HOW HE LOST HIS TAIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 461, 9 April 1890, Page 6

HOW HE LOST HIS TAIL.

‘ Gentlemen,’ said a tall Kentuckian, hauling up, and leisurely taking his seat in a vacant chair, ‘don’t make fun of that thar dog, if you please,’ and, with a face ot profound melancholy and touching pathos, he added, ‘unless jou want to hurt his feelings.’ - ‘ Oh, of course nob, sir, if you dislike it. Bub, pray, how did he come to be curtailed of his fair proportions ?’ ‘ Well, gentlemen, I’ll tell you,’ said the Kentuckian, replenishing the spacious hollow of his check with a quid of tobacco. • That thar dog was the greatest b’ar hunter of Kaintuck. A few years ago I used to take my rifle and old Riptearer, of an arternoon, and think nothing of killing ten b ars. One cold day in the middle of winter, bein’ troubled a good deal with an old he-b’ar that used to carry off our pigs by the dozen, I started out with Riptearer, determined to kill the old rascal or die in the attempt.

‘Well, arber we had gone about, two miles through the woods, we all of a sudden came right smack on the old b’ar, with his v/ife and three cubs I know’d I couldn’t shoot 'em all at once, and I know’d if J killed either of the old’uns, t’other would make at me, for 1 could see they were mortal hungry. So says I, “Rip, what’ll we do 5” Rip knowed what I was sayin’. and without waitin’ to hold any confab about it, he guv a growl and pitched right in among them. With that I let fly at the she-b’ar, CO3 I know’d she was the worst when the cubs was about. Over she rolled as dead as a mackerel.

* Rip then hitched on the he-b’ar, and they had a most mighty tussle for about five minutes, when the b’ar began to roar enough like blue murder. I run up then and knocked out his brains with the butt end of my rifle. The cubs were so skeered and cold that I killed ’em all in about bw'o minutes with my knife. Bub Rip took on terrible about my knockin’ of the old b’ar on the head. At fust I thought he was going to tackle me,and says I, “ Rip, that s downright ungiateful.” With that he Sneaked off in a huff, but I could easily see he was terrible mad yet.

‘ Well, I left the b’ars all on the ground, concluding to call back with the neighbours for ’em as soon as I could let ’em know. On the way home Rip kep’ ahead of me. Every time he thought how I killed the old b’ar, his tail would stand right up on one end he was so powerful mad. ‘lt was gettin’ on to night, and began to grow freezin’ cold. About half a mile from the house, Rip came to a halt, tbinkin’ he’d have another look back in the direction of the b’ars. The scent of ’em raised his dander wuss than ever. His tail stood right squar’ up, as stiff as a hoe handle. Just then it come on colder than ever, and poor Rip’s tail friz exactly as it stood. I was in a bad fix—l had no fire to thaw it. While I was thinking what I’d do to get it down ag’in, a big buck deer sprung up and darted right over a fence about 50yds a head. Rip did not wait to be to{d wbar to go, but pitched arber the cleer. I cracked away with my rifle, and just raised the fuzz between his horns. As soon as Rip got to the fence, he thought he’d make a short cut, so he dashed right through, but his tail was so brittle it broke off between the rails. Poor old Rip was done for good. He never bad a tail to show after that—it broke his spirit as well as his tail; and that’s how he come to lose it. And now, gentlemen, I’m getting a little dry, and if you have no objection, we’ll take a horn.’