The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-10-16
Bolero XIV, Registered

hEEY WORTHY friend job Jackson,
vl of Wayne county" said John
Gilbert, the travelling groceryman, has
a farm that covers a great deal of
ground, and one CT his fields is known
far and wide as the sinkhole lot, be
cause almost in the center Of ii is bed
of quicksand, or a quagmire, or some
thing of that sort, which has been
probed to the depth of so feet withou.
any bottom having been found. For
wears Farmer Jackson has dumped all
the spare stone and other solid stuff
gathered on his farm into that pit, and
his neighbcrs have done the same with
similar collections from their farms,
but nothing has ever found a lodging
place in it so far as soundings have been
able to ascertain. A substantial board
fence incloses this rapacious sinkhole.
to keep cattle pasturing in the lot from
walking into it and being swallowed
up. The last time my travels took me
in that neighborhood drove over TO see
my friend jackson. found him sitting
on his front porch, looking very hot and
frustrated, and hopping his face vigor-
ously with his handkerchief.
"'Hello, Uncle job said l. What has
happened to warm you up SOP
John said he, after awhile, I don't
know how fur down he will git. but if
you ever should go to China and see or
hear of one chasin' red wagons around
the country there, you can make up
your mind it's him.
This abrupt and to me incoherent.re-
mark rather startled me. but Farmer
Jackson didn't nave the appearance of
a crazy man. and / sought further in
formation.
"'Him?' said. Who is him?"
"'Bolero WI. registered replied
Farmer jackson.
II was on the point of telling Uncle
Job that would drive on to town and
stop when I came back, when it seemed
to occur to him that maybe he wasn't
making himself clear 10 me, and he
said:
THAT blooded Durham bull of mine.
That's who l mean by him. bought
that bull only two weeks ago. He came
well recommended as TO evenness o.
temper, and the man / bought him of
said he was so 6ocile that he'd foller me
anywhere like kitten. think the man
believed all he said about the temper of
that bull, but the chances is that he had
never tested it with red wagons. lpaid
5000 for him and I've been goin' out
every day to look at him over the barn
yard fence and feel tickled all but TO
death over him and over myself for buy
in him. Why, 1 thought most as much
o. that bull as did o. my new red demo-
crat wagon, and that was the fiamin'est
and dazlin'est wagon in this hull blame
peppermint belt!'
las l gathered the facts from Uncle
Jobs fitful narrative, the choice bull
had been on the farm a week before he
knew there was a wagon of such SAN
culinary hue as the farmers new demo-
crat wagon close neighbor to him. for
Uncle Job had housed it in a shed on
account of the snow. The snow having
disappeared. Farmer jackson, on this
very day that l called to see him, had
hooked his team to the red wagon and
started for town. He drove out of the
shed to the road, and then, for the first
time, the bull was confronted by the
wagon as it rumbled by, with the full
glare of the sun on its belligerent glory.
The bull had taken this as a challenge
and accepted it. With a below that
startled the horses and shook Farmer
jackson where he sat, the bull charged
toward the road.
NfPolaro WI rnrriefara1 OnS4
me 5000. is feelin' clipper this nice
spring day. said Farmer Jackson. Jest
spirits, s'pose.'
For the farmer had no idea that The
bull really had blood in his eye, and, be-
sides, the fence around the barnyard
was stanch and heavy. The bull struck
the fence with his lowered head and
went through it as if it had been paste
board fence and bore down with in
creased impetuosity upon the wagon
and its hated hue.
why exclaimed Farmer jackson.
Blamed if don't believe that bull has
his dander up
but the farmer did not permit his
amazemeEt at this sudden and unex-
pected outbreak of bull temper and of
bull to subordinate his prudence. and he
whipped his horses to run. thinking TO
distance the bull and prevent possible
unpleasantness. He might have sue
ceeded in this if the road had not turned
sharply to the right just beyond the
barnyard. On making the turn the
wagon was brought broadside to the
bull. and taking a short cut toward il.
the believing beast ran foul of 1T, strik-
ing it amidships. The shock was such
that Farmer jackson was Jared from
his seat and tumbled into the ditch at
the side of the rf,nd The unchecked and