San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-01-05
THREE NATIVES OF PIKE
By DAN DE QUILLE.


On his open right hand and began talkir
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 bat, only ten times bigger, and away
it sailed like bird.
"When | seed this i thought I'd ,drap.
| was jist divin into the tent when the
ole man grabbed me by the collar and
hauled me back. Again he began to
shake his rattle and soon | heard the
sound of bell. Nearer and nearer ii
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.
at was bout the size of 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 TARA
pin deep round the ole heodoo doctor.
1.-THE ole Teller then took from among
the 'possum skins at his waist a long
line of twisted har, and ta&in 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 tarTapin when he
arrived and ito lead him by the cord
when was ready to move out with my
drove.
81 asked if he would take the little
niger, seein he was startin off. He said
no; he'd take him when he wanted him:
meantime he'd leave him to bringupthe
rear of my drove. | said the boy was of
no account. 'rllmake 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.
~ turned in for nap, and had been
asleep couple of hours when a noise
like the flight of millions of wild pig
cons or the roarin of the sea walked me.
/ got up and found it was broad day
light. My fust look was at the sky, for
l thought, a cyclone was comm. All
was clear overhead, but the roarin kept
on. Looking to the ground l then saw
thousands of acres of tarrapin standin
on end clappin their hands.
"Says to myself, it must be that
the king of tarrapins has just arrived. ;
Coin back of the tent, what do see but
a 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 loolin the old
hoodoo doctor in the face
''In my establishment cried out, The
king of the tarrapinsr If I'm not the
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 niger inter fits. L snaked the boy
outen his nest and on a sudden pushed
him round the corner of the tent. In
stead of droppin down in a faint tha
little devil gave 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. | 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 !, 'Ole Teller, 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 darby boy to stand whar
he was and bring up the rear. Lookin
back after 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 a column twenty rods
wide and several miles long.
''The tarrapin moved at pretty fail
gait, grain and pickin up their feed a.
they travelled, which l was glad to see
I'll not bother you with an account O
the trip day by day and week by week
1t is enough to say that / got along fin
till after ! struck the deserts and DIR,
and grayelly plains of Colorado. Thel
my troubles began. The sharp stone
made my tarrapin footsore. Soon the,
got so lame they could hardly travel