l er dust; rain, hit drif'
up en drizzle down; but Mr. Lion, he keep on. Bimeby, w'iles he gwine on
dis a-way, wid he tongue hangin' out, he come up wid Mr. Steer, grazin'
'long on de side er de road. Mr. Lion, he up'n ax 'im howdy, he did,
monst'us perlite, en Mr. Steer likewise he bow en scrape en show his
manners. Den Mr. Lion, he do lak he wanter have some confab wid 'im, en
he up'n say, sezee:--

"'Is dey anybody 'roun' in deze parts name Mr. Man?' sezee.

"'Tooby sho' dey is,' sez Mr. Steer, sezee; 'anybody kin tell you dat. I
knows 'im mighty well,' sezee.

"'Well, den, he de ve'y chap I'm atter,' sezee.

"'W'at mought be yo' bizness wid Mr. Man?' sez Mr. Steer, sezee.

"'I done come dis long ways fer ter gin 'im a larrupin',' sez Mr. Lion,
sezee. 'I'm gwine ter show 'im who de boss er deze neighborhoods,'
sezee, en wid dat Mr. Lion, he shake he mane, en switch he tail, en
strut up en down wuss'n one er deze yer town niggers.

"'Well, den, ef dat w'at you come atter,' sez Mr. Steer, sezee, 'you des
better slew yo'se'f 'roun' en p'int yo' nose todes home, kaze you fixin'
fer ter git in sho' 'nuff trouble,' sezee.

"'I'm gwine ter larrup dat same Mr. Man,' sez Mr. Lion, sezee; 'I done
come fer dat, en dat w'at I'm gwine ter do,' sezee.

"Mr. Steer, he draw long breff, he did, en chaw he cud slow, en atter
w'ile he say, sezee:--

"'You see me stannin' yer front er yo' eyes, en you see how big I is, en
w'at long, sharp hawns I got. Well, big ez my heft is, en sharp dough my
hawns be, yit Mr. Man, he come out yer en he ketch me, en he put me und'
a yoke, en he hitch me up in a kyart, en he make me haul he wood, en he
drive me anywhar he min' ter. He do dat. Better let Mr. Man 'lone,'
sezee. 'If you fool 'long wid 'im, watch out dat he don't hitch you up
en have you prancin' 'roun' yer pullin' he kyart,' sezee.

"Mr. Lion, he fotch a roar, en put out down de road, en 't wa'n't so
mighty long 'fo' he come up wid Mr. Hoss, w'ich he wuz a-nibblin' en
a-croppin' de grass. Mr. Lion make hisse'f know'd, en den he tuck'n ax
Mr. Hoss do he know Mr. Man.

"'Mighty well,' sez Mr. Hoss, sezee, 'en mo'n dat, I bin a-knowin' 'im a
long time. W'at you want wid Mr. Man?' sezee.

"'I'm a-huntin' 'im up fer ter larrup 'im,' sez Mr. Lion, sezee. 'Dey
tells me he mighty stuck up,' sezee, 'en I gwine take 'im down a peg,'
sezee.

"Mr. Hoss look at Mr. Lion like he sorry, en bimeby he up'n say:--

"'I 'speck you better let