The National tribune., 1901-09-26

| champion of the list Oshkosh, similarly
| equipt and accompanied, was put at the
| east hole.
Patsy the Kinch, swelling with all the
| Importance he had seen assumed by ring
| masters of the p. II, stationed himself on
a high cypress knee and gave directions,
| in voice of certain authority. 1t was
| his day of glory.
Fully 100 men of the brigade had
| learned of the '.eyent," and had gathered
around. The cypress knees were crowded
| with them, and every limb of the sur
rounding trees loaded to the breaking
point with those who had climbed up to
get ''box-seats," as Patsy termed them.
Soldier-like, they all wanted to bet. and
as they were weli-loaded with Confed-
crate money. the bets ran up into immense
amounts before the game was called.
Gentlemen" called out an enthusiastic
Hoosier Il don't know the first blamed
thing about this hippodrome, but I'll bet
| 500 blind that Injianny wins the first
heat: 5000 that she wins the second; $500
that she wins the third, and $500 that she
wins all three
And he flashed big roll of Confederate
and began to skin off the bills.
Gentlemen answered no less CONN
dent Badger, my Sunday school teacher
always hammered it into me that it was
the wrongest thing in the world to be bet
against a layout that | didn't under
| stand but I'll see that ager-faced In
dianaian and raise him $1,000 that old
| Wisconsin gets first blood, second blood,
third blood. and the first knock-down.
Hooray for Wisconsin
Gentlemen said Patsy, in the usual
tone of ring proclamations, as he caught
sight of Shorty, who had strolled over
| to see what the excitement was. and to
while away the time until the mail should
arrive and be distributed. Il appoint
Corpl Shorty, of the 200th Ind, and
| Wagonmaster Shuck Dilworth, of the list
Oshkosh, referees. Theyze-n keep order.
| Gentlemen, this is fight to a finish, with
all hollis allowed, and all blows fair and
| regular No fouls is to be claimed on no
account. You men with the poles, are
You've ready!'
''All ready, sir"
"Den, when | clap my hands de third
| time, youzell ram you've poles down into
de holes. an prod de gators. When dey
ketch hold, youzell say so, an wait for
de word to haul out. Only three men must
take hold of each pole to help haul out, an
You've must haul fair an square. an bring
| em both out at de same time"
I'VE understand" said the men, splitting
on their hands, while their helpers closed
| in little nearer.
"One, two, three; run de poles down"
called Patsy, clapping his hands as he
counted.
The poles went down with vigorous
prod as they reached the bottom A few
more, and the men felt the powerful jaws
of the vicious reptiles close upon them.
reported at the same instant.
The boys broke into loud cheers.
"Dog-fall! Dead-heat." decided Shorty
and Shuck in the same breath. ''All bets
on first event are off"
| "Haul away commanded Patsy, amid
more cheering.
The three helpers sprang to the poles,
| and the spectators watched for a minute
with breathless interest the struggle with
the giant Lizards, and then began shout
ing encouragement to the different sides.
s'Pull, there, Hoosiers," shouted the In
dianians. "Straighten your backs, you
| prairie-dogs. What's the matter with
you? Were you fed on sod-cOrn, that
turned your back-bones to putty? Pull,
you Vigo County mules"
"Yank him out, you limp and lazy Bad
gersw yelled the Wisconsin men. "Yank
him out! What's eating you? Think he's
froze in there? Show your Winnebago
muscles"
Each side was sweating in its efforts
to get ahead of the other, but the two
ugly shouts showed above ground at the
same instant. amid the wild yells of the
spectators.
dead heat again." shouted Shorty and
Shuck. ''All bets on second event are
off,"
''Jerk they've out an t'ard each other,
an jump away quick" shouted Patsy.
keep clear O. they've tails"
The men made a prodigious effort,
snatched the reptiles out and to within
few feet of one another, and sprang
back into the crowd, amid the cheers Of
| the excited throng.
The hideous brutes, each mistaking the
| other for the intruder upon his Winters