Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-03-29

in my mind. / ran in to pick up what
I might need, including my surgical
case and bottle of chloroform.
"In two minutes 1 was out and on the
sled with the teamster who had sum-
moned me, and on the way to the
logging camp about six miles distant in
tho woods to tho north of the little viii
lage. The snow had begun to thaw, and
the winter road was getting quite rough.
Our progress was rather slow, though
tho driver put tho horses at their best
pace. AS we noundered along made
inquiries as to my prospective patient,
| and the cause Of his accident
"''Twas done a-scufflin',' the team
ster replied. 'Ye see the crow aint
worlin' to-day. They got ter foolin'
and ter scufflin', and in the fracas Petes
shoulder got pulled out O. jint.'
"'Who is this Pete, French Can
adian?'
"'Wal, ] dunno 'zackly. He KEN
from up in the French country. should
say that ye might call him French re-
piled the man, who seemed, l thought,
somewhat amused at the question.
"'How old person is hep l asked.
"'Wal, now, ye've got me, doctor.
It's diffikilt tellin' how old them fellers
are. They amt jest like our folks, ye
know That was about all the informa-
tion could elicit from the driver, but
gained tho impression that my patient
was probably an eccentric man. The
teamster seemed to prefer talking upon
other subjects.
"When we had gone about halfway
we came to q hill SO bad that we got off
the sled and walked. a team had lately
broken down on the hill, and among
other remnants of the wreck on the
snow at the side of the road was q news
paper. / picked it up and read the
date on it-'Thursday, March 25.' 1t
must be week old, for that day was
Thursday.
Like flash 1t came into my mind
that the day was the First of
April, All Fools Day 1 had not
thought of it before. In an instant
then it passed through my mind that
my call to set shoulder was proba-
bly, case of April fool; that these
lumbermen had planned and were car
rying out an April fool joke on the un-
sophisticated young doctor
1.-THE case now seemed so plain that
my first impulse was to take my traps
off the sled and start for home; but l
had already come so far that they would
have the laugh on me in any event. l
began to feel angry as we'll as mortified,
and the smattering of law taught at the
medical college came to me. 1 could
collect my fee by suing for it, if pro-
ceeded to the place to which l was sum-
moned.
80 without allowing the teamster to
mistrust that l suspected practical
joke, 1 changed the topics of conversa-
tion and went on with him, mentally
bracing myself for the result, whatever
it might be.
cat length we came in sight of the
three or four large, low log shanties
which formed the lumber camp. Nearly
q score of lumbermen were standing
about the door of the man camp as if
awaiting our arrival. Not a word was
spoken by any of them as we drove up,
but they looked to me like men who
were keeping their faces straight by a
great effort.
"'Wal, boys, here's the doctor'
shouted the driver. He's got all his
tools with him. Shall we take him in
ter SEQ Pete?"
"'Sartin! sartinp they all said, and
one of the crowd added that Pete had
been talzin' on awful
"Lead the way 1 said, I'm here at
your CALL
"The whole party at once pre- -oded
| 10 oft tha a nj cha
man seemed to be repressing some very
strong emotion. The shanty door was
thrown open, and they all stood aside,
as if for me to enter, one of them re-
marking in a husky voice that Pete
was inside. l stepped to the doorway
and looked in, when instantly big and
savage black bear made furious
plunge at me.
81 naturally started back a little,
though l had been anticipating trick,
and then the big laugh which those
rough fellows had been storing up burst
forth, regular Homeric peal which
made the whole forest ring. They
laughed long and loud and smote their
thighs They evidently deemed it the
crowning joke of the winter
81 took it all very coolly, and kept
my attention fixed on the bear, which
saw at once was chained l noticed also
that the animal was standing on three
legs in such manner as to indicate that
it's right fore-shoulder was actually dis
located, and made up my mind that
would set that shoulder at all events.
~ waited till they had enjoyed their
laugh. Then / quietly remarked that
had as lief set bears shoulder as a
mans, and proceeded to overhaul my
case and get out my chioroform.
VIII one of you be kind enough tc
fetch good strong line and stand by in
case should need any help?' said l,
quite as matter of course, as l pulled
off my coat.
"They looked astonished evidently
they had expected to see me completely
discounted by thoir Joke and covered
with confusion.
"'Come, come urged, 1T is custom