Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-09-04

his power for q short exert1on was
great, Steve was In no kind Of train
ing, having allowed himself to fattsn
up and being an inOrdinate user of to-
bacco. Per contra, the deer felt fresh
ened and invigorated by exertion.
That is the deuce Of II In struggling
with an animal-he doesn't tire.
knew that Steve was In sore trou-
Bile, or he never would have sent for
help. The boys evident distress denied
the joke l might otherwise have sus.
pected, so l grabbed up a rope and
made for the grove, the boy trailing
me. should have waited to get gun,
but didn't think of 1t. Those were the
days when could run, when 1t was an
eXhilaration to sail over the prairie.
Tie Importance Of my position as res.
cuer, which pny one who has been a
boy will understand, lent springs to
my feet.
1t was well for Steve that mine were
speedy legs. When l got there bis face
was gray and mottled, like an old
mans, and his mouth had weak
droop, very unlike the devil-may-care
Steve. The two had paved up the
ground for rods around In the fight.
The deer's horns beneath where the
man grippsd them were wet with the
blood Of his torn palms. Steve's knees,
arms and head were trembling as II In
an ague fit. He was all In physically.
but the inner man arose strong above
defeat. "Here's-your-deer-Kid" be
gasped. "I-kept-him-fOr your!
yelled to him to hold hard for one
second, took running jump and land
ed OH Mr.. Bucks flank with both feet.
1t was something Of shock. Over
went deer man and boy. was on my
pins In n jiffy, snapped the moose over
the deer's hind legs, tangled him up
anyhow In the rest of the RATA and
snubbed him to the nearest tree. Then
Steve got up and walked away to
where he could be III with comfort.
And he was good and sick.
When he felt better he arose and
opened his knife, swearing that he
would slit that critters throat from ear
to ear, but Steve, Jr.. who before this
had arrived on the scene, pleaded SO
hard for the life Of the pet that big
Steve rclented and Mr.. Billy Buck was
saved for further mischief.
That afternoon two Of us rode out
and roped him, spreading" him be-
tween us as we dragged him home.
He fought every step Of the way. My
companion, a hot headed Montana boy.
was for killing him half dozen times.
However, feeling that the deer had
vlndicated me, had pride in him
and kept him for timely end. We
turned him loose In corral with Il
blOoded bull calf, some milk cows,
work steers and other tame animals.
"And l bet you he has 'em all chew
ing the rag inside Of twenty-four
hours" said my companion.
That night Steve made ample amend
for his former mirth. Indeed, he prais.
ed my fieetness and promptness Of ac-
ton so highly that was seized by
an access of modesty as unexpected
as 1t was disorganlzing.
The next day Steve stood Oh the roof
of the shed at the end of Billy Bucks
corral Suddenly he Strengthened up
and waved his hat. Deer and bull
fightw he called. "Come a-running,
everybody" We dropped our labors
and sprinted for the corral, there to
sit upon the shed and watch the COM
bat Steve didn't know what began the
trouble, but when got there the
young bull was facing the deer. his
head down, blowing the dust in twin
clouds before him, hooking the dirt
over his back In regular fighting bull
fashion and anon saying, "Bh-ur-ur.
oOOrw in IN adOlescent bass profundo,
most ridiculously broken by streaks OF
soprano. When these shrill notes oc.
Cured the little bull rolled his eyes
around as much as to say, "Who did
that" and we. swinging our legs on
the shed roof. laughed gleefully and
encouraged him to sail In.
The bull, having gone through the
preliminaries of his code, cooked his
tail straight in the air and charged.
The buck waited until he was within
three feet; then he shot sideways and
shot back again, his antlers beating
with drumstick sound on the bulls
ribs. 'Baw-aww said the bull. Prob
ably that hurt.
Again bull faced buck. This time the
bovine eye wore q look Of troubled
wonderment, while one could mark an
evil grin beneath the twitching nose
of his antagonist, and his bleat had
changed to q tone which recalled the
pointing finger and unwrltable "H'nh.
haw that greets misfortune in child
hood. 81 told you so" it said. The
bull, however, Is an animal not easily
discouraged. Once more he lowered
his foolish head and braved forth like
a locomotive.
But it would take too long to tell all
the things Billy Buck did to that bull.
He simply walked all over him and
jabbed and raked and pOked. Away
went the bull, his erstwhile proudly
erect tail slowed sideways In token Of
struck colors, a sign Of surrender dis
regarded by his enemy, who thought
the giving Of signals to cease fighting
prerogative Of his Office. Away went
the old cows and the work steers and
the horses in laundering circuit of
the corral, the horned stock bawling In
terror and Billy Buck boosting" every
one of them impartially. We cheered
him.
"Gad, I'm glad didn't slit his wind.
pipew said Steve. Hes corker"
Billy drove his circus parade around
ubout six times before his proud soul
was satisfied. Then he took the center
Of the ring and beloved a chant OF
victory in a fuller voice than he had
given before, while the other brutes,
gathered by the fence. looked at him In
stupefactiOn.
Only once more did Billy Buck figure
In history before he left us for larger
field in town, and on this occasion, for
the first and last time In his career. he
got the worst Of 1t.
A lone Injun came to the ranch,
very tall, grave man, clad in comic pic
ture clothes. A battered high hat sur
mounted his block Of midnight hair,
and cutaway coat built for man
much smaller around the chest held