The Western news., 1903-09-30
Tales from the
Knob Country
'sT HE Knob country lost its leadin'

T HE Knob country lost its leadin'
and most valuable citizen when
Uncle Jasper died" remarked The man
from that stored part OF the Pike coun-
ty wilderness thai lies baclt OF Lacka-
wack why, Uncle Jasper could
actu'lly smell bear, Uncle Jasper could!
And when 1t come TO wild cats why,
gosh all hemlock! he was like prophet
OF old
One time | hadn't seen a wildcat in
two months, and | wanted couple the
wust way. Seemed as if wild cats had
all left the county So, one day | was
passin' along by Uncle Jasper's and l
asked him where all the wildcats was.
He said he hadn't thought nothin'
about wildcats for good while.
why, says he, do you want some?'
"'Only couple says.
Lemme see, says he. This is
along in November he says.
Then he looked around at the wealth
er awhile, and seemed to be considerin'
the leaves, how they was fallin', and
then he says:
w MI, I'uil !, liS say oCS Oy lA0
way things looks that there's couple
o wildcats down back O the swamp
yender, he says, and I'm glad you come
along, he says, cause ! wouldn't "a
thought nothin' about wildcats if you
hadn't come along he says, and them
two would a been up here and played
hob with my chickens tonight, sure!'
he says. 1 wish you'd go down and git
'em, he says. but you won't git em
both if you don't act right, for they amt
together
Go down Just beyend the big tama-
racks first he says. There, in one O.
them tanaracks, or nigh it. you'll run
agin one o. them Wildcats he says.
It'll be the littlest one O. the two.
Don't kill her dead he says. Jest wing
her SO she can't cit away or jump on to
you. Then she'll YELL Great Jupiter!
how she'll yell! he says.
Then you want to keep your eye
peeled sharp. fer it won't be long before
tother un2ll come tearin' along that way,
from up yender in the laurels. where he's
layin' about this time, watchin' fer a
pheasant.
He'll hear them yells O. her'n,' says
Uncle Jasper, and he'll tear down to see
what's goin' on. Stand out good where
he'll see you about the time he gifts with
in couple o. rod O. where t'other un's
yellin' and spittin' and squallin',' says
Uncle Jasper. When he sees you he'll
stop and squat. Then you let him have
1t.
"'And be sure you kill him. If you
don't mebbe you'll be sorry you went
down after EN-. So be sure you kill him.
"'Then, says Uncle Jasper, you kin
settle t'other un,' he says, and you'll
have em both and am glad you come
along he says, SOS to set me to thinkin'
about wildcats, and SOS could sort O.
locate these two fer you he says.
Them two is all there is in these parts
to-day, 'cordin' to the signs, he says.
That's the way Uncle Jasper laid out
the programme fer me that day as to
wildcats, and l follered it out and got
'em both. A leadin' and valuable citi-
zen Uncle Jasper was, and it was big
swat to the Knob country when he
passed away.
1T was somethin' tough on him that
he had to go, too, partic'ly as he had to
leave setch woman to be a widder as
Hammer was. Why, whenever remem-
ber Hammer and them three bears | all
most have to set down and shed tears for
Uncle Jasper to think he had to go and
leave setch woman widder.
Them three bears, the old she ono
and the two spring cubs, they come down
into the corn patch at Jasper's clearin'
Jest about dusk one day, when the milk
was in the corn, and laid out to have a
high old feast on to it. They knowed
them bears did. jest as sure as you're
born, that Uncle Jasper was way back
o. the Knob. havin' the gun with him.
and wasn't comm home that night; but
they didn't know that Hammer had so
many p'ints about her.
'They had been rompin' around in the
corn. tearin' off roastin' ears and havin'
good time generly, before Hammer dis
covered EN- There want no gun in