Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-11-25

to work which was quite sumptuous-
II had planted some corn, an that's
all that ever happened to that corn.
So one day was tryin' to coax 1t out
of the ground, IT being that reluctant
an shy an backward that 1t was
ashamed to show its face In Kansas
an | don't blame it-so / dug up
some of 1t to see If 1t was still there.
1t was. For ALL know, it's there
yet Anyhow, never saw hair or
hide of 1t.
Anyway | was out where the corn
could be IL 1t had a mind, whin me
brother came runnin' up from an
other part of me sumptuous estate.
He was excited, an his eyes was
sparklin' an | knew there must be
something doin'
Perhaps says l, to meself, | says,
perhaps he has discovered blade of
corn says. Il dunno Yer see l was
prepared of anything.
Sunset says he, pantin', an his
eyes afire, there's something over
there beyant the hillock,' says he,
an rhinoceros,' he says.
"'Pooh, pooh, says L Me lad,
yer've bin drinkin',' says, airily. It's
the boss. says.
eyer burned fool says he, I was
plowin' the boss whin 1t came along,
he says, AN the boss h'isted his tail
an whit to glory, pillow an ALL says
he, AN / reckin be this time he's
plowed furrow all the way to Gin.
cinnati,' he says.
Then saw as how it behooved me
to get up an open a Jackpot or
something, for that boss stood be-
tween me an starvation. If the claim
didn't develop l might have to eat
that boss. So / scuttled across with
me brother to get look. Be the
shades of st. Patrick it was buffalo
"a buffalo with buff all over him
He was chewin' up all me tomato
vines-thim vines | had raised be
hand, as it were, an considered me
brothers and sisters.
"'Shoo' says l, to the buffalo. Shoe.
says, or I'll come over there an
kick a hole in yer says l.
He looked up at me with me to-
mato vines a-meanderin' out of his
mouth, an snorted If l didn't fall
dead, the Lord knows 1t wasn't be
cause l wasn't expectin' to. Never
having had any speakin' acquaintance
with buffalo, didn't know wheth
| hni n 70 fnlx
alive, or what, any one or which.
Let me kill him. says me brother
Sure says l. Me lad, if vel
think yer can kill him, wade in an
take holt l says.
with the shotgun says me
brother
We'll says I, beginnin' to re
cover me jaunty air, for | was 9
reglar divil thin days. WELL says
yer go git the gun while l watch him
But l says, L think 1t might be 9
good idea to catch him an tame him,
says. He looks like he might be
able to yank a plow,' says /, from
Monday to Mississippi | says.
"'Do yer know anything about buf
faloes?' says me brother.
"'Me lad says l, 4 know all abou
thin, | says. They're as harmless
as Kittens says l. If yer tie then
somewhere an climb a tree / says
Yer go get the gum l says.
And he whit, leavin' me alone II
the middle of large prairie, with {
buffalo. II that fellow had started
at me l wouldn't have touched any
thing but the high places. Subse
quent proceedin's showed ddn'
even touch thin, but-anyhow h,
didn't know it. Reminder, had never
seen a buffalo before. | didn't know
his capabilities at all, at all. l thinl
| was a brave man.
"Whin me brother had gone, tn,
buffalo took one long squint at me
an thin returned to me tomato vines
1t was a fine lunch he was havin'
He was eatin' me heart out. So cas-
ually | SHE'D stone. He looked a
me, astonished like, chewed up hi
last mouthful took long breath, an
started for me. had just backed u,
to get good start for a distance race
whin me brother appeared over thu
hillock an fred the gun.
THE buffalo got a charge of birt
shot in his hind quarters, an b,
turned tail an whit away from Their,
bellowin' scandalous. He was in
hurry, an his language was that oh
scene an indecent that was shocke,
for me brothers sake. 1t was worse'l
a political speaker.
Charge says l to me brother
With the buffalo goin' the other way
felt like Napoleon.
"'Charge yerself,' says me brother
or wait till / get the gun loaded h
says. The gun was a muzzle loade
l-one of thin guns which If yer didn'
kill what yer shot at the first crack
II would come up an bite yer in tn
face while yer were reloadin'. 1t wa
grand gun. l never shot anything
with it but prairie dog, an MISE,
him.
Anyhow, with last coquettish fir
Of his tail-an buffalo's tail WASH
built to flirt with, 1t bein' that shor
the buffalo disappeared behind
hillock. We stopped to load the gun
..,tt -