Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1892-12-14

biggest liar in America the big turtle
nodded as much as to say, You've said
it.
Thinks l, now I'll just skeer that lit
tie nigger 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
little devil gave a yelp Of delight, and
jumpin on the back of the big turtle put
his arms round its neck and began to
kiss its ugly mouth. l expected every
minute to see the boys head snapped off,
but the big turtle seemed to rather like
the foolin.
"While was at breakfast the cheerin
Of the acres on acres Of tarrapin sub
sided. Takin the collar and bell out,
went up to the tarrapin king. He held
down his neck and fastened on the COL
lar. Thinks l, ole feller, you've been
well trained The big turtle give him
self shake, and at the sound of the
bell all the tarrapin for miles round
raised their heads.
"Next piled my tent and other traps
on the back Of the big turtle, and takin
the hair rope, struck my course and led
out, tellin the darky boy to stand whar
he was and bring up the rear. Lookin
back after I had gone some distance, the
whole face Of the country seemed in mo-
ton. Four solid sections Of tarrapin fol-
lowed the sound of the bell. Afore night
they'd formed in q column twenty rods
wide and several miles long.
"The tarrapin moved at pretty fair
gait, grain and pickin up their feed as
they travelled, which was glad to see.
I'll not bother you with an account of
the trip day by day and week by week.
It is enough to say that got along fine
till after ! struck the deserts and dry
and gravelly plains Of Colorado. Then
my troubles began. The sharp stones
made my tarrapin footsore. Soon they
got so lame they could hardly travel.
Finally was obliged to stop at big
foundry, have shoes cast for them and
git every mothers son of 'em shod. ]
had a set Of shoes cast for the big turtle,
but he wouldn't stand shoein. He raired
and pitched, snorted, bellered and kicked
the blacksmiths sprawling, so we had to
let up on him.
"Next we got into great sandy plains
whar water was scarce and the sun aw-
full hot. There it was slow and lazy
travelin. Findin that my big lead turtle
was strong as an OK, used to get on his
back and ride most Of the time.
l,ok~
little nigger boy was allus a-slippin out
and packin his blanket. What he was
up to couldn't think. So one day l got
of my bell turtle, tied the lead rope
bout his neck and told him to 90 ahead.
stopped and stood by the side Of the
road while the column moved past. The
ground was 80 paved with tarrapin that
you couldn't have stuck your finger
down between 'em.
."At last the rear Of the column ap-
preached, and what did see? That little
nigger had spread his blanket out on the
backs of'the tarrapin, and ef he wasn't
a-layin thar sound asleep I'm the biggest
liar in the world. ! took out my pistol
to shoot him, but refectin that he be-
longed to the hoodoo doctor, and also
that I might kill tarrapin, I let him
alone.
"Soon the sand got worse. For four
days we found no water. All the tar
rapin was psntin like lizards. We was
nearin the Platte river, but was afeard
Of great loss before reachin it. How
ever, we toiled on and at last seed
stragglin line Of cottonwood trees, and
standin up on the back Of my turtle |
waved my hat and cried, 'Hurrah, the
Platter
"At this moment the whole Of the COL
umn Of tarrapin smelt the water and
stampeded. The king sat off on a gal
lop for the river and all the rest follered,
kickin up great cloud of dust. / stood
up and pulled on the halter Of my big
turtle, but couldn't turn him an inch.
At last, seein he was goin straight into
the river, leaped from his back. was
jist in time, for at the next jump he
went over the bank into ten feet Of ws-
ter. The whole column of tarrapin fol-
lered, tumblin off the bank into the
river in solid sheet with roar like
big milldam.
II could only stand back, look on and
tear my ha'r, for seed that as fast as the
tarrapin struck the water they went to
the bottom. OWN to their heavy iron
shoes they couldn't swim lick.
Il danced about, swung my hat and
shouted, tryin to head off and save few
acres of the tarrapin, but to git in front
of 'em would have been as bad as gittin
before herd of buffalo, so Twas obliged
70 see 'em all leap over the bank.
81 was as good as ruined, but l did
have one laugh surprised out'n Inc. That
vas when the rear of the column came
up and see the little mig stretched on
his blanket tossed to and fro as by the
waves of the sea. Over he went into
the river and down to the bottom under
shower of tarrapin.
Zone lone tarrapin stopped on the
bank instead of jumpin into the water.
Says to myself, I'll jist ketch you for
luck | stopped to pick him up when
out came pair Of wings and he sailed
away across the river. If l hadn't seen
this internal Ayin tarrapin before I'd
have tainted and tumbled into the river.
IL watched the devilish thing and
seed it land near the opposite bank with
a big splash. At the same spot and in
an instant up to the surface comes the
king of tarrapins, with the little darky
on his back. The big turtle blowed
cloud Of spray into the air like spoutin
whale, and when it cleared away seed
the ole hoodoo doctor, an ole woman
and my little mig leave the edge of the
water and walk off into little grove of
willer trees.
'l seed then how I'd been hoodooed
and ruined, for I'd put almost my last
cent into the venture. AS l stood Ia
mentin on the bank man on hossback
come up and asked what was the matter.
He was man from the foundry and
one of the blacksmiths that had helped
shoe my tarrapins.
81 told the man that Id lost my
whole four sections Of tarrapin; that
bein wild with thirst they had stamped
cd, jumped into the river and gone to
the bottom, where they would stay on
account of the iron on their feet. !
didn't say word about any hoo'Ioo.
1.-THE man asked what I'd take for my
whole drove Of tarrapin as they lay at
tho bottom of the river. asked what
he could do with 'em He said: Iron
is wuth big price out here. | might
dredge the river and git the shoes.
"'What'll you give| says l.
"'Enough to take you to California
says the feller.
"It's whack,' says l. and rs soon as
! had the money in my pocket l cut
stick, bein afeared the blame fool would
back out. So on came to this neck O