The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
A MATTER OF A O DOG.
ALSO, a QUESTION OF BUSINESS
ETHICS BETWEEN BROTHERS.


OF the Dog Toward the woives-A Contest
Between Brotheriy Love aud sticLiinE FOR
Technicaiitics ON tho sinncmnhoninE
ROULETTE. Pa. Feb. 5.-'My uncle Shiftlock
Pettibonc." said tho man from over Slnncma-
honing way, WINS promo to DO n stickler for
tcchnlcalities. But then hc was n horso trader.
and dickered some In sheep pclts, and handled
patent rights; so l suppose he had 10 rely u little
on technical points, and run en- to the front 40
n matter Of soil. protection. But 1t always
seemed to mo that ho carried the princl.lo q
trifc beyond tho limit when no insisted on q i al-.
ing 1t, in Tho most radical manner. to n transact
ton between himself and my remarkable father,
Reuben Pettibone, a transaction thnt involved
The standing and character of n dog Uncle Shift
lock sold 10 Reuben Pcttibono, onco upon n
timc, Reuben being Uncle Shiftlock's brother,
and thoy twins, ut that. Still, as my remark
able father never took that view OF 1t. but rather
held 1t UP rs q shining evidence OF how smarb
Uncle.Shiftlock was, and how uncompromising
lie was when 1t came to q matter OF testing that
business principle Of his, oven in dealing with his
beloved brother Reuben. I don't SEQ why I
should %criticise Uncle Shiftlock adversely no
this late day. Reuben Pcttibonc was wont to
dote on tho telling OF that transaction, showing
how soaked with brothcrly kindness he was;
how full to running over he was with fratornal
love. II n brother OF mine should do me up to
the tune of $3.50, l fear I could not sit down
and gloat over the telling OF how he did 1T. I
fear. rather, that I would be exempted to punch
his head. Which only shows again how re-
markable my father, Reuben. really was.
"As 1 have heard my father tell 1t, he was
bothered tremendously by wolves at his clear
ing one season in tho early days OF the old Sim
nemahone, and, do all he could. they were SO
willy that he couldn't coax any of en- TO get into
his traps, and SO cunning that he could not got
near enough to shoot any of email of which
WIS particularly distressing to him, because there
was q bounty of $40 n scalp on wolves. so he
looked around to find some one who had n good
wolf dog that ho could buy, intending to run tho
shy and pestiferous creatures down and gather
in q crop of pelts. Uncle Shiftlock Pcttibono
had been on n dickcring tour and got hack home
just about the time my remarkable father was
iuquiring around for u wolf dog. He hoard
about 1t, and one day he appeared Mt his brother
Reuben's clearing, fetching q dog with h i'm. Z,
Got n wolf dog yet. Hcuben2' said he.
NO replied father. Wolf dogs are scarcer
than elephants
mot quite said Uncle Shiftlock. Two got
one here that I can let you have. Traded q
township right in a patent hog ringer for him.
This dog will surprise you. Reuben. Just leu
this dog hunt wolves once and you'll feel like
falling on his neck with joy. tho way he tussles
, can't f S%st bim let "a hin IN ,h hunt wolves oncel All
'Reuben Pettibone bought tho dog at onco
and and we. vent to bed happy that night: because he
a thing or tUnnt and 81 soon 'Su dcp9qPba n, eit the SHINE Sin
There. wasn't anybody home but my remark.
able father. Fact Of the matter is. strictly
either. for he hadn't fallen to that distinction
yet, this being some years before was born:
the folks having gone, visiting. lie loft the new
wolf dog outdoors to kind o get the hang of the
Along about 10 o'clock Reuben Pettibone
was wakcned BY the ail-fircdest commotion out
side, he said, that he had ever heard. It wasa
subsequent father jumped out Of bod and ran to
Reuben Pettibone had hardly got to the Win:
dow when, he saw his new wolf dog go tearing
JUMPS Jun fs'f Behind him : We're two Zig Wo dwo 81 They
were after the dog dead set, and he was doing
and snariins. and the dog Was %Hsi,yiins as Il
The chase was round and round the house. and
the circuit was made so quickly every time
had scarcely got by the window before it was
heading, for 1t again.. IL went by tye times
e ssdSiS s te Dc 5eG Snas thf faRR his w sRgPr is s ssf IL
shape to think at last. he said to himself:
s.su don't NJ i know 1I much I.a,. about wolf dogs, but
Can it. be that Brother shkiffitociksl has been cruelty
or not, Reuben ,!Pettibone could see, even By
the wolves as they seyHf Rashe d BY so the windows S%s that
the chunk of moonlight between the dog and
the s! TRiSes do sFs %as sp Rno@ his IS S Sushs ssfc Embarked
Reuben Pettibone. and / may be interfering
ne is that unless Al Something is y done nsi pretty tyU QUICK
that little three dollars and four shillings / in
vested este b in f d9s t wii tb be e s%ns in wS %9lyfSs s kent b,s
gun, got 1t, and hurried to the door. Tic opened
the door a few inches. His intention was to
give a broadside to one Of the wolves as they
came tearing along in the wake Of the dog.
but he hadn't counted on tho tactics OF his dog.
Wnen the dog came AROUND that time he discov-
it. He squeezed his way through. collided with
Reuben Pettibone. tumbled him on his back on
The Two Vy1 Came % right on = through the
door. rampled all over Reuben Pcttibone. ana
s fGllo fsef t aad dog p9f on a the Sa 5ed' tb henssbn d 5p@S of nc 70
chuGkle and say. that wolf took no more inter.
:"Rouben had Kicked the door shut in seram.
bling to his feet. and his appearance with the
remaining wolf: This wolf made a dash for
the T anYa w.. H He sent ,st the glass s flying 6n. the
Before he had time for another move. Reuben
Pettibone put a bullet through him. and that
Of the wolves, Reuben turned his attention to
the dog. Tho dog had crawled under the bed,
ana from the way ne Wnined ana SnO0R ana de-
clined to come out. Reuben Pettibone couldn't
come to any other conclusion than that the dog
was scared.
"'shiftlock has been stuck in that dicker,
sure as meat sxesM said he, ] must take this
dog back and tell him so; It'll never do to
waste patent hog.ringer rights on such a dog as
this!'
80 next morning Reuben Pettibone took the
wolf dog down to Uncle Shift.ock's.
"'Shiftlock. said he, you had better take this
dog where you got him and get your township
rights in tho patent hog-ringer back. And BIO:
fore you go you might hand me back ny 80. So
What fort said Uncle Shiftlock. looking
'Then Reuben Pettibone related the adven-
lures OF the night and berated the dog soundly
to Uncle Shiftlock.
you said this dog would tusslo wolves 90
that I'D feel like falling on his neck with joy
said Reuben. Instead of that | feel like fall.
ing on his neck with an axe! You've been do
ceived. Shlftlock', said he.
'".Wait a minute, Reuben said Uncle Shift
lock. What did / tell You about that dogi I
told You To inst let that ,dnR hunt wolves Onca