"Sartain," said Hiram: "I'll hold his tail if you want me tew; but you must cut it up close."
"Ya! dat ish right. Ich make 'im von goot tog. There, Blitzen, Blitzen! come right here, you von sheep steal rashcull: I chop your tail in von two pieces."
The dog obeyed the summons; and the master tied his feet fore and aft, for fear of accident, and, placing the tail in the Yankee's hand, requested him to lay it across a large block of wood.
"Chock up," said Hiram, as he drew the butt of the tail close over the log.
"Ya! dat ish right. Now, you von tief sheep, I learns you better luck," said Von Vlom Schlopsch, as he raised the axe.
It descended; and, as it did so, Hiram, with characteristic presence of mind, gave a sudden jerk, and brought Blitzen's neck over the log; and the head rolled over the other side.
"Wall, I swow!" said Hiram with apparent astonishment, as he dropped the headless trunk of the dog: "that was a leetle too close."
"Mine cootness!" exclaimed the Dutchman, "you shust cut 'im off de wrong end!"