'ol Silus,man, beast,mates

the day rolld around,it was the 15th and the hunters moon,and this night it would live in the memories of the boys by it's nickname,the Blood moon.
they'd lit out from the camp,and as with every new season it wasn't A waiting game.the boys had been shinin the ***** for several nights,cappin sticks(puttin empties on brike off stick ends) to mark spots where there were an unusual amount of traffic or,what they'd liked to see when they did shine A ****,A wide set,of eyes.it meant something to them durin coonin and gator huntin season.
this year was gonna be wet,no-one was predictin rain.it just seemed that they been all from 'bout and around the bog.high low and side to side then ***** was layin this wintr to the bog.
so they sot the dogs down,and it was early of the season so they had A passel of youngsters runnin this night.it were time to school the tykes so they brought an old bich,she was steady and had good instinct to pups so she made well for A lead dog.she wouldn't run off like A seasoned older dog would,she'd stay the scent and knew how to work.
this night they brought old silus,silus wasn't A specific dog.Silus was to these boys who'd growed up together,like they daddies and grand daddies,all tagether.the had done like every generation before them,theyd named that forever faithful dog after A 'ol nigro that'd been loyal to the grandaddies one night on hunt.
them boys,grandaddy said was off runnin dogs,and had gotten in the habit of drinkin shine and bein to drunk to p straight.so they was told to take Silus with them.he was A big man,kind,gentle and strong as A ox.
so them boys sot upon their dogs as they'd gone from the yippin to the barkin and set to howlin and A squawlin.they'd fell up to the dogs and what they'd done was to tree A big 'ol black bear,and before anyone could do anything onea them boys shot him in the as$ and that old boar bear,like he was on A mission dropped out of that tree on the feller what capped him.old Silus knew what was about to happen,he reached down ta that bear and snatched him up like he were A little kid.it was A sight to behold like 2 black moor warriors,the bear and silus,they tumbled end for end.Silus had his sticker out,he'd gotten from A gypsy years afore this.he cut that bear from gut to gizzard,yet it were'nt soon enough to help him,that bear had clamped down on his upper thigh. well them boys,once the frackas was done& over settled down next to silus,with silus layin there,one arm under that bears head like it were him and some gal they'd stumbled on out for A romp in the woods.them boys all took to cryin.they'd come to love this loyal man.always there to break 'em up from killin each other,teachin them the ways of their swamp and lowlands,and in to they knew that some of the lessons were ones he'd learned from those brought with them across the big water.it was rumored he was from aristocracy in the place they'd come from,and silently all the folk from that region knew it and he had some small amount of respect.it was that respect that inspired him to look upon them boys with kindness,and school them to good ways.
onea them boys finally got up,and asked silus for the last time what should they do.and he told them simple,"grow tall,and teach mine to yourn" which meant remember the lessons and pass them on.something magical happened,no one said A word,and then it happened,it sot A chill in them boys.they didn't know how to say it but then a bird called from the east,on this chilly night,and they'd all knew from the fireside that A bird call from the east meant good love.silus smiled winked to them boys and closed his eyes for the last time.
A few of them boys had gone to the trucks and had gone back to town.they told their daddy what happened and where they'd been.it brought A wellin of feelins up from the old man.he passed through the den to the kitchen,crunk up the old phone and told the operator the story.
the next mornin the town square wasn't bustling with business like it were to have been.ya see,their was A procession headed to the edge of the swamp.they'd all loaded up trucks and cars and even a buckboard or 3.they made their way to the spot where Silus still lay,the other boys was sobered up by then.no one asked who decidd to plink the bears as$,for it didn't matter.
what did matter that the folk from near to far who knew silus wanted to gather for his burial.they had talked briefly about what was right and what family plot to bury him in and it just made sense to put him under where he was.it was public land,land everyone used and it just seemed fittin to share him as he'd shared himself, with everyone.
so them boys sot the old Silus dog down,they turnt him aloose,the bich milled for a few seconds,casting for scent,the younger dogs were spunky,they were tryin to play and include the old female,she weren' havin it,she caught a hot scent and took out.them young dogs as if by magic (we all know it's instinct)knew it was on.they were on the trail.they yipped and barked,to and fro,them boys just paced,then they piled up into one truck and took to the dirt road,easin along just pacin the dogs,hopin they didn't get off into the swamp.
as luck would have it,when they were bayin to tree they'd steered clear of the swamp,that swamp was thick,in alot of ways,cypress thick,mossy thick,and gator and mocc thick to boot.the dogs had treed one in A jack pine,the bich was strikin the tree,and a few of the other pups were makin a racket,knowin,yet not knowin for sure why.it felt right they just couldn't tell why.they were prancin and preenin this new voice.
it wasn't long,and the boys heard one voice,it was A young dog,he'd been castin around while the other dogs were occupied with their adversary.of A sudden he lit out.A couple of the boys stayed with the treed **** and A few sot in behind the pup,yet between the pup and the boys was Silus dog.
it didn't take long for the ruckus to start,it was A bark,then A shrill squeal,and then the pup fell silent.it was earily quiet,the boys runnin hard.
then they heard it.that old dog roared,they'd never known what sired this particular hound.the momma was plott,heavy on the pit side,some thought it was A catahoola some say black mouth cur.tonight and from this night on they say it was A lion.and they'd die to fight the truth of his pedigree.
that pup wasn't hurt,he was in shock,he'd come up on A hog bigger an any grain fed show pig.that hog hooked that pups collar and tossed him half cross the county.just as he wasabout to bail up on that pup here come Silus.Silus wasn't A pig dog,he was A warrior that had some fine blood coursin through his viens.he knew he stood alone,he knew the pup would get ripped up were he to not stop this pig,and worse yet,his masters,they'd loved him,mended him an odd zillion times when he'd have to snatch a he **** of'n A young dog.his ears were ripped,why,he'd even been laid open by A bobcat.
but this pig had to go. them boys would shorely be hurt.he didn't try to ham string him,he didn't pick an ear,he went for the throat,he went in and that hog come up with his tusk and ripped Silus chest wide open,what'd kilt any other dog just made him mad.he went again and got his grip,yet notthe hold he wanted,he turnt the hog loose and paid for it.he got cut from his side to across his shoulder.and he knew he had to set upon that hog an get his hold.and he did.him and that pig rolled over A time or 2.that pig,shakin his head,for those that don't know,when he's shakin he's cuttin,but it was for naught.Silus was steady crushing the pigs windpipe.
they'd both 'bout give out right about the time them boys go to the little clearin.they looked at Silus,he was still in hold,his chest heaving slow like,and the pig had give up the ghost.they eased silus from his grip,the pup had come over.when they laid silus comfortable like that pup came and laid his head up against silus muzzle and whimpered slightly then went to whinin.silus,the forever faithful dog growled,and the pup hushed hisself.
no-one did,or could do anything,they,silus and the pup knew it was his time.
his tail beat few times,he raised up his head,looked tem boys dead in their eyes,and they thought for one second,that he spoke,for they could hear voices.
they said, "what should they do".and he told them simple,"grow tall,and teach mine to yourn"
and to the east,A bird called,on this chilly night.
they'd buried silus,out where he was.it was public land.
it's been said,that from time to time folks will look out across that swamp,and they see this old black man,with A cur hound strollin by his side,
and it's then someone will say their ain't much seperates A man from his dog,and even in death,they meet up.fate is A funny thing.