The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14
HIS GUN AND REUB'S TRAP.
a DISPUTE IN THE KNOB COUNTRY
INTOLTING BEAR.

the Main Question in the Controversy.
MILFORD. Pa. Aug. l3.-"Yes. sir" said the
man from the Knob country, Tommy and
young Sam was settin' on II when young Sans
mother came home. and it skeered her so that
she Jest fetched one ALL pervadin' screech and
dropped her apronful o. YARDS that she'd been
all the forenoon a getherin'. And well she
mowt a been skeered. for she want e1pectin'
to see it. much less to see Tommy and young
Sam a settin' on II.
"'why. sakes alive. Nancy she says to my
Of woman. tellin' her about it. L couldn't a
been took back more not IL it had been the
Judgment day a rollin' roundH
"Reub had come to me about a week aiore
that aud says:
IL believe they're movin'. Dan1.' say he. L
believe they're movin' to and from he says.
ITO and from which ? l says.
"'Their spring feedin' places says Reub. L
believe they're movin' to and from, and it strikes
me that in movin' they're kinder maxim up
their minds that this here part O. the Knob
country is u toler'ble choice sort o. feedin'
ground he says.
What makes it strike you that wayi' l
says.
We'll. says Reuh. my idee as To that is sort
o. based on the fact that / hain't got as many
sheep 10y three as / had a week ago and that
Eli is short one durn choice Chester white shoat,
and Silas's new calf is missin'.' says Reub.
And that idee is stren'thened a leetle by the
fact that only Yesterday. light in broad day. |
seen ones snout actually stickin' over the top
o my pig pen. Fore l could git there it had
took its snout and the rest Of itself of to the
woods. So. says Reub. betwiXt me and you.
! believe they're movin'. and that they've made
up their minds that this here part o the Knob
country is a toler'ble choice sort o feedin'
ground says Reub.
well. Reub,' says j. your argument
sounds reasonable and convincin'. and seems
10 me it behooves us to up and at EN-, don't
it ? says 1.
Yes, it does says Reub; and while guns
is all right. traps is the quickest and surest.'
says he,
Now. Reub.' l says. there's where me and
you differs. Traps is sneakin' and under
handed. l says. and guns is open and above
board. Traps don't give EN- half a chance.'I
says.
Course they DON'T says Reub. We don't
want 10 give 'em any chancel What kind Of a
chance did they give my sheep. or Ellis shoat.
or Silas's calf? II We set in TO give 'em a
chance there won't be no live stock but them
left in the hull durn Knob country inside of a
week says he. Guns may be all right. but
traps is the quickest and surest,' says he.
Il see that Reub was in for arguin'. cause
lle luCb lIle uldlltI was lie Gluu / nave nc
gun. but he had Il trap. When Reub sot out to
argue a pint he hunC on like a woodtick TO a
hound, and l knowed there want no use O.
talkin'. SO | says:
All right, Reub;' I says. You kin set out
your trap. and Ill shoulder my gun. Maybe
betwixt the two Of 'em we kin manage TO gether
somethin' in ! says.
Sc Reub he sot his trap. and I took my dog
and my gun and went out expectin' to come in
a-showin' Keub how much surer g~unpowder
handed steel trap was; but. consarn it. some
how l didn't strike the trail O, nothin'. and
l come home a-thinkin' that Reub must be mis-;
from, Next mornin l went over to Reub's.
Jest come in from it. says Reub.
".Fasten one ~ says,
IN the sign OF a hair hasn't been nigh it,'
he says. Did you lay one low yesterday
No I says. They must a heerd I was in
the woods. l guess. Tor they ut shy O. me all
That cheered Reub up considerable. l see.
says thes'? Z T had f q E s up Pn and ae h1s tfe' it AWAY aSa7.
1t had its eye on the shoat ag'in. says he.
sure ,t gun IN ND a a Sesn q ,i s9rt a6 s, Sp tSss aPf
You mowt a banged his head in with It, says.
and. was bound for the woods to try it ag'in.
i got on track 0, one that day and fo!iered it
pin, and l had tocome in without gittin' a shot.
III Reub happens TO git one in his trap to-
night one came 10 Peteis and walked OF with
his calf. keuh didn't git none next day, and
the trail Of another one. but he drove me nigh
crazy the way he led me a dancin' and p~rancin'
around the country, and never givin' me a shot.
The day that Heub didn't so to his trap l come
in madder than snakes and everybody was full
o Tommy and young sam. Young sam he was
Pete's boy. Jist raisin' ten, and that mornin' he
was busy ~cleanln, out the cowshed. when he
seen Tommy comm cross the yard. walkin' on
his tiptoes and actin as If he was afeard some
body mowt hear him. Tommy was Jake,s hoy.
and wasn't more than comm Twelve; he tip
toed upto the cOwshed door, and peekin' in at
"'Sh-h-h-h-hr
Then he looked back over his shoulder and
all around. and whispers to young sam, who
was gittin' skeert:
Young Sam, he tiptoes up to Tommy and
whispers back. cause he thought he had TO
""Fbown in the stump lot Crubbin'.' young
Then Tommy. he takes a careful glimpse all
around ag'in aud whispers:
+" Where's your mammyY
"'Out in the woods some'rs. getherin' sassa-
trasS and other YARDS, says young Sam. whis-
perrin like Tommy.
Then Tommy. he look all round ag'in and
"H|There's your pap's gum
This made young sam skeerter than ever.
but he whispers back TO Tommy:
"i,Settin' in a corner o, the spare bedroom
kin you sneak It out ? whispers Tommy.
Nov this was aTgGin, a ies'I t igrdeG than
right and loud:
." Mhat ferF
bear says Tommy. Just as loud as young
""Go way says young Sam. 'WhereY
In heubs bear trap, over ag'in' the hill. l
seen rs ! was comm through says Tommy.
is I the one that stole pap's calf 7 says
young sam.
"'Sure il is,' says Tommy. i could almost
see il bulgiu' with that calf"
"'Then III sneak the gun saws young Sam,
and h" suuck il, and him and Tommy started
TO lay the bear low.
NO. sure enough. the mornin' that Reub
didn't go to his trap one was in it, and II hadn I
been in there long when Tommy discovered 1t.
for II il had been II wouldn't have been in there.
for IL was only ketched by the tip a. one paw.
Young Sam and Tommy got there, and the
bear was ragin', and lac ragged the more when
he see the boys. They didn't notice how little
he was ketched, and when they got 10 within a
couple o. rod OF where he was pitchin' and
howlin' and snappin' his jaws at EN-. there
come a hitch.
Now gimme the gun, SAM says Tommy,
and III blow his head OF
So Whafn1 7 ptVa Won the puD fOr - sava vNuDg