Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-11-15


tered corn over the mud. When night
came he SET the RATS floating out in
the lake, each being fastened to the
shore by a long cord.
"'The nights being cold, said ST, those
intelligent turtles of mine are going to
bury themselves in the mud. Ducks
are curious and hungry at this time of
year, and they will be sure to go nos
ing about those innocent looking floats
with the corn on them. But when any
intruding duck in picking up corn
treads on one of these turtles something
entirely new to ducks is going to be
sprung on him all of a sudden
"The next morning ST went around
to look at his turtle-traps. Sure enough,
each turtle was holding duck. ST drew
the floats to shore and was cutting the
ducks loose, preparatory to wringing
their necks, when along comes game
constable.
"'see here says the constable. What
do you mean by catching ducks out of
season.
CT amt catching them,' growled ST.
Anybody but a dang fool constable
could see the turtles caught the ducks
"'You mustn't let your turtles catch
ducks replies the constable, sort of
doubtful.
Isl just grinned. I amt a lawyer he
says, sarcastic like, but never heard
of anything in the laws of the state of
Pennsylvania making closed duck sea-
son for swapping turtles. Them's the
culprits,' he says, pointing to the four
swapping turtles. Go explain the law
to them. They've got more intelligence
than some officers of the law who amt
so very far off at the present minute.'
And he went on gathering in the cap
tive ducks.
''The constable was Wadder than a
hornet, but not knowing of any law ap-
plying to trained swapping turtles he
went without saying a word. ST took
his ducks to the village, and, ducks be-
ing scarce, got good price for them.
Then the real nature of the man showed
up.
eff these pet turtles of mine can
gather in ducks at night, why can't
they in the day?' he says to his wife.
They've been taking things easy all
spring and summer. Let them do some
work now to pay for the care I've Law
ished on them
$50 ST put the turtles out on the
floats again that afternoon. He hid in
the bushes alongside of the lake and
after four more misguided ducks had
got tangled up with the turtles ST
pulled in the floats. Instead of giving
the faithful turtles little rest from
their lab0rs, he showed the floats out
again.
"'Those turtles are doing their duty
faithfully said to him. Don't work
them to death. Even swapping turtle
has its rights, which ought not to be
trampled on
"But no, that didn't suit ST. He had
good thing and he was going to work
it to death. All that night and all the
next day ST kept the patient little ami
mails at work gathering in ducks. There
amt an animal in the world that will
stick to a job better than a swapping
turtle, but when 81 finally gathered up
his ducks and started for home, it was
plain those turtles were about worn
out. They seemed puzzled, too. There
they had been catching ducks for two
days, nights and days, and not a duck
did they have that they could call their
own.
"'Si is running this show, and it must
be all right they seemed to be saying
to themselves, as they waddled home,
but it is blamed queer where all our
ducks are
IF ST had acted halfway decent
about the matter he might have kept
the love and trust of these turtles and
accumulated ducks for himself all the
year around. They weren't unreason-
able turtles and they thought the world
of ST. A duck here and there would
have satisfied them, and ST could have
had the rest. But when ST routed the
turtles out early the next morning and
started them off on the floats, anyone
could see they were not feeling cheerful
and satisfied.
"*Be careful, ST. I says to him, or
you will lose the esteem of those tur-
ties. A swapping turtle that feels his
confidence has been misplaced is an
ugly animal to deal WITH
''But no. ST was after ducks and
ducks he would have if he worked those
turtles until they dropped. All day and
al night he kept them on the floats, tear
ing the ducks away as soon as turtle
caught one. Then, after giving them
only couple of hours rest, he tried to
start them at work again. Then the
strike began. 81 tried to get the turtles
to come out of their mud in the pen and
start for the lake, although they were
so tired their poor legs would hardly
carry them. But he had reached the
limit of swapping turtle good nature.
Not turtle would bulge out of the
mud, but when ST made a quacking
noise like duck, which was the signal
for the turtles to start for the lake, each
turtle tried to bury himself deeper in
the mud. Then ST was mad.
''I'll teach these loafing turtles that
while ducks are plentiful they've got
to work. No tramp turtles are going
to be allowed on the Evershed farm,
doing in the mud and neglecting their
opportunities to make hay while ducks
are PLENTIFUL With that ST gets stick
and, having routed the turtles out of the
mud, he began to pound them.
"Well, they were the most surprised
turtles you ever saw. At the first blow
Of the stick each turtle stuck his head