The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-19

git back home tiil way after dark, and his
sufferin' old father had gore TO bed, 90
Celeb didn't disturb him to tell him about II.
Next morr.in' bright and early. Ca 'eb
been circumvented in tryin' to walk OF
with sheep or two o. hisn, and sure enough
the de- d-f, II door wa down.
-''Ha. hal says Caleb. I've got the
ssnSeS s NE t.,sS Ye Of the door open
and riz the deadfah. Josiah, who do you
s'pose walked out o. the cabin? Caleb's
poor old father!
"a Now, most fathers, after being treated
like that, would have been 80 tremendous
mad that they'd have made the fur fly
around there, and no mistake, but s,iherin'
old Abner wasn't mad. He was jest hurt.
His poor old heart was banged. He
looked in sorrow at Caleb, and lie Gays:
IL Of YOU. An only son, tool he says.
And trappin. for his poor old father IS q
sheep thief! II you didn't want me around
no longer. Caleb he says. I'D a gone fur.
fur away. II YOU'D only give me hint hint
rant. ri go give myself up. You've
cooked the evidence eg'in me. all right. and
my gray hairs II 60 down in sorrow to the
county seat and rest In the jail,
Caleb he jest bellered and bellered, to
think that Abner should imagine for
minute that he s'pected him o bein' sheep
80. 'Tain't so much what you've done to
me. Caleb says poor old Abner. but
whatll jimmy say2 VIII jimmy be likely
that you've gone and made out to be a
sheep thief? She won't do it. Caleb! In
amin at your poor old father I'm afeerd
that you've put the ball under your own
foreshoulder, Caleb. says he.
"'Thi smade Caleb feel worse and worse,
to see what terrible thing he had gone
and done. and he begged OF his suherin'
| parent to tell him what he could do to
s says Ahnsr; the t tear. RI, .upn in.
same lords you as l use to. Caleb. says
he. "but seem as you're conscience-struck
| won't disgrace you by exposin' what
you've done, provided you give me 500 In
ossh q, and pay 70 sproo' spsnd
my closing days for long time back says
And Caleb, sorrowin', done It. And he
never sot no moro traps for sheep thieves.
And the funny part OF It vas that ne never sI.
said was more than he deserved. after treat
| in his poor old father the way he did. when
he had got up and gone. way over TO the
cabin in the night. suherin' as he was with
O. thieves and chase EN- away. not wantin'
en- to git In the jaws O. the big bar trap
that he thought was sot under the winder.
Caleb and jimmy got married, but
SEE what narrow escape Caleb had from
losin her, Just by trappin' for sheep thievesl
-. or course. says I, there hain't no
\ setch danger in your tryin' bar trap In
your chicken coop. II you want. l says;
hut bar traps clutches tremendous hard.
and there's them q Twin neighbors to you
that-well,' says, you've heerd my little
! recollection o. the Knob country, and II
! you want to set q trap why set it! That 9
| am says.
Josiah sot and thunk a spell, and then
went home--I haint spoke to old Jason nor
] mentioned his name in better than four
years, and here he goes and summonses
! me TO be the defendant in a suit for Islander
| he's bringin' agin mel Must be that some
; how he must q heerd somethin' or other
| and took it PERSONAL"
And the man from the Knob country
shook his head and grinned.