The Atlanta constitution., 1900-11-07
PlUnkoff SLBtt0r

written for The Weekly Constituton.)
There was a gentleman from Pike at
tending the fair and that gentleman mao
along a measiy looking donkey.
There is nothing startling in this PLAIN
statement, but if you could have been
with me and seen what i saw you Woul"
have got enough excitement for one sea
son ana would have been fully impressed
that al that "glitters is not gold'' when
ii comes to estimating the powers of ami
mails upon the outward appearances
Ii is well enough to understand thar
this gentleman from Pike was not insiCe
the fair nor was his donkey The truth
is that the gentleman had not the where
withal TO pay the entrance fee. ana so
he and his donkey found grassy spot
i'm what he thought was an out-of-the-
way-place and / never looked at two
more peaceable creatures in all my life
when Brown carried me around to where
they Were grazing and got acquainted
with the gentleman and with his donkey
The gentleman himself was raging from
the contents of nice, clean pillow case,
while the donkey was nibbling the grass
i'm the neighborhood. Nothing would do
but what me and Brown should take
smack with him. and before We com
menced he went into another sack and
brought cut little brown jug filled with
Pike county peach. He excused me from
the peach. but Brown joined him and then
talking began.
Sprung from Henry williamson's fine
stock" said Brown. as he pointed to the
donkey,
Hunt Shannon's." answered the gen
tleman, simply.
CLOSE together" retortt q Brown. as he
reached for the jug and took some more
''Niout er been er little kim" said the
gentleman as he himself reached for the
jug.
BY this time Brown had up his usual
appetite and was going for the cold ham
and chicken. while | nibbled on a cold
yam potato just for politeness sake.
Gould er took the premium If / could
got in. said the gentleman from Pike, as
he iabbed his thumb toward the donkey.
I'll just bet he would said Brown. as
he wiped his mouth and again reached
for the jug.
| saw at once tha Brown was anchored
for the day and so / got away TO saunte'
around the fair and somehow 1 made
direct for the horse department and,
strange, the very horse that caught my
eye by his spirits and fine looks was -
play most exciting part with the Pike
county donkey before the day was
through.
v hen [ had seen enough of the fair
sauntered back TO Brown and the Pike
gentleman, and. bless you. the same white
pillow slip was sitting between them, the
jug had rolled off to one side empty, the
donkey was standing with his head
dropped ana his ears Hoped, while Btown
was Dragging on the stock that Hunt
shannon and Henry y williamson brought
into rlke long before the war.
About this time a lone horseback rider
made ms appearance from around
curve in the high fence. and ! saw ar
once that o. was the Iine stallion 1 had
50 much admired inside. The stallion NJ
sooner saw the donkey than ne began
10 rare. az pitch and rairly foam at the
mouth. an. "a man with half an eye
could s" that he WAS IN for a tight il
ne coui sibly get IT, The groom az
once ht o. tnc stations back ana was
Jerking and tusging at the Teins. ana
screaming to the Pike county gentleman
10 take the donkey OF the grounds ii he
d.d not want MIN killed-deyOured. eaten
up, kicked TO death.
The gentleman from Pike seemed no
more excited than 1 am now, and. as
for the donkey, ne had never opened his
eyes nor raised an ear.
The stallion reared and plunged. while
the groom was frantic in fear that the
donkey would be killed.
donkey were still serene-they as good as
said: Come ahead, Mr.. Stallion"
And the stallion did come. The bride
broke clear from his head and he dashed
toward the donkey. whickering and
foaming
I thought once that the donkey would
not wake up at all and It looked to me
that the gentleman From Pike didn't
care cent whether he did or not.
But the donkey did wake. He opened
enc eye and as the horse drew nearer
he opened the other. then he raised his
ears then. as the horse got right at him.
he turned his head. raised his voice-and
such q voice.
The fight was nearly over before it had
begun. Just as the stallion arrived he
reared and then plunged at the donkey
You ought to have seen that sleepy
donkey then. lie was not asleep any
more. Like "A bah from a cannon he fair
~ shot himself toward the stallion and
before the horse could get his forefeet
on the ground the donkey had cliuched
his throat. There was just one great
struggle from the stallion before he fell
The gentleman from Pike was still Sc
rene. As a great crowd rushed 10 the
place he straishtencd himself and said.
Fair play-no imposing
And there was not.
] have seen stations fight IN my time
with each other. and terrible fight it
is but ! never saw q stallion fight
donkey before. l. is simply no fight at
all The stallion has no showing. The
donkey ch0kes him right down and
crushes his throat in most cases. In the
instance above I am glad to state that
the fine stallion was not killed. but We
had To pry the doukey's mouth open to
break his hOid-a bulldog Is nowhere.
After fhc fight was over the gentleman
from Pike tied up sacks. threw them
across his donkey and started for home.
They were both innocence itself, TO look
at them. but that donkey stirred is a
terror and the gentleman himself might
be dangerous and the crowd thought 50
when he arose At the fight and cody
said:
Fair play-no imposing"
SARGE PLUNKETT.