Part III. 

"Well, King, that sounds like the dangerest thing of all." 

"I'll pay ye another thousand dollars, Jack." 

"I don't know as I favor workin' any more right now, King. They'll be worried about me if I don't get back in home 'fore dark. Besides, my daddy's cuttin' tobacco and he needs me bad." 

"Come on now, Jack. I'll pay ye two thousand dollars." 

"Well, I don't know. I'll have to study on it awhile." 

"Here's a thousand dollars down, right now, Jack, and I'll pay ye the other thousand when ye get it killed. I'd sure like to get shet of that lion." 

"I reckon I'll do it then," says Jack -- "try to." So the King took Jack up behind him on his horse and they rode over to where they said the lion was last seen. 

The King says, "Now, Jack, that lion's right up in yonder somewhere. I'll not venture any further." 

Jack slipped off the horse. 

The King turned him around, says, "When hit smells ye, Jack, you'll sure hear from it!" And then the King left there a-gallopin'. 

Well, Jack felt of that three thousand dollars he had down in his overhall pocket, said he'd try to get out of there for good and go on back home. But 'fore he'd hardly took a step or two, that old lion smelled him and com-menced roarin' up there in the woods, roared so hard it jarred the mountain. Then Jack saw it comin' and a tearin' down trees, breakin' logs in two, bustin' rocks wide open and Jack didn't waste no time tryin' to run. He made for the tree nearest to him and skinned up it like a squirrel. He didn't stop neither, till he was clean to the top. 

The old lion growled around down there, smelled up the tree a time or two, and then it went right in to gnawin' on the tree- trunk. Jack looked, and it was a sight in the world how the bark and the splinters flew. It nearly shook Jack out the tree. 

But it seemed like the lion got tired when he had the tree about half gnawed through; he quit, laid up against the foot of the tree and went sound asleep. Jack waited awhile till his heart quit beatin' so fast, and then he 'lowed he might have a chance to slip down and get away from there 'fore the old lion woke up. So he started slidin' down the tree. He was keepin' such close watch on that lion's eyes to see would he wake up or not, Jack never noticed when he set his foot on a brickly snag. Put ah his weight on that rotten limb, and hit broke, and Jack went scootin' down, landed right straddle the old lion's back. 

Well, that lion started in roarin' and jumpin' around, but Jack he just heed on. Then the old lion got to runnin' and he was so scared he didn't know he was headed right for town. Got on the public highway and kept right on till next thing Jack knowed they were sailin' all around the courthouse. All the people were runnin' in the stores and climbin' trees gettin' out the way, and everybody shoutin' and hollerin', and the King's men came and started in tryin' to shoot the lion without hittin' Jack, till fin'ly one of 'em drawed a bead on the old lion's head and tumbled him up. 

Jack picked himself up out the dirt, com-menced breshin' it off. Ever'body came over directly to see that lion, when they saw it was sure 'nough dead. The King came along right soon and Jack says to him, says, "Look-a-here, King. I'm mad." 

"Why, how come, Jack?" 

"These men have done killed your lion." 

"My lion? What ye mean, Jack?" 

"Why, I'd 'a not had it killed for three thousand dollars, King. 

After I'd caught it and 'gun to get it gentled up, now, bedads, your men have done shot it. I was just a-ridin' it down here to get it broke in for you a ridey-horse." 

So the old King went over to where his men were and raised a rumpus with 'em, says, "Why, I'd 'a felt big ridin' that lion around. Now you men will just have to raise Jack three thousand dollars for killin' our lion." So Jack went on home after that; had a whole pile of money down in his old ragged overhall pocket. 

And the last time I went down there Jack was still rich, and I don't think he's worked any yet.