Stories of William Ephraim Wiygul, part three

(Note:  If you've wandered onto this web page by benefit of a web browser, please be aware that this is the third of a series of web posts.  Go back to the beginning.)

The following is the third of several serial posts.  The July 2, 1986 edition of the Itawamba County Times contained a collection of stories that were written in November 1925 to his grandchildren by William Ephraim Wiygul, one of the earliest settlers in Itawamba County.  Wiygul's written recollections were transcribed by his great-granddaughter, Joana Y. Swanson, exactly as written by Wiygul. 

(as continued)

 Uncle Wiley Burdine that settled there Close to New Chappil -- we own the Place now or Part of it -- his wife Stud in there frunt Porch and Countid Sixty four Dear Pass her home one Sundy Eve going South.  That will convince you there was a few Dear here whin this Country was first settled.  Uncle Wiley Burdine Come here in about 1855 or 6.  He was a Methodist Preacher.  I herd him Preach Lots of times whin I was a boy.

Judge Boland and Granpa went a Dear Hunting one day and they would Never be verry far apart but what they could here each other if he Shot.  They Never Would Shoot on a hunt like that unless it was big Game.  So if One shot the other would go to him.  So Judge Boland Come up on a verry Large Dear with a verry heavy head of horns and shot him and the old Dear fell appearantley Dead.  Judge Boland said he done something theat he never did before in his life whin he was hunting big game.  Those old hunters never Moved whin they Shot till they Lodid there Gun.  Judge said that time, and he did not no why, but he went up to the Dear without Loading his Gun.  Whin he got to the Dear, he was Batting his Eyes.  So he new if he tryed to Load his gun the Dear would Git him.  So he Grabed the Dear by the hind legs and the Dear Jumped up.  So he got his hatchet out of his Satchel But he could not use it and hold the Dear.  So the Dear kicked the Hatchet out of his hand.  He said he went to work thin to get his Buyey Knife out of its Seabert and Drectley he got it out but Could not use it enaught to hert the Dear Bad.  So the Dear kicked it out of his hand and he never did find it.  He said he new if he turned him Loose he would wherle on him and kill him and Just before Judge Boland give out Granpa run up and Put his Gun to the side of the dear and shot him.  So Judge Boland the Dear fell over -- the Dear was dead and Judge Boland almost.  Granpa said it was a Cold Freezing Morning But he said the Judge was Just as wet with sweat as if he had jumped in the Creek.  Granpa said whin he Shot the Dear the Ball just Grazed the Back of his head but he did not go Deaper than the skin.

Judge Boland and Granpa Bare Hunted to Geather Lots.  Whin they went Bare Hunting they usuley carried there Bare Dogs with them and would go Down or up at the Bottom about two or three Hundred yards apart.  They were hunting one Morning and got after a Bare and run a short Distence and tread him.  Granpa shoed me the tree lots of times.  It was a large hickery about 4 feet through and about one Hundred feet to the first limbs.  Three big limbs Groad out from the same place so it made Three forks - so whin they got to the tree there was a verry large Bare Laying in the fork of the tree.  Judge Boland Shot at him with his rifel but the Bare did not Move.  Granpa then shot and he stile did not Move.  They shot him fore or five times but he never moved.  So Judge Boland said to Granpa Alfert, "I am going to Clime that tree -- that bear dont Move, he must be dead."  So he went and Cut him a Stick about Two foot long and Pulled off his coat and Shoes.  He could not reach around the tree, but he used his stick and Clom that tree to the bare and found the bare dead.  So he pushed him out and they found that Judge Boland Shot him through the hard (heart) the first shot.  Mr. Boland was a verry Stout Man -- I remember him well.  Do you recon we have got a young man in our Country Now that could do what Judge Boland did?  I doubt it very much.

Not long after they took the above hunt they went again and Got after a bare about a Mile above where Bro. Ike Wiygul now lives.  They had three Dogs.  One of them was a Small Dog but both of them Love the Small Dog verry much.  He was a verry fine Bare dog.  So they took Down the Bottom after the Bare.  So Granpa and Judge Bolalnd twok Down the Bottom ater them about three Hundred yards a part as they Did not know which way the Bare would go whin he would turn to go back up to the Bottom.  So right Close to where they Killed the other Bar in the tree, The Dogs Baid the Bare.  (Granpa has shoed Me the Spot where it was.)  Boland went up to where they had the Bare Baid and Shot him and wounded him.  He was (a verry large bare).  So the Dogs closed up on him whin the Judge Shot him.  There little faverite little Bare dog got a little two Close to the bare and the old Bare caught him and had his fore legs Raped around him and was Biting him.  The Judge said he new that the Bar would Kill there little dog before he Could load him Gun.  So he run up and grabed the Bare by his hinds legs.  Granpa was about 2 or 3 Hundred Yards west of him, but Just as Soone as the Gun fired Granpa Broke and Run to where Judge Boland was.  He soone got to where he Could see Boland and the Bare.  He said that was one time he did the Best.  He run up and Put him Gun against the Side of the Bare and Fired.  The old Bare fell over Dead and Judge Boland fell over Perfectly Exhausted.

[End of Part Three, go to Part Four]

Part One - click here
Part Two - click here