The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-01


for the TechnicaIitieS.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
Roulette, Pa.-''My uncle shiftlock Pet
tibone, said the man from over Sinnema-
honing way, was prone to be a stickler
for technicalities. But then he was
horse trader. and dickered some in sheep
pelts, and handled patent rights; so 1 sup
pose he had to rely a little on technical
points, and run en- to the front as mat
ter of self-protecton. But it always seem
ed TO me that he carried the principal
tribe beyond tine limit when he insisted on
applying it, in the most radical manner. to
a transaction between HIM and my remark
able father Reuben Pettbone, a transac-
lion that involved the standing and char
acter Of a dog Uncle Shiftlock sold to Reu-
ben Pett.bone, once upon a time, Reuben
being Uncle shiftlocks brother, and they
twins, at that Still, as my remarkable
father never took that view of it, but
rather held it up as a shining evidence of
how smart Uncle Shiftlock was, and how
uncompromising he was when it came 10
a matter of testing that business principle
of his even in dealing with his beloved
brother, Reuben, 1 don't see why l should
criucise Uncle Shlftlock adversely at this
late day, Reuben PettIbone was wont to
dote on the telling of that transaction,
showing how soaked with brotherly kind
ness he was; how full to running over ne
was with fraternal love If brother Of
mine should do me up to the tune of So 80
fear could not sit dowa and gloat over
the telling of how he did it. / fear, rather
that / would be tempted TO punch mis- head
W hlch only shows again how remarkable
my father, Reuben Pctubone, really was.
AS ! have heard my father tell it, he
was bothered tremendously by wolves at
his clearing one season in the early days
Of the old Sinnenlahone and, do al! he
could, they were so willy that lie couldn't
coax any of EN- to get into his traps and
so cunning that he could not get near
enough to shoot any OF them-all of which
was particularly distressing to him. be-
cause there was a bounty of $40 a scalp
on wolves. So he looked around to find
some one who had a good wolf dog that
he could buy, intending to run the shy
and pest.ferous creatures down and gather
in a crop of pets. Uncle Shftock Petit
bone had been on a dickerng tour and
got back home just about the time my re-
markable father was inquirng around for
wolf dog He heard about it, and one
day he appeared at his brother Reuben's
clearing, fetching a dog with him.
'' Got wolf yet, Reuben said he
No. replied father. Wolf dogs are
scarcer than elepkants
=" Not quite said Unce Shiftiock. I've
got one here ihatI can let you have. Trad
ed a township right ia a patent hog ringer
| for him. This dog VIII surprise you, Reu-
ben. Just let this dog hunt wolves once,
and you'll feel like falling on his neck
with joy, the way he tussels em. Just
let him hunt wo.ves once! All want for
! him is So so
Reuben Petubone bought the dog at
once and went TO bed happy that night
| because he felt that he would now soon
show those wolves ching or two. and
! soon depopulate the Sinnemahoning coun-
try of EN-. That night was a nice, frosty
moonlight night. late in October. There
wasn't anybody home but my remarkable
father. Fact of the matter is, strictly
speaking, my remarkable father wasn't
home, either, for he hadn't fallen to that
distinction yet, this being some years be-
fore l was born. But Reuben Pettibone
was home, the rest of the folks having
gone visiting. He left the new wolf dog
TO kind o get the hang of the premises.
Along about 10 O'Clock Reuben Petit
bone was awakened by the all-fredest com
| heard. 1t was moving commotion and it
| seemed to have regular orbit, with the
! house as its center My subsequent IA
Their jumped out of bed and ran to a win
! dow. The moon was shining bright Reu-
ben Pettibone had hardly got to the win
dow when he saw his new wolf dog go tear
| ing by, going like steam engine and two
or three jumps behind him were two big
| wolves. They We're after the dog dead
/ he was
from getting any nearer to him. The
wolves were swapping their jaws and
| snardng, and the dog was ki-yi-ing as if
| some one was dressing him out with a
| club. The chase was round and round the
| house, and the circuit was made so quick
! ly every time that it seemed to Reuben
! as if the procession had scarcely got by
the window before it was heading for it
again. 1t went by five times before he
recovered from his surprise sufficiently to
do much thinking. When he got in shape
! to think al last, he said to himself:
L don't know much about wolf dogs,
! but seems to me this one amt acting as if
l was going to fan very heavily on its neck
with joy. Can it be that brother Shift
/ lock has been cruelty deceived in that
decker of his?
Whether Uncle Shiftlock had been de-
! ceived or moi, Reuben Pettibone could see.
even by the transitory glimpses he got Of
| the dog and the wolves as they flashed by
the window, that the chunk of moonlight
] between the dos and. the wolves grew
smaller at every circuit.
That dog may know his business re-
/ marked Reuben Pettibone, and I may be
4 interfering where I'm not wanted, but the
way it looks to me is that unless some
thing is done pretty quick that little three
| dollars and four shiliings l invested in dog
! will be sunk in wolves
80 he ran TO the corner, where he kept
| his gun, got il, and hurried to the door.
He opened the door few inches His
! intention was 10 shove the gun barrel out
| of the opening and give a broadside to one
| of the wolves as they came tearing along
| in the wake of the dog. My remarkab bic
father had Planned all right, but he hadn't
counted on the tactics Of his dog. When
the dog came around that time he dscov-
cred the crack in the door and made a
dive for it. lie squeezed his way through.
collided with Reuben Pettibone, tumbled
| him on his back on the floor, and sprang
on the bed in the corner, The two wolves
came right on through the door, trampled
| all over Reuben Pettibone and followed
the dog on the bed. Reuben jumped to mis-