on on that side of him. He was runnin’
the grindstone and puttin’ a good sharp edge
on his butcher knife, when he happened to look up
and seed old Jinnie comin’ head on. He
dropped the knife and started for the house, thinkin’
he’d dodge in the front door. Over went
the grindstone and old Jinnie, too, but she wuz up
on her feet ag’in quicker’n scat.
She seemed to scent the old man, for when she got
to the front door she turned in and then bolted right
into the parlor. Old Bill heerd her comin’,
and he went head fust through the open winder, and
landed in the orchard. He got up and run for
a big apple-tree that stood out near the road, and
never stopped till he’d clumb nearly to the
top. Little Lizzie gave a yell like a catamount
and ran behind the pianner, which was sot out a little
from the wall. Old Jinnie went bunt inter the
planner and made a sandwich of Lizzie, who wuz behind
it. Mis’ Tompkins heard Lizzie scream,
and come to see what the matter was. When she
see Jinnie she jist made strides for the wood-shed,
and old Jinnie sashayed arter her. Mis’
Tompkins went skitin’ through the wood-shed.
There wuz a pair of steps that led up inter the corn
barn, and Mis’ Tompkins got up there jist as
old Jinnie walked off with the steps. Then old
Jinnie took a walk outside and looked ‘round
as unconsarned as though nothin’ had happened.
Jist about this time one of them tin peddlers come
along that druv one of them red carts with pots, and
pans, and kittles, and brooms, and brushes, and mops
hung all over it. He spied old Bill up in the
tree, and sez he, ‘What be yar doin’, Farmer
Tompkins?’ ‘Pickin’ apples,’
said old Bill. He don’t waste words on nobody.
’Ain’t it rather early for apples?’
inquired the peddler. ’These are some I
forgot to pick last fall,’ replied old Bill.
‘Anythin’ in my line?’ said the
peddler. ‘Ain’t got no money,’
said Bill. ’Hain’t you got something
you want to trade?’ asked the peddler.
‘Yes,’ said Bill, ’I’ll swap
that cow over yonder; you kin have her for fifteen
dollars, an’ I’ll take it all in trade,’
‘Good milker?’ said the man. ‘Fust-class
butter,’ said old Bill. ‘What do
you want in trade?’ said the man. ‘Suit
yerself,’ said Bill, ‘chuck it down side
of the road there.’ This was soon done,
and the peddler druv up front of old Jinnie and went
to git her, so as to tie her behind his waggin.
She didn’t stop to be led. Down went her
head agin and she made for the peddler. He got
the other side of his team jist as old Jinnie druv
her horns ’tween the spokes of the forrard wheel.
Down come the pots, and pans, and kittles, in ev’ry
direction. A clotheshorse fell on the horse’s
back and off he started on a dead run, and that wuz
the end of poor Jinnie. Before she could pull
back her horns, round went the wheel and broke her
neck. The peddler pulled up his horse and went
back to see old Bill, who was climbin’ down from
the apple tree. ‘What am I goin’
to do about this?’ said the peddler. ’I
wuz countin’ on drivin’ her over to the