The Red Cloud chief., 1900-11-23

ar pattidge myself. un things wud a run
glibber when ! got back home, that bein'
the only sign o. pattidge ! seed an day,
un the oil woman had to go to bed ag'in
on pom un bacon. I mowt a seed some
mo- ef I hadn't ben tuck so with the
pin'ts o that are wilecat un KEEP a fol-
lerin' II, 'kaze I was bound to git IL.
But ! didn't git II that day. SO I sot
a trap fer II. Next mo'nin' ] says, I'll
go out un look at mat ar trap I want
ter say to you. sab. ] was a liar! I
didn't look at that ar trap at all. Why?
'Kase II wasn't thar. That are wildcat
had ben thar. but II had gone OF ag'in.
Tn II had tuck my trap long with II. I
wnnt ter say to you. sab. that ar riled
me. When | git riled right smart Il takes
a heap to hold me back. un I want to
tell you, sab. ut that ar jes' mo thar riled
me. I'm eff I hadn't a made up my mind
already ut I was boun' to succumnary
that ar wilecat I'd n made It up then.
sholy. kaze I don never ca'c'iate TO
let no wilecat nor no other soty vile
beas'es come un sally of with my be-
iongin's. sab. SO. cunnel. ! sot out two
mo traps, un I sot 'em with two miles
betwlxt 'em.
"'One o. them traps Is boun' to hold
that ar wilecat. sho'ly.' I says. IF It
don't I other un will" I SAYS.
Mex mo'nln.' I went to one o. them
traps. Didn't do nothin' o. the sote! I
went to whar one o. them traps was the
last time ! seed 1t. VI I want ter tell
you. sab. II wasn't thar! Now, cunnel, I
ain much or the sw'sr. ez you mowt
know. but I bet you my crap o. turpcn-
tine. sab. ut ef thar had any piney woods
man been goin' through that way jes'
that minute, he'd a stopped un stuffed
his fingers in his ears. un said:
~ do declar! Jes, bark to OF Cunnei
BIZ! What fer ever cud rise up un -Ile
him like that arp"
Col Bits vocabulary OF expietives is
comprehensive and robust and he drew
largely upon II In expressing his opinion
Of Angus after thai remark Of Angus's.
The wildcat hunter waited patiently and
unmoved until Col. Bill was through. and
then said:
Thar, boys! That's somethin' nigh to
the sw'ar talk I cut loose when I seed ut
that ar wheat had sailed of with that
ar other trap - mine, un I want to tole
you, sab. I jes' sorty made a right smar ri
OF a double quick todes that ar third trap
o. mine. Todes whar I left IL, better
deciar, ] reckon, 'kase that ar trap was
gone. jes like t'other uns!
This hyer wilecat is dom miracles.
sholy' ! says The piney woods mus be
got shet o. this hyer wheat / says, or
Gabriel II be a tootin' next
But thar ! was. I didn't have no more
traps to put out to ketch that ar wiiecat.
un thar I was. I want ter tell you. sab.
ut l shol'ly got ez vile ez that ar cat
was.
"'Gallywipe mimi l did declar. TIL lay
fer that ar wheat with a gun. un lay him
low.
81 reckon ! laid fer that ar cat three
days un nights, un las night / cotched
sight OF him sallyin' todes my chicken
pen. He walked like he was totin' a load.
but jes' about three minutes arter I
seed him he'd a walked a heap heavier.
ef he could a walked at all. 'ase he had a
big load o. my buckshot in him. IN It
topped him In the snow. That he laid. un
l sailed up to feas' my eyes on him, now
ut he had quit bein' a wonder. ! want
ter tell you, sab, he hadn't quit! No. sab!
! do declar' he was a heap sight mightier
a wonder yit than l had sot him down
to be. Thar on one fore leg he had one
o. my traps; on t'other fore leg thar hung
another o. my traps, an stickin' to one
o. his hind legs thar was that t'other
un last trap o. mine! I'm in his hide
ne had a han'ful o. buckshot. But he
riz up In the snow an come rushin fer
ME. I decIar. I had to put my second
load o buckshot in that ar cat un then
squash his head with a club sfore the
piney woods was shet of him.
Hickory Jackson!' I says, It's a
a mighty good thing fer me III I didn't
have four traps. fer II I had I'd a lost
EN- all un the wilecat. too, un that'd
been slanchways luck fer me, sho'ly.' I
says.
80 Kase ! want ter tell you. sab. un
I'll bet my crap O. tarpentine on 1t. ut
that ar wilecat had les set In to clean
me out o. traps. un was only hangin'
roun' fer me to git a fourth one. he
havin' room fer one mo-. Then he'd q
gone OF with 'em all un never come
back. Cunnel. that wilecat was a mighty
wonder! Don't you reckon sog''
Blu all that Col. Bill said was:
"whatd l tell you, boys? What's the
use O. goin' out an follerin' q pore peace
full 'possum when We kin set hyer un
see this hyer amazln' Angus slaughter
wilecats setch as them un him nor us
never gittin' our feet wet?"
The boys said there wasn't any use.
Angus smiled. and would have gone
right on and slaughtered q bear or two,
inducement. which Col. Bill didn't-New
York Press.