THE "PAINTER" IN THE PIG PEN. 333 



unlatches it ; the wind blew it wide open. I saw a pair 

 of long white horns outside, and that minnit the Doctor 

 gave jist one of the biggest yells yer ever heerd a wild 

 Injin make ; one of his pistols went off; I don't know ef 

 he fired it off, or it went off of itself, and the preacher 

 went over backwards as my yoke of young steers came a 

 rushin' right in the cabin. Lord ! yer could a heerd me 

 larf a mile. 



"The critters was a frightened in the storm, and 

 maybe had smelt the painter, and were mighty glad to 

 get in the house where the light was ; but they weren't 

 half as frightened as the Doctor was. He hadn't any 

 more pluck hi him than an old hen on a rainy day ; he 

 was right wilted down, though he tried to show how the 

 bullock had hit his arm and that had fired the pistol. 



" We got the critters out agin presently, though they 

 didn't want to go and I sot a thinkin' about it, and won- 

 derin' how it was they were so onusual skeery, and the old 

 woman had fixed the Doctor somethin' warm, and I hadn't 

 heern any more of the painter for an hour or more, 

 when all of a sudden, queek, quee-ee-ee-ak, we heerd the 

 old sow go, and a thumpin' noise, and the cattle bellowed 

 and run around the house. 



" Thar, I knowed it," says I as I grabbed my rifle, 

 upsettin' the teapot, * cuss the painter, he's got the old 

 sow.' 



" Lord, you should ha seen that cabin empty itself. 

 Boz and the other dogs first, and then the Doctor and 

 his pistols, and then the old woman, though she was the 



