Year: 1876

few times they would be ungOverna


BILE, and he insisted on me leaving


and going then to his house. To al


this l told him 1 thought they would


do me no harm, and told him / would


stay till he went.


"Well," said the Deacon, II have


advised you towhat 1 thought was


for the best; if you are abused by


these fellows, you cannot blame me


but I tell you plainly they are the


head ones who make it their bust.


ness to run off every Methodist


preacher that comes along, and the


head man is here, and suppose they


are now contriying the matter"


I still protested that they would


not hurt me or my horse, and the


Deacon left me; appeared to be very


much vexed to think l would not


take his advice.


After little while the small keg


of whisky was handed around.


They all drank except the Deacon


and myself The slight was noticed


by them, and they told him >he must


drink, and they made him drink.


They came to me, saying: "You did


not drink; this will not answer; you
must take hold"


told him l could not drink his
whisky and he must excuse me. He


used some rough language, and then
said | must drink, sing song, tell a
story or wrestle. / excused myself
again; told him / was stranger
there; was only staying to get done
raising; was intending to preach to-
morrow at the s. House.


His answer was, "We will see about
that"


/ saw my deacon was in great pain.
He evidently thought l was in
dreadful situation, but 1 had no
fears; l felt sure | could take care Of
myself My man stuck to me, and
would not be put off. He made again
and again the same demand. Atlast,
seeing that something must be done,
and in hope OF making a virtue of the
necessity, told him that after they
got done raising the house would
make up my mind to do one or the
other.


Twas, however, doomed to disap-
pointment. l had been in hopes he
would forget and let me off; but as
the last log was rolled up, Mark Sut-
ton (for that was his name), came
again, and four or five others with
him, prepared to compel me to drink
whisky by force.


1 then told Mark I had concluded
to wrestle with him, which was one of
his propositions.


"Well," said he, shat will do"


"But," says /, "there must be GER
tain conditions. You must not get /
angry, and there must be but one
hold, one fall; and if l throw you, you
promise to come and hear me preach
on tomorrow" ss.-.,.z-----


To this Mark agreed, and those
present said all right. Said Bronson
to my father, I then thought 1 could
scare the fellow, and get off that
way, but all to no purpose. A ring
was formed, judges chosen, etc. My
Deacon once more came to my side.
Said he:


"You are crazy. Mark Sutton is
the bully wrestler in all these parts,
and they will think it great sport to
pull and haul you around"


l told my Deacon he need not fear,
and to take no trouble about their
pulling and hauling me around.
Said Bronson, ] tell you, Rufus, THAT
was my fathers name, 1 felt as if
could have thrown them all into
pile, and believe l could have done
so, especially at that time, for they
we're all the worse for drink. l re-
1eated my conditions again; he
promised if 1 threw him, to come
ind hear me preach, and added he
would bring out the whole village.
They whispered among themselves,
md one man stepped into the ring.
told them to pick out their best
nan, as / should take hold of but
me man; to this they finally consent
d. Mark evidently begap(TM
fraid, thought perhaps he might be
mistaken.


My deacon turned pale. Mark
anne forward, and proposed to take
lold arms-end, or shoulder snd al
'ow, according to wrestlers' parl nca
lark was afraid, and braced NJ
elf. 1 told him perhaps he III
etter wait until another time, and
hink he of himself would have done
o, but his comrades would not hear
ne word about putting off the
port.


After a few moments bracing
bout, he got calm, and began to
make some effort. The first chance


habitat is, the first move he
lade with his feet-I took the advan1
age of it and flung him very easy;
e jumped up and came up to me,
nd wanted to take hold again; / ri
Did him no, that is not the agree b
lent; if the judges decide that I 8.
ung you, that is sufficient. a
But, says Mark, 1 did not exactly ii
ee how it was done, and they m
bought l oughtto take hold again. u
It last l consented. We took hold b
ne second time; this time he show 81
d more science. I found myself CT
luch superior in strength and mo- p
on, and flung him very easy-more el
} than at first. He tried hard to in re
uce me to give him another trial, m
ut in vain. We shook hands anj el
greed to part in friendship. in
took Mark to one side little te
for l was still afraid of treachery) in
nd, said l to Mark, l am stranger I'll
ere. l have been told that there
re persons here who make it point
D abuse preachers, and / want you