West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-05-08
OLD FEB WHITE
lie Tells ofan Ornery Mule and
Cantankerous Bear.

hunter, when asked for o story, ga
stranger came along the road leadin
a mule. 1t was Moth Caroleeny
mewl, and he looked like likely
beast. l was wondering why the
man was leading the mewl instead
of riding him when he stopped and
said:
=" I'm on my way to the Tennes-
see river to jump in and perish, and
I'll sell you this mewl powerful
cheap if you want him.
"What do you want to perish forr
said.
'Bekase I'm alone in the world
and too good for it. / can't stand
the wickedness around me, and
would go hence and hev a harp and
golden wings. This mewl is the last
thing I've got to git rid of and il you
fancy him he is yo'rs for sao.'
Twas inwant of mewl jest then. y
said Zeb, "and after looking the
critter over / put down the money.
When the trade had been made
the stranger wiped tear from his
eye, embraced his mewl in lovin'
way and then said to me:
I'D take him with me to the
other shore, but nevis can't 60 thar.
He'll grieve after me, but if you
treat him well he'll git over it in
time. Good bye, Zeb White, and
If it be SO that angels kin come
flyin' round on airth once in a while
I'll drop in and see how the critter
gifts along
" 1T did't take me long, said
Zeb, to diskiver that that mewl was
ornery. All nevis are pizen mean,
but this one was champion.
If | tried to put saddle on him,
he'd lay down in his tracks, and if
| hitched him to cart nothing on
airth could make him pull pound.
He'd bite, and he'd kick, and he
went around looking fer fuss. In a
week found he was no airthly good.
dubbed him till l was tired, but
| couldn't pound no sense into him.
One day got so mad that was
gwinc to shoot him, but the old
woman mixed in and said:
Il was jest athinking, Zeb.
Do you remember that cantanker-
Gus bar that was around yere last
fall?'
OF co'sc.'
He'll likely come back ag'in
this fall. Better leave him to the
me@l if he comes
GAS to that bar" explained the
old man, che was the most can
tankerous varmint / ever met up
with. He'd come sneakin' round
at night and chaw up the sheets
spread on the grass, and sometimes
he'd appear by day and skeer the
old woman half to death. set a
trap for him and he carried it off.
laid out two night on the watch,
but he come like shadder and
almost killed my dawg.s
He was mp to all kinds of tricks,
and he bothered me for three months
befo' he disappeared. 1t was likely
he would come ag'In, and if he did
there would be fun between the
ornery mewl and the cantankerous
bar. Igive up trying to do anything
with the mewl but he growed meaner
and meaner all the time, and he
wasn't happy unless he was kickin'
his heels ag'in the cabin doahs. II
got so the old woman dasn't stir
outdoahs, and had to carry club
to keep him off. I'd had him six
weeks and had wanted to shoot him
every day when one night that bar
showed up. He come down off the
mountain feeling more contankerous
than ever, and that ornery new
was waiting for something to come
along and begin row. They got
at it in no time. Me and the old
woman got up and looked out, and
them two critters was thoroughly
enjoying themselves. They was
kicking, bitin', clawin', growlin' and
squealing, and it was better than a
circus to watch them. They fit fur
an hour, and then they got tuckered
out and the bar went back to his
cave. 1t was the same thing over
the next night and every night for
a week or more. A bar ought to
lick mewl easy huff, specially
when he's cantsnkerous bar, but
in this case he'd got hold Of a mewl
so mean and obstinate that he
wouldn't hev turned tail fur all the
bar in Tennessee. He was as spry
as cat, and the way he bit and
kicked warmed up my heart lie
got a good many scratches in them
conflicts. but he wouldn't rnn AVA,