The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-08-27
A SHORTER, SON
BOF A HURRICANE.
4 The End Of His Cyclonie Career
n Brought Grief to the Hem
il $40 lock Belt. ee

h0N ONE Of my trips through the
~ Passadanky country, up in the
hemlock belt" said John Gilbert, the
travelling grocetyman, "a disconsolate-
looking native came out OF d barn near
the roadside and hailed me. stopped.
Ibid you come through Jinkins' Hol-
ier?' he asked.
eyes said.
"'Was folks gethered pooty plenty at
the tavern, lookin' glum?' he asked.
"'Not that I noticed replied.
"'Wasn't the store shet up?'
"'No.'
"'Business goin' on about as usual,
hay"
"It appeared to be-
""Then they hain't heerd on It down
to the Holler yet said the native.
Guess l better lope down there an
break 1t to 'em myself, kind O. gentle.
II the news hits 'em student they mowt
shet down the tavern
"'What's happened 2 asked, my Gu
riosity excited.
"'Why, Snorter's deadl' was the re-
ply.
| "'Who's Snorter?' inquired.
"Euess Sou must live pooty fur
about here said the native If you
never heerd O. Snorter!'
II had to admit THAT I did not live
thereabout. The big barn door was
open and swung back against the side
of the barn. The native stepped back
and closed it.
] There said he. pointing to a mis-
cellaneous collection OF things hanging
to that side of the door. Them's the
latest assortment OF Snorter's sea. psf
II counted 20 ratskins. a weasel skin
and chicken hawk.
"'Them's Snorter's scalps,' said the
native, AN you bet you gloom1l foller
when the news gifts round that Snort.
er's dead!'
| "'son Of yours?' said 1.
"'Son O. mine!' exclaimed the ma.
tive. Pub! There amt no son O. mine
nor no son o. nobody else on the oil
Passadanky could hung up a passed. o
scalps like them! No. sir! Shorter
want my son. He was the son OF q
hurricane, Shorter was! He was
rooster, an the son of hurricanel Nc
one never see the likes O. him afore
an won't never see the Mixes O. him
agin!
-Four years ago hurricane setct
as we never heerd on afore come swoop
in through this deestric'. 1t come from
the southeast an fetched all sorts o
truck along with it, droppin' of it her.
an there. an pickin' up more in plac.
Of 1t. SOS we had things that belonged
mebbe way down in virginny, for al
| I know, an things that belonged tt
us was mebbe lugged off an dropped
down way up in Michigan, jes' as like
as not. if the hurricane wind held GU
that fur-an' from the way 1t was goin
when 1t slid over the OF Passadank,
I've an idee It had wind enough to car
| ry It on to Alasky. easy enough. befor,
1t give it's dyin' yoop. After the hurri
cane got by went out to take lool
around. an 'mongst other things
found was red hen, settin' dazed Ink
under thorn bush. There never ha.
been a hen like that in the hull hem
lock belt. How fur she had rid on tn
bosom O. that cyclone nobody'll neve
know. / picked her up an found al
egg where she sot. The egg wan n,
bigger'n the everyday run O. hem
eggs, but it was red-almost as red a
the hen. brung the hen an the eg
in. but the hen never seemed to ri
herself together agin, an give coupl
O. kind o homesick signs an kicke,
: the bucket. had an oil dominick hel
that was pinin' to set, an sot hel
Amongst her settin' O. eggs was tha
red egg that come from some onknow
country, ridin' into the Passadank
deestric on the bosom O that storm
Some o. that hurricane had worked 1t
way into that egg. sure enough. for til
chicken that come outen 1t turned GU
to be regular movin' cyclone. Tha
chicken was as red as the egg 1t cam
out Of. an that chicken was Snortel
He YVES the son OF 4 hurricane. an h
took after his father from the word go
First time ever took notice .
Snorter's uncommon p'ints was one da
when he was about month old. wa
goin' by the barn here, an I heerd
tremendous cack!in' 'mongst the checl
ems back In the barnyard. an a RI
sqnealln' In setch key that l know
II must run ag'in trouble o. som
kind. went round to the yard, al
there was that hurricane chicken, wit
nothin' on it yit but pinfeathcrs, tn,
GIN away like mad at a rats tail, whic
+, he had kctched hold on as the rat W.
! skippin' into hole under the bari
mebbe with an egg or young chicke7
After r.vo or three jerks that buddi
,vclone Of chicken yanked the r,
ont. The rat was bigger'n any one ,
them scalps o. Snorter's on this bar
door here. an you'll notice that some
them sizes up leetle hefty theirselve
Quicken I kin tell you he swung tina
rat up over his head an slapped 1t dow
k'splosh on big stone that lays !
there. Three times he done that, al
then chucked the rat to one side. Their
want no more life nor backbone lei
in 1t than there is In q wet dishraf
L LAYERS