The Colfax chronicle., 1895-08-10

ben Pettibonc.
"'Well, said Reuben, 4 guess you'll
know me again when you see mev
Did the turtle know him again?
Well, guess! And lucky day for
Reuben Pettibone it was, too, when
that turtle knew him again, for he
would never have been my father If
the turtle hadn't known him. 1t was
one day, month after Reuben had
rescued the snapper from the swill bar
rel and soup. He was going up the
Sinnemahone to set trap for a bear,
when bear from it's hiding place in
the laurels saw him, jumped out,
pitched into him, took the trap away
from him, and proceeded to shake
Reuben out of his boots and breeches.
The bear was in such downright earn
est that Reuben saw it would soon be
all up with him If he couldn't get away.
The only thing he could think of that
would be likely to save him was to
plunge into the Sinnemahone, which
was running food from a weeks
rain, and swim to the other side. He
had no idea that the bear would follow
him But he was wrong. The bear
did follow him, and followed him SO
fast that when he got to the opposite
side of the stream and was pulling him
self out on the bank the bear was right
on him. 1t grabbed him by both legs,
and went to chawing him and yanking
him back into the food.
"'Good-by to Nancy Puterbaugh and
the banks of the Sinnemahone!' said
Reuben, for he couldn't see any reason
why his time hadn't come.
Suddenly, though, the bear gave q
howl that almost made Reuben deaf,
and at the same time it let go of Reu-
ben's legs and dropped back into the
stream Reuben dragged himself out
on the bank and looked back. The
bear was bowling and spluttering and
struggling in the water, and making
frantic efforts to get back to the other
side. But something was hindering it.
Something was handicapping it in its
struggles. Something was such drag
on the bear that it was being drowned
as sure as sap in the spring.
"'What in the name O. gumption has
tackled that bear?' exclaimed Reuben.
What is it that has saved me to Nancy
and the Slime emahoneY
There was no oAe about who could
answer the question, and Reuben stood
there and watched the bear meet its
fate, which it did before it got half
way across the stream. The flood car
ried its big carcass down, and whirled
it back in an eddy against the shore,
short distance below where Reuben
stood. He hurried down to see what
could have SO suddenly and completely
undone the bear. As he neared the
spot he saw an immense swapping
turtle climb out on the shore. He req
ognized it at once. 1t was the fifty
pound snapper he had released from
the tavern swill barrel. The turtle
waited until Reuben came up. Reuben
said afterward that the turtle gazed Mt
him moment with recognition. graft
tude. pleasure, all expressed in it's eyes,
and then slid back into the water and
disappeared. 1t was all plain to Reu-
ben. The big swapping turtle had hap
pened to be in the stream at the spot
where the bear had captured Reuben,
and recognizing his deliverer, had
seized the bear by one of its hind feet
and closed its jaws upon it like a wise.
The bear had turned to escape from
this unknown but terrible foe. but
couldn't do it. And Reuben Pettibone
was saved 90
But this was not all. A greater
debt than that do Reuben Pettibone
and his posterity owe to turtles. Sin
nemahone bears are epicurean in their
tastes. They like turtles. especial
ly land turtles. When Sinnemahone
bear finds one of these he straightway
gets stone, smashes the turtles shell
and treats his palate to the meat
within. One day. some time after his
life was saved by the big snapper,
Reuben Pettibone was going through
the woods when he discovered bear,
with pleased and eager expression
on his face, hurrying along with big
stone in its paws. Reuben followed
fast and saw land turtle a little way
ahead, terror in its eyes and lying
helpless In the grass. Reuben knew
at once what the bear Intended to do
with the stone, and, remembering
what he owed to the turtle family, he
didn't propose to see this turtle sac
rificed. The bear had the stone raised
to hurl It on the turtles shell when a
bullet from Reuben's gun crashed
through its brain, and Bruin fell dead
at the turtles side.
Reuben Pettibone used to say that
he never in ali his life saw such graft
tude as that turtle showed. 1t came
up and rubbed itself against his feet
and looked up into his face with an ex-
preston that almost made him cry.
He stopped down to stroke its head and
itlicked his hand. When Reuben started
at last to 60 the turtle gased after him
with such touching. appealing look
that he couldn't bear to leave it, and
he took it up in his arms and carried it