St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-11-04
me. I lodged him and he

his head and glared, and dove out o
sight fore l could give him shot.
"'By JOSH says, I'm going to get
that amazin' picker'l even if town meet
in comes and goes j says, and have
to resign rs constable
Il hung around there, waitin' him to
gcther back to his den ag'in. While /
was waitin' l see fishhawk as big as
an eagle sailin' round over the pond,
and by and by he began to drop. He
came down like a cannon ball fallin'.
and when he hit the water, nigh where
that pickerI's 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 fightin' like
tiger.
".My ferocious and voracious pick
er'l, by JOSH. says.
"There want no doubt about it.
was so sot back that just sot back in
the boat and gawked at the fish as the
hawk tugged and tussled to git up and
away with it. 1t was hard tussle.
the way that picker1 wriggled and
suuirmed and fit, but the hawk riz and
riz. and got more'n n hundred foot high.
"sYou're an amazin' fish, l says to
the picker'l. but Tn thinkin' your
sands O. life is runnin' tolable skeerce
at last.' 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 laws sot on the hawks neck, and
Jest chawed the big birds head square
off. The head and the bosy came tum-
blin' down, but the hawks claws was
sot deep in the picker'rs 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 pickerl was free. But he lay there
on his back as if he was stunned. !
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 gapin!
a.By JOSH says. This is gittin' in
terestin'! I'm going to git that picker'l
fore quit, if have to fetch cannon
over here and lombard him!' 1 says.
He beats all natur'!' says.
Il hung around, thinkin' / mowt get
a shot at him fore night. He hadn't
been down with the hawk more'n two
cyx-sP1 and a
swosh. and up he swooped and got the
hawks head.
"'He slowed all O. that big bird away
in his maw,' 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
Il scrooched down in my boat, and
Jest let itdrift. / had been driftin' round
maybe ten minutes, waitin' for the time
that the picker''d about be in his
place amongst the weeds, when heerd
a noise, and lookin' lords the shore see
a slammin' big bear come wadin' out
into the pond. Iwasn't loaded for bear,
but ought to been, cause that picker'l
needed that kind of load, SO KEEP
still to see what the bear was goin' to
do. He come on out piece and then
laid down in the water, with grunt
and snort.
"'Bruin is coolin' hisself off, says.
Dogs has been after him, guess
"The bear laid there, comfortin' of
himself, mebbe three minutes, when
suddenly he riz up as if there'd been
blast sot off under him, and jumped for
shore with howl that made everything
shake. As he riz and jumped see what
was the matter of him. That amazin
picker'l had its jaws sot in the bears
flank. and was holdin' on and chawin'
for all it was worth! The bear tore of
into the brush and the pickerl hung to
him and went along. rowed ashore
and follered the trail. In an openin' so
rods from the pond come to the pick
ersl. 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 a limb and lookin' down at the
prancin' picker1 with bulgin' eyes.
The pickerl turned on me, but 1 give
him couple o. whacks over the head
with my gun and settled him at last.
didn't stay to bother with the bear, fer
1 felt sorry for him, he was SO skeert.
got the picker1 to the boat. rowed in
and lugged him home.
".Jumpin' Jonathan!' folks says.
Where did you spear him, Danl?'
"'Spear him!' says, consia' Fable riled.
And then told 'em how it happened. ]
didn't notice it just then, but it sort o.
struck me afterw'ds that my feller citi-
zens wasn't rallyin' so much as one man
as they had been, and the night o
town meetin'. after the votes was count
ed. Eli come in.
"'Dan'l,' says he, it was the picker'l
that done il. Iknowed it would. You'd
orter said you'd spesred it. says he.
The picker'l's what put Beezer in says
he. You'd orto said you speared it,
Danl!'
What says, lie jest to be con-
stable? Eli l says. 'never!'
ELI got up and looked at me out
rageous.
"'If you didn't spear it. Dan1.' saya
he. who dido
"And me and Eli hain't never been
very thick sence."-N. Y. Sun.
4 Pretty Wedding Custom.
There is a pretty wedding cuftom at
Peru-the origin and the significance
could not learn. Some say it is . Bib
lical and others that it is an old Moor
ish custom. 1t is customary for the
padrina or godfather of the groom to
hand the padrina or godfather of the
bride tray containing 13 pieces Of
money. 1t may be gold or it may be sill
yer, but there must be 13 pieces, because
Christ and the 12 apostles make that
number. The godfather hands the tray
to the bride and she hands it to the