an whichever she chooses
tother must give in cheerful, for she
can't marry but one on you, you know
"The old mans talk sounded reas'na-
Bile. an me an Sile accepted his farms.
"'Whar's Sallr SEE the old man when
we got to the house.
"'Gone out 18th the schoolmarster,' SEE
Bill
"'Gone wharf
"'Dunno. She rugged up in her best
buds an went out 18th the schoolmarster.
He sot me this sum- seq Bill, TO work
out agin he got back
Eve waited an waited, but no Sail an
no schoolmarster come back. In a few
days Sail an the schOolmarster come back
married New York News.
Diplomacy.