“Do yuh reckon we could ketch that badger?” askes Magpie.
“I reckon yuh could. He ain’t uh bit wild. I pretty nigh puts my hands on him yesterday when I goes up to try and feed Abe some liver pills. I leaves some fer th’ badger but I don’t reckon he took ’em.”
“Tell yuh what I’ll do,” sez Magpie. “If you’ll rent us yore bear and help us take him over to that ol’ tunnel uh Big Foot Smith’s and let us use him fer uh few days I’ll give yuh ten dollars. We’ll guarantee not to hurt th’ ol’ feller none.”
“That’s reasonable, Magpie, but I don’t sabe what yuh wants th’ badger fer.”
“If we can pass ol’ Abe off as uh fe-male grizzly, I don’t reckon we’ll have much trouble in passin’ that badger off fer its cub. Dog-gone it, they look uh heap like uh li’l bear, at that, Mighty.”
“How yuh goin’ to ketch him?” I asks.
“That’s yore chore, Ike. Git uh rope and make good.”
Th’ Harper tribe allus was noted fer their gameness. I gits Mighty’s rope and ambles up back of th’ stable. I sees th’ bear. He’s sunnin’ out there on uh ledge uh rock, and don’t pay no attention to me a-tall. I reckon he’s got troubles of his own which keeps him occupied. I sneaks around behind him, and there I sees Mister Badger. He’s shore uh whopper, and he’s stretched out on th’ rock with his head turned th’ other way.
I gits th’ loop to swingin’ right, and braces my feet. I ain’t what you’d call a expert with uh rope. In fact I’m of th’ garden variety when it comes to swingin’ th’ rope, but I’m game. I gives th’ rope uh last whirl and lets her go. Did I git that badger? I’d tell uh man I did! Also, I gits th’ bear.
Uh bear and uh badger may be good pals when they’re separated, but friendship ceases when yuh pulls ’em together in th’ loop of uh rope. Also they makes it uncomfortable fer th’ party on th’ other end of th’ rope.