The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1912-12-20
FIGHT
FOR A WIFE
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1912. by Associated Lit
erary Press

Il dunno much about romniicp. n
they calls ii. but | reckon I shaved i
mighty cus when / got my wife. ua
day, when | was ii Young Teller 81
twenty-five. | seen gal over on t'otliei
side of the mountings that jest filled
the bill. ! made up To her and was
talkin' bout bars and wildcats and
SIGH when her mother steps in and seq.
Stranger. mebbe yo' are wantin
to take my gal away fur wife,
I'm reckonin To consider that
would | replies
Then I'll blow the horn fur her pop
to cum outer the woods and tell 80
what is what"
she bowed and bowed. and bimehy
the old man appeared. he was q
powerful man. and he didn't look good
natured. His name was Rabbit. and
arter lookin me over he seq:
stranger it : got TO be mighty
good man who takes my darter Sue
away fur his wife. How fur kin amy
body h'ar yo' holler?
Two miles. if the wind is right.
SEE l.
And about yo'r jumpin?
Its clus to eight feet when | don't
slip.
Hey yo' ever dun any climbin':'
81 hey. I've climbed the tallest tree
in sight Of these we're Cumberland
mountings.
And the number of bars and wild
cats what yo've slain?' he goes on.
seemin' TO want to pick furse with
me.
They'd purity nigh fill yo'r cabin
SEE |. feelin' leetle riled at the way
| he spoke.
"'Well.' SEE he, arter stoppin' to con-
| slider a bit nobody kin take that gal
| away jest bekase be kin boot or climb
or kill varmints He's got to lay me
on my back in IA far fout. Ill gin you
a week to think it over If 20 want
/ the gal yo' must cum back and tackle
me. and I'm tellin' yo' I'm bad crit
ter as long as I've got one foot on the
/ airth'
II went away feelin' sort o cast
down. but the mo- / thought of it the
mo- | wanted the gal Sue fur my wife.
| That night | made up my mind that
| I'd try fur her. and next day | went
back to the cabin. Her pop was thar
and walkin' around and feelin' power
full peart.
Thar was cFar space in the front
of his cabin" said the old man. land
when the gal and her mother had cum
outdoahs we threw off our coats and
begun bizness. was accounted a
powerful hand on a wrassIe. but that
man was also a powerful critter. and
| reckoned I'd hev to. hev help from
the Lawd to gain the victory. 1t was
| 10 O'Clock in the mawnin' when we
begun, and the clock was jest strikin'
when | Topped him On his back. That
spot on the ground looked as if fo'ty
hawgs had bin rOotin it up fur q
week. and he was SO beat out he could
hardly speak. Mo than twenty times
in them three hours that critter haC
me almost dun fur. but Id send Hp 4
sort of prayer and git new hold. and
at last | fetched him When he was
able to talk he riz mp and took nay
hand and seq;
stranger. it was a far wrassle
and I've been topped. | wouldn't a be
lieved yo' could hev dun it. but 70
did, and I'm sayin' yo' ar purty
good man Howsumever. it amt Owe
yit Yo've got to lick me to git Sue
and | know you kin never do it. Wei
take three days to rest up, and theI
yo' kin cum back and tackle me =
n "A,
old man made long pause.
EUR suah." he replied Il wa
mighty sore and lame. but knOwet
he would be as bad of. Besides. tina
gal Sue had hooted fur me when
topped her pop. and ! knowed by tina
she was with me and would hope FIJI
me to come out on top, In three day
l went back to hev it out The critic
was a-lOokin' fur me and glad to So
me.
= "'HOw's it to be?' seq l.
r "A far fOut.' sez he. no thrown
rocks nor hittin' with clubs WhooE
, COck-a-dOodle-do.'
o WAL. we went at It. Sue and be
nav was out thar as befo'. and the q
gin me smile as | went in 1t was
rough and tumble fout | jest knowe
: I'd got TO do my level best or go unde
and lost no chances That fout las
= ed mighty nigh two hours. and two {
9 three times l was almost on the pin
! of lettin' go. Bimeby, howsumever.
+ seen that Rabbit was gettin' tired on
= and the gai clapped her hands an
, sicked me on. Ten minits arter that
7 had him whopped. Thar wasn't I
i, mistake about it, bekase he riz up an
SEE to NE:
! 'ZeD White, I'm a whopped MAJ
and that gal is yo'rs. didn't beliey
thar was a critter on these mounting
g as could make me boot. but go dun i
And now when do yo want the gall
Right now. reckon seq l
"'Ain't it purity sudden"
q. Not 50 very. bein' as sn, read
to GO