Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-17

he'd sot his mind on,' says Uncle David; and if there's anybody here that wants to call Uncle David liar it'll be toler'ble safe for him to do 1t now, for Uncle David's comin' 8. and is all bowed down over thespass-- in away O that amazin' Drownded Lands snapipn' torkle."
 T nain't got time to tell you how cheerin' that amazin' snappin' torkle has been to Uncle David and Aun5 Sally ever sence the fall he licked Snedeller's shorthorn bull" he said. ssThe pelts O. the mushrats that he has ketched winters and give to Uncle David more than rig the mort gage on the farm, and Aunt Sally jest sets down and weeps bitter tears when she thinks O the time the churn dog took sick and died, and Aunt Sal ly didn't know what in all creation she was goin' to do. She couldn't a'done nothin' if that snappin' torkle hadn't took pity on her and come up and run that churnin' machine for her every churnin' day for Q month.
 And he's been comin' up every fall and pullin' turnips and diggin' taters and shakin' down apples on Uncle David's place, enough so last hirn through winter. and every Fourth of July he fetched Uncle David and Aunt Sally three-pound trout for their dinner. Every single Fourth.
 "He was on his way back from takin' 'em their trout last Fourth when Murphy's bulldog pitched in and tackled him. Murphy was there, and so was Uncle David, and Uncle David see. by the look the torlele give him that the torkle was wi1lin' to dog off, and Uncle David told Murphy so.
 "But Murphy said no. The torkIc had the dog gripped by the tail, and the dog had the same hold on the torlz1e.
 "sAnd, David says Murphy, I'll bet you fifty. that the torkle let's go first 'tUncle David looked at the torkle and the torl<le looked at Uncle David.
 s'sI'1l double the bet!' says Uncle David, and they doubled the bet.
 s'The dog and the torkle hung on to one another and didn't say a word.
 tsThen the torlSIe rig up and walked for the river, holdin' his grip onto the dogs tail, and the dog holdin' his grip onto the torkle's tail. The torkle clunb into the river. Murphy's dog give shiver, but he held his grip.
 "The torlxle stayed on top spell. but the dog didn't let go. Then the torkle went under and took the dog with him, and everybody but Uncle David said that Murphy ought to called his dog off. but Uncle David said no; the dog'd let go O the torkle now, and come back, he said, and he'd win the bet. .
 s.But the dog didn't come back, nor the torlkle didn't come back, and by and by Murphy wanted to draw the bet, but Uncle David said no unless that torkle didn't show up this fall at 'tater-diggin' or turnip-pullin' time he wouldn't draw the bet; no, sir!
 .sAnd it begun to look as if the torlSle wasn't goin' to show up, when t'other day Uncle David seen him tot ter'in along to'rd the 'tater field, but he was so thin and wobbly that Uncle David hardly reco'nized him. And he was carryin' white bone in his mouth and draggin' another one along that was fast to his tail.
 ssUncIe David most busted into tears and sent for Murphy.
 :. There you bel says he to Mur- phy The torlxls has got the bone. O your buydog's taR in his mouth, and there's the jawbones O your bull dog clutchin' on to the torkle's tail!'
 ssYes, sir. Neither one O them crit ters had let go, and the bulldog had been eat up by the fishes, all but his iawbones that kept their clutch, and the torkle had held onto the bone e the dogs tail rather than let go and get somethin' to eat.
 ssUncle David took hold O the bone to pull it out O. the torkle's mouth so he could get some victuals into him, but the torkle wouldn't let go. He tottered ahead a couple Q steps.
 "Then somethin' clicked. The jaw. bones e the dog had cracked, and # let go The torkle's tail and fell off. Then the torkle give Uncle David a look and spit out the dogs tail bone! He had won the bet for Uncle David, butt
 :.Don't dwell on the rest" said Baldy, the landlord, holding up bet' hands. ''Go right in and get ten An gers of Jersey ginger if you want it and it won't cost you a cent. z
 The man from Pochuck smiled and went in. He stayed in until he had gone the limit. Thsre were tears in his eyes when he came out.
 .Lanelord," said he, wiping his eyes. T can't go away without own ing up. I lied to you about that amazin' snappin torkle."
 .sWhati. exclaimed Baldy, the land- lord. You don't mean to say that-''
 ..Yes, I do," said the Pochuck man, almost sobbing. T lied about it! I marked up that torkle's age, and I hadn't ought to done it. Them fig gers on his shell want 1891 at all. They was 1892"
 And the man from PochI1ck went