Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-11-22
"'whai'll you givey saysi.
"'Enough 10 take you TO California.
- - al. N.ll.s


had the money In my pocket ! cut
stick. b~in afcared the blame fool would
back out. NJ on ! came 10 this neck o
woods. and here ! sm yet and poor ~
Jobs turkey"
"Did you ever hear how the man came
out who bought your terrapin driver
asked man of our party known ~ Col
orado Joe.
"Nevrr q wor,i," said the Pike.
"well." said Joe. IL can AFFORD TO treat
on that trade"
"Ar- you the wan sold out tor
The very man."
II swarr' cried the Pike; II thought
"a seed you before. Let me sec you yet
up aud walk. Jist so--jist 20! you'rc the
man that got hi. night kneecap split by
. kick from my big bell turtle"
There you see the scar." said Joe,
baring his right leg.
"waal. I swarr cried the Pike. "Did
you r.kiver much from
"About all the iron and terrapins also. "
The devil. The tarraptn ton, Why
how could you git the tarrapin when
they were sunk In ten feet of waiery'
and Jhe PIX. l-gan to look Wild.
"No trick nj all. said Joe. "Ibought
al the horseshoe magnets In Denver,
stuck 'ein onto the ends of poles and set
= whole army % men and boys 90 hsh.
ing mp Oh. ierrapins. Al every prod
they'd bnS. up q terrapin. and some-
times two az tlir-.. their iron shoes stick.
ing fast 10 the magnets"
"Soi alive. was theyY' asked the Pike.
"ysp; all ali,, aud kickin." said Jc-.
Just nicely refreshed"
"See my dam luck" cried the Pike,
And be seencl ready 90 shed tears.
As son ~ rd XII out about ten acrc.
Of 'sin." cuntinuei Joe. "and my black.
smith. hal 90, the shoes od 'em. sent
'em In drv,, to big swamp down the
nver. Out 10 Oh. four sections of terra
pins only lo.t about nine acres. For
ten years ! had the biggest terrapin
ranch Ia America"
son. thing more saii the Pike
Did you never see anything of my bis
b-ll turtle what kicked your kneepan
oI~ny
Yep; I hied himr'
"Wha,Y'
well. one day q man came riding Ia
my house yellingi Joe. Joe, Joe! Joe.
your ,arspin- isall marchin away from
your ranch. Go AN head EN- OF or
you'll lo~e every mothers son 10 emf
Il mounted my horse and struck out.
A column ~ tcrrspins Nv. miles long
was moving acro-s the plain. the bag
bell tur,l. at the heal steering straight
back toward Missouri.
IL las.oed the old devil. but nothing
could stop or turn him. lie ~as =.
strong ~ q rhin.eros. III. dragged me
aud my horse along as II We were mere
toys. says 10 myself. This Is no
human turtle. and leaving my lasso on
,lo oid fellows neck went back home"
You give Ia to hin-you let him
soy' cricd the pike.
"Noap." aid Joe; Il went home,
mol,lei .om. silver bullets. loaded my
revolver with 'ein and r-le back.
The column ~ ierrapin was then At
least ten miles long aud moving over
Oh. plain like a monster taprwOrn. j
commanded the bis turtle 30 halt. lie
went ON. Di.mounting. ! said. stop and
turn back or III shoot On he went.
stuck the pistol on his neck, just at the
ssig, % his shell. and fired.
"Ai the crack 10 the pistol there fell
AZ my feet al old white headed nigger
and . stream of blood sIout-i out u
his neck a. big as q ho-handl-. He
gave MI awful t-llow and at up and
ruled his eyes at the.
"Up comr- y terrapin AMI makes .
div. for the bell that was on the old fsl.
low. neck. Il was q b,g rrann
was getting bigger every second-eS
pln'ling IN every way.
"'Ahar eric. I. aud sent . silvei
bulle, into the thing. when down tum
bles little nigger boy.
"NeIt minute something brushed n'
Ia the face that felt like q leather apron
and down drur- a flying terrapin and
gral- at the silver bell. pops thu
one with . silver bullet. and before m'
lie an old niger woman all a.kickins
and a-squalling.
"In three minutes all three were dead
and then took the silver bell and col
lar off the old mans neck. started
back toward home a.ringing the bell
and the whole band of ierapins turned
about aud marched after me. FroiD
tha, hour was the king of the terra
pins Icouli lead 'em anywhere. though
they'd never leave the swamp until they
heanl the mnsic of that silver bell"
'Strangcr. shake hands!' criei the
Pike. II hoI- you made half million
out'n them tarrapin. and ! don't i-
grudge II Ia you. In what you've told
you've morn paid me for all my trou
ble ami losses This IL the happi-st day
Of my life. Buck AMI bud never would
h. licye IN my tarrapin drive, but now
they've got 10 hack waier-now the
whole thing Is proved Gospel TRUTH
After q parting round Of redeye the
thre Pixies took leave Of us They
marched Indian tile into the tules skirt.
ing the northern end of the lake. They
parted the tall rushes TO right and left,
A. a farmer waves aside the stalks when
be- passee through q field of growing
grain. They made bee line for the
ranching settlement lying 10 the west.
..l a A.. l.k. .l..,ar sha tttnlsur..l
fooihills of th. Sierras.
Our chief ~ commissary looked after
the retreatins Pixies and said. Three
~ queer and well matched cattle ~ J
ever Jaw. and rs capable drinkersr
Three tolerably capable liars, said
our chief cook. who was always grum'
bling.
The only thing worthy Of = second
thought In all their yarns" said the
critic 10 our party, ''is this-how came
that fellow Lige 10 know that Colorado
Joe here-a stranger to him-had y
scar ON the cap of his right kneey'
I'm, the fact H." said Joe. 81
'bunked' a, the cabin OF the three Pixies
last night when you here thought ! was
lodged at u hotel in franktown. ut the
other end of the lake."
Critic-Ah. ! see! No II IL 10 yon We
are indebted for the visit and peculiar
style of entertainment We have been
favored with today,
Colorado Joe-Yep!
TIE ESp.
QaIsh Esiiss.