The Portland daily press., 1892-10-26
THREE NATIVES OF PIKE.
Continued from Tenth Page.

ed and maxim EN- travel-I must git for
their leader the 'tarrapin king
81 asked whar the king of tara pins
was to be got. The ole doctor told me
he was in the big lake in New Madrid
the biggest lake that was formed when
the ground sunk in the great airth luakes
of eighteen hundred and eleven and
twelve. | asked him how | was to git
this .tarrapin king and the ole man
said he'd git him for me. | asked how
much he'd charge and when he'd bring
him. The ole Teller said that if I'd give
him one of my tarrapin that he'd pick
out and little niger boy that l had
I'd find the tarrapin king standin be-
side my tent at daylight in the mornin.
81 agreed to this, for the little niger
was SIGH devil that | could do nothin
with him, and as for the one tarrapin it
didn't signeffy Their snap of a finger.
But how the king of the tarrapin was to
travel so far in few hours couldn't
see. The ole doctor said that was his
business; all he wanted was for me to
shake hands on the bargain. l reached
out my hand and shook, and feelin in
the palm of my hand somethin sharp,
like claws, | looked and | swar the ole
Teller had hands like the fore feet of a
big snappin turtle.
'tSoon as the bargain was clinched the
ole critter went to the door of the tent
and began to shake his rattle. In bout
a minute tarrapin come marchin in
and set up on end before the ole doctor.
tsThe ole man told me this was the
tarrapin Z must give him. | said, All
right, take the darn thing for you see l
was skeered of it when seed it set up on
end.
'sThe ole man took the tarrapin up in
his hands and began talkin to it in some
kind of hoodoo lingo. Turnin to me he
told me he was instructor the tarrapin
to go and bring the king
elf that's it, said l, he'll git him
here bout this time next year.
''The ole mig said nothin; jist made a
motion for me to come outside the tent.
'sA full moon was shinin bright as
day. The ole man held the tarrapin out
on his open right hand and began talkin
to it. All at once, as I'm Twin sinner,
there come out from the sides of that
tarrapin's shell two wings like the wings
of 2 bat, only ten times bigger, and away
it sailed like bird.
when / seed this thought I'd drap.
l was jist divin into the tent when the
ole man grabbed me by the cellar and
hauled me back. Again he began to
shake his rattle and soon | heard the
sound of bell. Nearer and nearer it
come till it sounded clear and beautiful
close by. A little black cloud passed
onto the moon, a dark shadder rushed
toards us from somewar and the bell
fell at the feet Of the ole doctor.
SIT was bout the size of a sheep bell,
round in shape and bright as silver.
The sound of it had set all the tarrapin
in motion. They came toards the tent
from all quarters, climbin on one an
others backs till they were three tarra-
pin deep round the ole hoodoo doctor.
"The ole teller then took from among
the 'possum skins at his waist a long
line of twisted har, and takin the col
lar of snake heads from his neck he tied
the cord to it and hung on the bell. He
then told me to put the bell. and collar
on the king of the tarrapin when he
arrived and to lead him by the cord
when was ready to move out with my
drove.
~ asked if he would take the little
niger, seem he was startin off. Hesaid
no; he'd take him when he wanted him,
meantime he'd leave him to bring up the
rear of my drove l said the boy was of
no account III make him some count,
said the ole doctor. and, haulin the little
mig out'n the corner of the tent whar
he was snoozin or pretendin to snooze,
he buzzed in his ear for awhile, then
told me the boy would be all right. This
done, he passed out at the door of my
tent, and closin it behind him ordered
me not to look out till | heard great
noise.
81 turned in for a nap, and had been
asleep couple of hours when noise
like the flight of millions of wild pig
cons or the roarin of the sea walked me-
I got up and found it was broad day
light. My fust look was at the sky, for
I thought cyclone was comm. All
was clear overhead but the roarin kept
on. Looking to the ground | then saw
thousands of acres of tarrapin standin
on end clappin their hands.
''sSays to myself, it. must be that
the king of tarrapins has just arrived.
Coin back Of the tent, what do see but
turtle with back shell on him as big
as the top of an omnibus Hearin my
step the monster rose upon his feet.
He stood five feet high, and his head
was as much higher when he stretched
up his neck and gazed at me. Eff I'd
seed nothing but the head of the critter
I'd have thought was lookin the old
hoodoo doctor in the face.
s'In my establishment cried out, The
king of the tarrapinsr Ii I'm not the
biggest liar in America the big turtle
nodded as much as to say, You've said
it,
''Thinks l, now Eli just skeer that lit
tie niger inter fits. | snaked the boy
outen his nest and on a sudden pushed
him round the corner of the tent In
stead of droppin down in faint the