The Monticellonian., 1899-07-07
Pete Was Swatted Hard
And It Wasn't Any Moving Machine That Tore Him Up.
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HTIE first time folks sees Pete, .

tT'IIE first time folks sees Pete, sad the man from the Knob country, they natur'ly wonder how he happened to tumble into the thrashin' machine. seein' that left ear q his Il hangin most down on his shoulder. and his face ali wopperiawed, and him q favoIin' that left leg O his'n as if he want jest sure whether it was goin to stay there when he puts his foot down or whether il wa mt. NaturlX that 's what folks wonders, and 1 don't blame 'cin.
 T says to Pete-he was eomin' long the COW path that takes the turn round the south side 0 the big laurel patch t'other side O the Knob, and fetches you out in The llobdy road all right if you foller il, and see that hC was goIn to leave the path and make short cut through the patch, jest cause i'd save him mebbe somethin' like an eighth of mile says to him--i Was standin in the path. three rod or 50 from the patch. and lSnoW'd what was standin' there for says to Pete:
 You better keep the path. Peter, l says, md go round.
 Pete Was as stubborn and head strong as mule though he ain.t 70 much that way HON and he kind o snitied at me and says;
 "What fer2?'
 "'Well, says, 'it'll be q considerable further fer you. but if you keep the path you'll gil there a good deal sooner. l saNs.
 '' Cause l know'd it was in there. and I had been more than six weeks 9ittn it there. The first time knoW,d Il il NN;ls anywheres at all was when l Was oNer to the Eddy one day and heerd em talkin bout it.
 "'Why. blame it all.' says Eph, I never see the likes of it. Was in d boat jest below the narrops O the Iackawaci1 tishin' for clubs. heerd d noise. and lool>in' round, there il was, wadin right out to the boat II must a-come from the link Pond district and sMam the canal fore l seen it. I had more'n half bmshcl . the con surudest incest chubs you ever see, and they was laNin there on the bottom o' the boat. hated like sam Hill to leave 'em. but there wasn't no WaN could git them fish out O the boat and pulled for shore alone, cause il Mas comin' right along and p'inted straight for the boat. When got ashore turned and looked. It had climbed in the boat. and there il sat. feedin' itsell on mN ehubs. and the boat eoin down stream more,n five knots an hour, found mX boat next daN. three miles down the laekawack. high and dry or d rock. but there want no ehubs in il darn the luck.' saNs Eph.
 ",l wonder if Jones didn't see il t'other day, back O Lackawach" say, Gil. I wouldn't never thunk of il ag'in. Eph. if YOU hadn't spoke aboUt that luck O Nour a-tishing Yes. sir, says Gil, I'll het anything that .Ionr, seen il back O LackaWack t,other day | The roads hain't been inst as prime a' 1 they ought to be down that way late | ly. and Jake was hauiu' in load O | stun for Ira and Nose and the rest oI 'em when he got stuck. Ehe tean vouldn't pull the load, and Jake ha, | 10 tighten up. Mong>t the things h, leii long the road to come back aftc
 Nas bal''l e pork. Mebbe half an hou ot ~a later Jonas was comin out Q in woods to the read and strikin' an opeHal' he look ked ahead and seen it. H. ! seen it standiu hN the har'l o pori Ja,>e had iett there to conn. hack after
 Jonas stood still and watched il. 'cau~ he didn' have no euu bein oHtf out ol a hunt fer railroad-tie timber, al, you don't want no gun fer that, Nha YOU want fer that nowadays, k micro scope. Jonas stood still and Watchc, it. It snitfed al the bari and ttci went to work and loosened the to hoop on the bari as slick as could bt fitted the head, and took out nice hj hunk of pork. Of course. Jonas though | it'd hustle away with that pork on Il double-quick. but il didn't Ii laid h hunk a pork on the ground. and the
 headed mp the barl ag'in as proper a it was before. after doin which Il shou
 dered the pork and went into the wood
 as cool and deliberate as II it'd jus
 bought tine pork, and paid cash dow
 for it. What do you think, Eph2 Mus
 have been 1t that Jonas seen, hey