Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-02-26

i want afeared to bet anybody two
dollars that they couldn't fish that
catfish out on a fishhook, or two dol
lars that they could, either which
way they wanted to take the bet.
IF anybody bet me that he could
fish the stupid-lookin' old Teller out
on a hook the catfsh'd give me a
sly wink, and then only sniff and
scowl at the nice fat bait with the
hook in it that was stuck under his
nose, and never fetch it. But if
anybody took the bet that he
couldn't fish the catfish out why,
Solomon called him Solomon
| cause he knowed so much-Solo-
mon'd go for that bait like a hawk
for a chicken, grab it at the hind
side O the hook and would be flop
PIN on the ground outside the tub
| afore the chap that had made the.
bet got over his scare and knowed
| what had happened.
""Then Solomon would spit out the
hook and I'd dump him back in the
tub, and the way he'd grin up at the
chap as he handed me over his two
dollars was worth two dollars Of
any mans money. Me and Solo
mon worked together so brotherly
and enterprisin' that we paid off the
mortgage on my clearin' and bought
mule and the best coon dog ON the
| Passydanky spread in less'n two
months.
Zone day the hired man was
| ~ l.,
mon, and he took out his plug O.
black navy terbacker-say, Cap'n, if
you kin give me toler'ble good
sized chaw off O. your plug o. jist
common, everyday yaller tobacco, it'd
be sort O. balm in Gilyad to Solomon,
I think, and mebbe tide him over A
| toler'ble goodsized chaw.'
81 had no plug of common, everyday
| yaller terbacker, either, and I told the
| man so.
{ 'Geevile IL hear from me, you kin
bet hen.' exclaimed the man. .Forgit-
/ tin to tell you about So.omon! Why,
you'd "a handed your terbacker right
out without bein' asked, if they'd only
told you about Solomon
Il fe.t that ought to be pushing on,
and L made another start, but the ma
! on the fence halted me again.
"'Jest minute, Cap'n,' said he.
Though you don't even feel like pass
in out your plug of common. everyday
| yal.er terbacker, l can't bear to have
you go with wrong ideas O. Solomon.
The hired man cut chaw off O. his plug
o black navy, and piece of it fell int O
! l,
rush, but he stopped quick when he
showed his nose ag'in it.
He paused and pondered. He
want exactly sure about that ter
backer. He skinned one eve up at
me, but never said word. Then Sol
ONION risked it and took the piece O.
terbacller in.
He gave a couple O. chaws on to
1t, and scowled some. He cooked his
head fust on one side and then on
tother. as if he was sort O considerin'
what mowt happen. Then he went to
work on to the terbacker ag'in. He
chawed IT an chawed it, and by and
by he swallowed it.
Solomon says 7. cit don't ap-
pear to me as though I'd "a done that
says l.
Solomon looked up and sort O.
shifted at me, but it want long afore
he began to act as if he thought that
mebbe l want fur from right. He
looked at me mournful like. and then
moved to'rd one corner of his tub
slow and sad. like a funer'l When he
got there he shivered quite some, and
then rolled over on his side, turnin' his
eyes UP and loolin' pale around the
gills.
He's goner!' says 1. 'TerbaclSe,
has p'isined Solomon ded!' says I, and
l was all broke up, tell you hand.
full O. that loose chewin' O. yourn
Cap'n, while it hain't mamma in the
wilderness, SO to speak. like black navy
plug or even the common everyday
yaller would be, mowt lift Solomon
out o the