The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-10
RACED WITH A SNAPPER.
Jimmie Lyons Gould Swim and &C
Could the Turtle, as Jimmie Found.
From ma Nav York 81


Middetown, Conn, July I.-Three
smart Nutmeg state youngsters, Jimmie
Lyons Jimmie Deadly and Herman Find
er of Seymour village, went to Beach's
pond the other day to gather water lilies,
and while they were padding about in
the blue water, Jimmie Lyons caught
sight of something on the bank that was
half as big as Connecticut cellar door,
looked Just like wrinkled brown rock,
that gazed at him in a steady, cold
blooded and markedly personal way to-
tally unlike a rock. Jimmie was swim
ming in deep water not ten rods from the
curious heap on the shore, and when
he felt its steely gaze boring
a figurative hole into his bosom, he began
to shiver all over and struck out for shore
as swiftly as he could with legs and arms.
Then it was that the gnarled and broad
backed monster on the beach, compre-
hending the lads attempt to escape, sud
denly unlim bered himself for action.
Four great swarUhy claws were shot out
at the four corners of himself, frighttul
great rapaciOus head was run out like
battleship's gun; the mass Topped awk
wardly down the beach, splashing into
the still lake furiouslY-and Jimmie
Lyons, with sinking heart and one splut-
tering howl of frenzied fear, realized
that a 60-pound swapping turtle, the ter
ror of the lake, was hot on his trail.
Jimmie is pretty fair swimmer, but it
was no fair shake of a race, for the rea-
son that the big turtle covered two yards
of the course to J. Lyons one gaining on
him with threatening rapidity Jimmie
knew all about that, too, for with his
face turned backward he watched the on
coming oblong, barge-like giant splashing
on in horrible form and with no science,
but with a killing "git thar stroke.
Jimmie yelled just once again, and the
other scared youngsters in sympathy
and excitement answered: "Hi! there,
Jimmie! Scoot! Their ole son of a gums
right onter yer" Jimmie Lyons knew
that fact far better than did they. Now
and then the big fellow splashed a drop of
water on Jimmies bare shoulders. His
head was far out of his shell, turning this
way and that, as if swung on a toggle
joint; his wicked black eyes cleaned
hungrily; he was straining every sinew
and already reaching for one of the boys
relative white arms. But, just then,
Jimmie Lyons touched bottom with one
of his feet, and then gathering himself
for an elastic spring, was about TO
"scoot," and no mistake about it. At
that instant the turtle dived with the
grace and dexterity of a large washtub,
but he got there all the same. He also
got Jimmies big toe, which had struck
out in final kick before taking run up
the oOzy, shelving lake shore. Jimmie
screamed and kicked, and the turtle CUR
gled and held on, and essayed to back off
INTO the deep waters of the lake, pre-
sumably intending to drag his prey into one
of the secluded emerald caves, where he
might eat him quietly without any inter
ference. But the lad, frantic with fright
and pain, struggled manfully. His blood
was up. He proposed to give the big fell
low his toe, rather than submit to the
humiliating fate of having a swapping
turtle eat the whole of him. So with a
desperate, powerful, final firt of his foot,
rocking not of consequences, he yanked
the crushed and bleeding toe. the remains
of it, out of the knifelike, bony beaS of
his enemy, and fed up the lake bank.
There his frightened but thankful com
rades received him in their arms. dancing
about him like Comanche Indians about
captive, and Jimmie Deadly sized up the
happy termination of the episode with the
| joyful exclamation: Gosh Jimmy, but
warren he a corker But he didn't cat
! yer, did hel'
Out in the middle of the lake. the boys
| facing about, deserted the discounted
| snapper, his head just protruding through
! the waves, and looking grim, grumpish,
| dressed quickly and scooted home through
! the woods, and Jimmie Lyons wearing a
! great bunch of rags about his off big
! toe, struts about town and is the hero Of
! Seymour. When the envious other boys
! say to him, inquiringly, now: "Stone
! bruise or snakesl" Jimmie replies loftily,
! and with a scorn of such trivial, every
| day words: "Naw, snapper! An he was
bigger'n a meetin' house. You JUS asst
Jimmie Deadly, eff yer wants ter know"
A lot of Seymour men are hunting that
big snapper in Beach's pond with shot
| guns. They say he is the biggest chap Of
the kind ever seen in Middle Connecticut,
! But he isn't at home to men with fire
arms as he is to boys with toothsome and
tolerably white big toes. Jimmie, in tell
| ing his adventure TO a local country re-
| porter, declared that the snapper dragged
! him twice beneath the water as handily
if he were piece Of cheese.