The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-18
A CASE OF
GRATITUDE
BY M. QUAD
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1913, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

Thar ar folks as will contend tha
the mewl has no gratitude In his soul.
said the old possum hunter as he wall
ed through the chestnut forest on tn
side OF the Cumberland mountains
but them thar folks is wrong"
He halted to rub his itching bacl
against tree and then continued:
Every critter is agin the mewl an,
ready to wallop him, and why shoul'
he be grateful? Why shouldn't he b,
emery and cantankerous? I'd be mean
er'n pizen II l was a mewl Howsum
ever. I'm goin' to tell you about graft
tude
Soon after the wah some Teller.
rome along yere with drove of nevis
and one of the critters fell sick. and
they gin him to me. he was about
the mea nest lookin' mewl l ever did
see. but | kinder hoped he'd make up
! fur II in bein' good. He didn't. how.
ever, doggone his hide. but when be
| got well he was meaner'n skunks.
He'd bite and kick at anybody who
come within ten feet of him. and IL !
hitched him to the cart he wouldn't
pull a pound. was keepin' him
around in the hopes to trade him off
when along comes stranger one day
from Arkansaw. The old woman was
gone to a nayburs, and l was sittin'
on the doorstep when this stranger
halted and said:
Kin | everlastin'ly and eternally
datter myself that am addressin' the
celebrated and notorious Zeb Whittier
That's me- said /.
The critter who has killed 1900 pos.
sums. 5000 woodchucks. 400 coons
and City barsT
'Them's about the fggers, stran.
ger
The man who crowded a circus
elephant into the ditch. flung a bull
over the fence and licked three wild
cats barehandedT
That's mostly me-
1.-The man who has outrun. out
jumped, outwra ssled and outfit every
critter In Tennessee who would tackle
himT
Kinder that
"'Waal. now,' goes on the man as we
shakes hands. yo' seems to be some
pumpkins. and hope yo' ar. fur
walked over from Arkansaw TO gin yo'
trial I'm gwine to do my best, Zeb |
White, 10 lick yo' outen yo'r butesr
"'What furT said l.
"'Jest to take yo down peg and let |
70 know that thar ar two or three |
other folks on airth. Yes. I'm either |
gwine to make yo' boiler or else live
on roots all the rest of my daysr
~ don't want no quarrel with any
body said |. but soon diskivered
that the critter from Arkansaw was
bound to hev fuss. He Dragged and
crowed and had so much to say that
had no other way but to tackle him.
We peeled Off coats and vests out
thar on the level spot. and ! noticed
the old mule standin' with his hind
quarters out of the woodshed doah.
~ tell 20 what I'm gwine to do
said the stranger as he made ready.
I'm gwine to bite off yo'r right ear
and carry 1t back to Arkansaw with
me as a sort of a certificate. and l
hope you'll write the date on 1t with
pen and ink before leave
1--WE finally got to work, and l soon
found that critter all could manage
de was peart in his feelins and
hard hitter. and as he danced around
he said:
|
"'Yo' might as well begin to boiler
light now, Zeb White, fur I've got yo' I
licked \
jest about that time ! fetched him
swat that keeed him head over heels
nd broke my thumb. He got up as
cart as 20 please, and. seem my r
humb was broke and my right hand
Iseless. he put on mo- steam. 1t did
eem TO me that fur the fust time In
~ life | was gwine to be licked. and &
had feein' of goneness clear down I
, my butes. Broken bones don't =
cunt in a fout down in this kentry. 4
o. know. The man who comes ouS !
n top gifts the credit and the other +
GLOW hasn't word to say. Yes, sab. /
jest dun reckon | was hevin' a pow v
-ful clus shave of It when Providence
lterfered. | was bein' banged all
round when | happened to see my
d mewl backin' up on US from the
led He'd heard that row and want
hand In. Tother feller's back
as to'ard the mewl, and played to =
aep 1t thar. He never had no warn !,
: OF what was comm. Then fust ),
ling he knew the mewl backed up :,
, within kickin' distance and let go :
9TH feet. and old Arkansaw went :,
lin most down TO the bresh fence. !
is breath was gone when be stopped. q
ID ! was also sittin on his stomach. ;,
three or four mlnits he opened his !.
es and looked around and said: :
" Ar | back in Arkansaw ag'inr !,
q Not skassly,' said /.
e 'Zeb. ] acknowledge to bein' lick :,
man. but I'd like the consolashun -
KNOWN how twas done :
= 1T war far fout' :.
81 reckon II was. but I was gittin' .
e best of IL when 20 fastened a
uple of horseshoes to yo'r hands and
lched over my shoulders and bit me :,
the back and sent me tumblin'. =
as that what licked mer =
. "a