The Swamp Doctor's Adventures in The South-West: Containing the Whole of The Louisiana Swamp Doctor; Streaks of Squatter Life; and Far-Western Scenes; In a Series of Forty-Two Humorous Southern and Western Sketches, Descriptive of Incidents and CharacterRobb, John S.
General
The Swamp Doctor's Adventures in The South-West: Containing the Whole of The Louisiana Swamp Doctor; Streaks of Squatter Life; and Far-Western Scenes; In a Series of Forty-Two Humorous Southern and Western Sketches, Descriptive of Incidents and Character
Robb, John S.
Southwest, Old -- Social life and customs
“I felt better right off. I knew I cuddent do much in the chase, so I
told the fellers I would go to the cross-path stand, and wate for the
bar, as he would be sarten to cum by thar. You have never seed the
cross-path stand, Doc. It's the singularest place in the swamp. It's
rite in the middle of a canebrake, thicker than har oil a bar-hide, down
in a deep sink, that looks like the devil had cummenst diggin' a skylite
for his pre-emption. I knew it war a dangersome place for a well man
to go in, much less a one-leg cripple; but I war 'tarmined that time to
give a deal on the dead wood, and play my hand out. The boys gin me
time to get to the stand, and then cummenst the drive. The bar seemed
'tarmined on disappinting me, for the fust thing I heard of the dogs and
bar, they was outen hearing. Everything got quiet, and I got so wrathy
at not being able to foller up the chase, that I cust till the trees
cummenst shedding their leaves and small branches, when I herd them
lumbrin back, and I nude they war makin' to me. I primed old 'bar death'
fresh, and rubbed the frizin, for it war no time for rifle to get to
snappin'. Thinks I, if I happen to miss, I'll try what virtue there is
in a knife--when, Doc, my knife war gone. H--ll! bar, for God's sake
have a soft head, and die easy, for I _can't_ run!
“Doc, you've hearn a bar bustin' threw a cane-brake, and know how near
to a harrycane it is. I almost cummenst dodgin' the trees, thinkin' it
war the best in the shop one a comin', for it beat the loudest thunder
ever I heard; that ole bar did, comin' to get his death from an ole,
one-legged cripple, what had slayed more of his brethren than his nigger
foot had ever made trax in the mud. Doc, he heerd a _monstrus long ways
ahead of the dogs_. I warn't skeered, but I must own, as I had but one
shot, an' no knife, I wud have prefurd they had been closer. But here
he cum! he bar--big as a bull--boys off h--ll-wards--dogs nowhar--no
knife--but one shot--_and only one leg that cood run!_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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