The Dickinson press., 1888-10-13

French Henry. as he rowed toward
the spot where the ducks had been feeding.
Henry is u woodsman of some reputc in this
latitude. whose attention just now is turned
to the turtle harvest. With q sixteen foot
skltf. a couple of No. 9 steel traps, q Flobert
rifle, carrying a % ball, q long handled stable
fork. which lie dubbed a SCOOP" and half a
dozen three inch hooks attached to rs many
strong sea grass lines, he was out on q turtle
nunt. |
The river at this point is from twenty to
forty yards wide, and lips its way over the
"r Of clean sand and gravel which time and
INN. treshets have brought down the creek
.iri anchored here. Almost Immediately
aiiers began to rise from a spot about
tnrre yards out from shore, and the clear
water became tinged IN that place with n
'tpuiy streak. AS the skilY drew near to the
'uhiei point we could clearly make out the
nm of u turtle anchored upon tho sand
'!.nut three feet below the surface, and shell
red from the force of tho current by q
pisr of limestone. His she'll looked about
-, feet long 10y q foot and q half in breadth
4" ncld the body of the mallard under him
tt.le tie tore its neck and breast with his
D "'%rd Jaws, working with the eagerness of
: Nuiture and much the same general action,
i: MS feast upon the warm body of the drake.
= tnat bird displays when greedily tearing a
,,trc,. OF carrIon of which he expects shortly
-, ,e ilsposscsscd.
They will plant themselves in the mud on
ne bottom of the river near shore, those big
flows will" said Henry. with their heads
is! peeplng out of their shells, and in the
,'lrse of half an hour thu current has busted
',.in with mud and leaves and bits of drift.
~ 4 ~ sy,,,ffcb Dn,,It toll thn,, ft.op, ~ rDol, tr
save his soul. and SO he floats Town that way.
Nth one eye looking out for danger and the
Iiirr tor grub, and all at once something darts
ut from that muddy rock and catches the sun
ISL by the side or the back or the head or the
all 1t don't make any difference where it
.ntrhes him, so long as it takes in n good
youthful, because that thing that has darted
1t Is n swapping turtles head, and whatever
.atrhcS 1t keeps Then the turtle tucks the
i>h under INN. Just as he has the mallard
iirre, and tears and swallows like q hungry
on
lie will eat catfish and snakes, and almost
nvtlling that lives in water. and once | saw
IL nit III Il meadow catching grasshoppers
tni,ht goods. sure. To sec a big turtle on
.iri Is enough to make Il horse laugh. This
re Itte'i his head aud his tail as high in the
III u. he could get them, and then, raising
.ii;i,tit On the tips OF his toes, he struggled
dong for n few yards, when all at once his
irrngth gave ont and dow he came kcr
.t'!n& Whenever Il grasshoppcr would nlight
WITHIN reach of his head out wouit: 80 his
r-ik. aud before the hopper knew what hit
!.in 1T would be his meat But this amt
.auchln2 turtles. is itg"
He placed one of the pea like bullets in the
.:,tle rifles breach. and laying the gun to his
SHOULDER sighted along its octagonal barrel
Instead OF pointing toward the Snapper the
.:i:n muzZle bore on II tloating object about
I, '.t. Slze nt II man thumb which WAS rapidly
.r;,rnnching Us from above With the report
Il tie gun the object disappeared. and then.
s,aSi,in. the scoop. Henry leaned eagerly
,vrr tine skiii's side and looked down into the
.atul In less than a minute the current
ur"!;ill with 1T the body Of II second turtle
smaller than the first, which Henry dexter
pilsiy >coolcd IN as 1t was hrll,G half bornet ~
the current and half propelled by its own dy
~. excrtluns down the stream The bullet
t;.,i crushed Its skull while 1t was swimming.
ts Is the fashion .! nan inland turtles, with
tutiiing but the tip OF its head above water
Now ttien. for the duck eater want to
tate nm alive, if c:ln, as there Is not much
a.arEet for dead turtles. the dealers not car
tlit, ~ titht N!i' Ii>f " HaNiiis, ot''h spun ~
t.le!, nli,!s. wien it can be Kept III Il tank for
,!x months. at almost no expense, ii alive
The only way to get HIM is to catch INN
ii, II trap. OF n line. or to scoop him out. As
TIE. na- enough to eat there for Il week, the
lis; TWO plans will hardly work, and wilhelm
..,rp deep water as this the scoop Is danger
i, will try it"
l'hen with an oar Henry turned up the
lacR earth along the rivers bank, sendin.
III q cloud down the current and com
.+tely hiding the turtle under its dark
itnntie.
Don't be afraid lie is not lost. as | have
Ms bearings You see when the water wa:
ri..lI lr could see every motion il:lde. ant
,.it tined to scoop Inn out then he would liz
III before vou could say 30! hut uow"-
Henry le:prd out o. the skill and INTO til.
cold water Winch washed his Thighs With
me long haiid!e held firmly III both hands III
takc,i the tar with the teeth OF the SCOOP
li.iII they touched something which tn
prn,tl"et touch told hlm was the game
Mitn IL sudden shoot forward he lifted Thy
Obstruction, and then putting all his strength
INTO his arms lie east it from the scoops teeth
sending 1t IN a clean flight OF a dozen feet Oh
,i the water high and dry on the sand.
shore 1t was the snapper, with Its jaw
tightly close, on the wing of the dead ducs
When taken ubuavd, and thrown OH til
tmtton OF the boat with several of its COZ
gerels. 1t made no effort to escape or to tinis
IT. breakfast. but renamed quiet. with til
Wing IN Its month and its sharp little eye
staring
The Jaws of the steel traps were now sprln
and fixed III that position, and after l",n
fastened to one end of Il ten foot length I
quarter inch hemp rope. the other end 4
the river bank. the traps were b:iitcG wi;
: u.innow, and SUM in likely ioui>ilig NOD
, among the sui,inerJnl willows The lis!
luuks were U:!tcd III the same ria!.icl. u.
, tile!l lines tied tn stout Siiiuw bltiilrltr
! after wi."n the boat was secured, and vii
nnlnlus but the scoop, Henry set OFT Oh
traini, up the creek. Newport Ky Go
I New York Sun.