Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-08-04
VOL. 4.---N0. 49.
THE YANKEE FOX SKIN.

ssMornin' Squire,'' said down easter, Civ
ing nod and wink to Lyman & Towle, as
those gentlemen stood in their store one NOR
ming. sup and dressed for business.
"How are you, sir l'' said the merchant.
"Pooty well, considering the state of things
in general. | say, yeou sell skins here, don't
yeou? ?'
seWe do, occasionally was the response
"Wal. so l calkelated; buy fox skins tew,
Irecken?''
.Sometimes. Why, have you got some
for sale 20
ssSome. Yes, gaess have one; it's one
tew, tell yeou."
s.Let's look at it, said one Of the mer-
chants.
The owner of the skin tugged at the capa-
cious pocket of his old yellow overcoat for a
few minutes, and out came 4 pretty good-siz-
ed bang up of venerable reynard.
ssThere it is-a perfect bewty it is too
Amt it ?''
"Seen finer ones," said Towle.
ssPraps you have, and praps ycou hainti
but dew think it's rale bewty, slick and
shiny as bran new hat.''
ssWhen did you get this skin a'' said tho
merchant.
s.When did get it 3'' Why, when killed
the darned critter, of course"
s.Yes, we know, but was it in the fall or in
the summer, or when l''
ssOi yes; we'll l recken 'twarnt far from
the Fourth of July, any way. for just clean
ed up my old shootin' piece for p'rade on the
glorious anniversary, and along comes the old
crtter, and just gave him a rip in the gizzard
that settled his hash mighty sudden, tell
yeou."
ssFox skins,' said the merchant, scare not
very good when taken in hot weather; the
fur and skin is very thin, and not fit for much
in summer
ssWall, meow, 1 reckon since come to
think it over, 'twarnt hot weather when l shot
the critter; no, I'll be darned if it was made
a thunderin' mistake bout that, for twas
nigh on to Christmas-was, by golly, for
| and Seth Peurllins wor goin' 10 a frolic.
remember it ike book, cold as sixty, snow
| in awful-was by ginger"
"WeIl,' says the merchant, sswas the fox
very fat ?''
sF-a-t, o, Molly, warn't it fat Never did
see such fat fellow in all my born days.
| Why, yeou, the fat came clean through the
| fellows side, ran down his legs, till the very
| airth was greasy where the darned varmint
| crawled along. Did by Peurkins."
s.Too fat, then, We guess, to be good" said
| Towle. ssFat skins, sir, are not so good as
| those taken from animal not more than or
dinarily fat"
ssWal, guess it warn't SO darned fat nuther,
come 10 think abeout it, twas anuther fox our
Siah shot last fall this warn't darned fat,
not overly fat-I guess it was rayther lean,
kind O. lean, Tremendous lean; poor old var
mint was abeout to die of starvation never
did see such darned eternal, lean, lank, fam
ished critter on airth before 10
every poor, ell 20 says Lyman.
every poor? l guess it was; so mighty
poor that the old critters bones stuck clean
eought, almost through his skin had mt killed
it just when did, 'twoul1 have died before 1t
got ten rods further along. Fact, by golly-
sAh! well, il the merchant, We see the
| skin is poor; the fur is thin and loose, and
| would not suit us.'
ssWont suit yeou p" Now, look ahero yeou,"
| says the Yankee, folding up his rersatae skin,
| 81 don't kind 20 like such dealin' that, no
| heow, and I'll be darned TO darnation, eff yeou
ketch me tradin' for SKINS with yeou agin'
| there amt no lumber in the State of Maine"
And the holder of the skin vamosed.