The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-14

Copyright.
 I'VE been up agin most all kinds O
 games. I've been shooter, an shootee; 4 an, once-'fore I was converted-l rid jest ahead of bunch O fellers, with a rope, that was anxious to see me closter, an 'twant nothin' but a tender hand on the bridle, an a consumin' ambi- tion to beat em, that got me shet of 'em; an fer years I was fer, fer, from this simple life. An yt, friend, I never knowed genooine excitement till I went lion huntin. Yes; Td jest as soon tell ye bout it. Pm in the cattle trade. I've raised em, rGstled 'em. punched 'em an sold 'em. come east with a bunch, an went to work, fer Armour In Chicago They sent me to Moo York with lot, an there they put me on a ship, with the critters, bound fer Dutchland. Well, when I handed 'em over, in good shape, to the fellers that bought 'em, I was foot lose, with a roll in my clothes, an made ur my mind to stay fer a spell an see the kentry, an put some frills onto my eddi- cation.
 I've allus favored eddication, an I wouldn't never stand fer any one runnin' 1t down-langwiches in perticler. They've alters ben my forty an in most any gab- fest I kin git piece O the money, but, : up to that time, in any talk-game I'd set into, the limit had ben Ameriky, North an South I was fay with Sign, To, an Greaser but wasn't wise to any turin clack, an so 1 says: Now, Slim, is yer chance" an I made good, as ye kin see, from the way I prattle. Well, after buyin' ticketsto most every city in Europe, an gltin' on trains that didn't go to 'em, rolled into big town, an the conductor yells: "Aufsteigen." "Praps so," says I, but it don't say so on my ticket, an that's prob'ly the reason I've got here anyways, it's out fer me- an I clim' down. Jest as l landed, feller come up to me, an gimme card, an l see the word pension" printed onto it. Nope says I. T haint got no right to one, though I fit some in kooby Leebry." It was durin my argument with the pension agent, that l got acquainted with Mister Nuttree, an it was through Nuttree that l went lion huntin. He see that there was some misunderstan', an come up to explain things.
 You will lodging have?' says he, an I says I would. He made a try fer my grip but I sidestepped him. "I'll tote it. l says, an we started. He took me to a little, narrer street-Gassey, they called it-an knocked at the door of a fair lookin' house, an a woman come to the door, an we all went upstairs She an Nuttree debated fer a spell, an he made the bargain, which was two an a half per week, including breakfast caffy n late-coffee n milk-an' a roll, an a couple O eyes throwed in--eye's 8 Dutch fer egg: Nuttree showed me a tin ear on the wall "If you something need" says he, blow the hole down." I wanted to pay him fer his trouble, but he wouldn't have it; said he was gon' to Ameriky, an wanted to learn English.
 Well" says l, you used me white, ans I'll learn it to ye, kerrect. Come an see me, any time T come," says he; an he went, an I blew the hole down. an a girl come. Say, friend, she was the real goods, an put up in tasty package. She most took my breath away but I braced.
 Miss" I says, I'm some dirty an I'd like to clean up, if yell git me some hot water, an soap"
 "Bitty," says she; "bitty."
 Lord" I says. We're a winner, sure, but ye're> there to yer graft, same as all the rest Here's two-bits," an I give her quarter. 'Suds, Miss, says not.
 She wouldn't take the quarter, an l seen I'd made bad play. She stood lookin' at me. an looked at her, an didn't know what to say, but l want never a quitter. so I done the best could. "Wie gates." says, "sex and sexig pea nuckle.''
 She laffed farmer mann," says she.
 "I be-" says, "an proud of it. On the hoof, CT in cans, he's got 'em all stopped, though I ain't sayin' that some O the timed things wouldn't be safer if they was hooped.'
 Well, that was the way met up with Berta We got better acquainted, after ward, an we aint neither of us eyer ben sorry for 1t. You make think all this hain't got much to do with lions, but we're wrong.
 Nuttree an Berta was both in the game.
 Nuttree come to see me every day, and we'd practice on each other him in English, an me in Dutch. He was a little feller, an wore specs an clothes that was too big fer him, but he was all right, any way ye took him. an cer- tainly was good to me. He had money,