Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-10-13

1.-THE night O. town meetin', after
the votes was counted" said the
man from the Knob country, eli
came in.
"'Dan'l,' says he. 1T was the picker'l
that done it. 1 know'd it would. You'd
orto said you speared it, says he The
lpicker'lss what done it, says he.
There mowt been bigger picker1
ketched in the Knob country some time
or other than that one was, but l never
heerd on it. Leastways, I'll bet farm
a tougher or ferociouser or voraclouser
picker'l never was ketched nowhere.
When 1 seen it, more'n a hundred foot
up in the air, a wigglin and a squirmin'
and fghtin', BY Josh' says, you're
an amazin' fish, but I'm thinkin' that
your sands of life is runnin' tolable
skeerce at last!' L says. 1t amt in
natur', you knowi' 1 says. But that
pickerl must had sands O. life enough
to fill peck measure.
"'Dan'l,' says young Eph, over to the
Eddy, one day, there's a Teller here
from New York or some'rs that's pinin'
for few poun's or so O. frogs legs.
Is the frog crop promisin' in the Knob
country waters?
"'Never BETTER says. How many
poun's does he want?' I says.
"'Oh, fetch over eight or ten poun's,,
says Eph.
$50 went over to the pont and gath
cred in a couple O. dozen O. frogs and
skun their saddles out. I strung 'em
up nice, and darned if they didn't size
up like a ten-pound hunk O. pork. I
was givin' 'em a dip or two in the wa
ter, 'longside the boat, to kind o clean
'em up, when suddenly sl-l-l-wosh!
came something again 'em, and the
water flew around so that I couldn't
have been any wetter if I'd tumbled in
the pond. The big lot O. frogs legs was
snatched away from me so quick I
couldn't think, and I seen 'em going
off into the weeds nigh the shore in the
jaws of a big picker'l. The water was
shaller, and the picker'l stopped at the
edge of the weeds, turned his amazing
snout square around so I could see the
hull performance, and then gobbled
them frogs legs in less time than it
would take me to swaller jigger of
apple, and that's dom of things about
as hasty as they kin be did. And glare!
Why, darn if that picker1's eyes didn't
there 'mongsS them weeds!
BY JOSH I says. Guess I'll GO
home and rig up for picker'l!' says.
I'd ruther git that Teller than wagon
load O. frogs legs says.
80 rowed away and went home.
rugged up for picker'l.
Il must land that picker'l fore town
meetin' day. says. cause then I'll
be elected constable, and 1 won't have
no time for picker'l, even fer as amazin'
a one as that ferocious and voracious
Teller that snatched and gobbled my ten
pound O. frogs legs I says. 'Consta-
bles is bein' KEEP consarned busy in the
Knob country these days L says.
MY teller citizens had put me up fer
constable and was rallyin' round me as
one man. BeeZer was runnin' ag'in me,
and BeeZer, so folks said, had been
weighed in the balance and found
wantin', OWN to few boss trades he
had made and to an idee that had took
hold O. folks that three loads O. rail-
road ties Beezer got out and sold, over
to the Eddy, had growed on land he
didn't hold the deed fer.
1T won't never, never dot my Teller
Beezer git in as constable, We must
rally roun' Dan1 as one man. they
says, and give Beezer belix!'
$50 they was rallyin', and as conse-
kently I wouldn't have no time for
picker'l after town meetin', OWN to
bein' elected constable, sot out to
land that amazin' chap somehow, fore
that day came round. I tried all the
ways I knowed, but that picker1
wouldn't be landed. knowed he was
there, cause I could see him. Town
meetin' was only three days off, an
something had to be did if got that
picker'l, so / jedged I'd better take my
gun over and see how a dose o. lead
mowt set on him. I loaded her heavy
and rowed over to where the picker1
KEEP himself 'mongst the weeds. There
he~was, and when he sees me comm
yon otto see him glare! Ipulled up and
whanged away at him. The water was
h'isted up as if rock had fell in it.