St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1898-07-16
| A Matter of a WoIf-Dog.
Also Question Of Business Ethics
Between Brothers.
ffRKY uucle shiftlock pettibone,s j
->ee~-e>ee>@s~>s-se'

| lV said the man from over Slime
rsahoning way, twas prone to be q
stickler for technicalities. But then he
was a horse trader, and dickered some
In sheep pelts, and handled patent
rights; SO suppose he had to rely lit
tie on technical points, and run 'em "a
the front as a matter Of self-protec-
tion. But 1t always seemed to me that
he carried the principle trife beyond
the limit when he insisted on applying
fisat in thes most radical manner, to q
transaction between himself and ID y
rssaarisable. father, Reuben Pettibone,
a transaction that involved the stand
fng and character of q dog Uncle Shift
/; lock sold to Reuben Pettibone, once
upon time, Reuben being Uncle Shift
/ locks brother. and they twins. at that.
Still, as my remarkable father never
! took that view Of 1t, but rather held 1t
up as shining evidence of how smart
Uncle Shiftlock was, and how uncom-
promising he was when 1t came to q
matter Of testing that business prinei-
| pie of his, even in dealing with his be-
loved brother, Reuben, don't see why
7 should criticise Uncle Shiftlock ad-
versely at this late day. Reuben Pet
tibone was won't to dote on the telling
Of that transaction, showing how
soaked with brotherly kindness hewass
how full to running over he was with
brotherly love. II brother OF mine
should do me up to the tune Of $3.50, I
fear could NOT sit downand gloat over
the telling of how he did 1t. / fear,
rather, that would be tempted to
punch his head. Which only shows
again how remarkable my father, Reu-
ben, really was.
AS I have heard my father tell II, he
was bothered tremendously by wolves
at his clearing one season In the early
days of the old Sinnemahone, and, do
all he could, they were SO willy that be
couldn't coax any Of 'em to get into his
traps, and so cunning that he couldn't
get near enough to shoot any Of 'ena-
all OF which was particularly Distress
ing to him, because there was bounty
OF $40 o scalp on wolves. So he looked
around to fine some one who had
good wolf dog that he could buy, In
tending to run the shy and peatiferous
creatures down and gather In crop OF
pelts. Uncle Shiftlock Pettibone had
been on dickering tour and got back
home just about the time my remark
able father was inquiring around fer
wolf dog. He heard about 1t. and one
day he appeared at his Brother Reuben's
clearing, fetching dog with him.
= Got q wolftseg yets Reuben 2 said
he.
NO, replied father. wolf dogs ere
scareer than elephants
"'Not quite said Uncle shiftloek.
I've got one here that / can let you
have. Traded township right In q
patent hog ringer for it. This dog will
surprise you. Reuben. Just let this dog
hunt wolves once and you'll feel like
falling on his neck with joy, the way he
tussles 'em.s Just let him hunt wolves
oncei AL want for him Is $780,
Reuben Pettibone bought the dog
at once and went TO bed happy that
night, because he felt sure that he
would now soon show those wolves o
thing or two, and soon depopulate the
sinnemahcning country of 'em. That
night was q nice, frosty, moonlight
night, late In October. There wasn't
anybody home but my remarkable
father. Feet 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 before I was born. But Reuben
Pettibone was home, the rest of the
folks having gone visiting. He left the
new wolf dog outdoors to kind o. get
the hang O. the premises.
"Along about ten o'clock Reuben Pet
tibone was awakened by the a1l-fredest
com1notion outside, he said, that he had
ever heard. It was a moving commo-
tion, and it seemed to have a regular or
bit, with the house as its center. My
subsequent father jumped out Of bed
and ran to window. The moon was
shining bright. Reuben Pettibone had
hardly got to the window when he saw
his new wolf dog go tearing by, going
like steam engine, and two or three
jumps behind him were two big wolves.
They were after the dog dead set, and
he was doing his best TO keep 'em from
getting any nearer to him. The wolves
were swapping their jaws and snarling,
and the dog was h-yi-ing as If some
one was dressing him out with club.
The chase was round and round the
house, and the circuit was made so
quickly every time that 1t seemed to
Reuben as II the procession had scarce
~ got BY the window before IL was
heading for it again. It went by dYe
times before he recovered from his SUR
prise sufficiently to do much thinking.
When he got In shape 10 think at last,
be said to himself:
I. 7 don't know much about wolf dogs,
but seems to me this one isn't acting
as II was going to fall very heavily
on Its neck with Joy. Can 10 be that
Brother Shiftlock has been cruelty de-
,eiyed in that dicleer OF his2'
Whether Uncle Shiftlock had been
ieceived or not, Reuben Pettibone
,ould see, even by the transitory
ghmpses he got Of the dog and the
wolves as they flashed by the window,
hat the chunk OF moonlight between
he dog and the wolves grew smaller at
very circuit.
That dog may know his business
'emarked Reuben Pettibone, and may
,e interfering where I'm not wanted,
,ut the way it locks to me is that unless
omething is done pretty quick that lit-
le three dollars and four shillings I IN