Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-02-05

4 cOuluh ugRef out why IN Sam
Hill that snappin' torkle had pitched
in and licked Snedeker's bull says
Uncle David Beckendarter, not till ]
found him in my orchard the next
fall, shakin' down a BARI or more O.
my eh'cest fall pippins; then / got the
idee, an I've had it ever sence,' says
Uncle David, that he had them pip
pins on his mind when he took a hand
In that fight and licked Snedeker's
bull, on purpose 10 save my bull from
licl1in' Jest to git on the right side
o. me, SOS / wouldn't say nothin'
when he sniyvled on them apples that
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 comm So,
and is all bowed down over the pass
in away o. that amazin' Drownded
Lands snapipn torkle."
81 hain't got time to tell you how
cheerin' that amazin' snappin' torkle
/ has been to Uncle David and Aunt
Sally ever sence the fall he licked
Snedeker's shorthorn bull" he said.
1.-The pelts o. the mushrats that he
has ketched winters and give to
Uncle David more than riz 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 a month.
"And he's been comm up every fall
and pullin' turnips and diggin' taters
and shakin' down apples on Uncle
Davids place, enough so last him
| through winter, and every Fourth OF
July he fetched Uncle David and Aunt
Sally a 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 torkle give
him that the torkle was willin' 10
give Murphy time enough 10 call his
dog off, and Uncle David told Murphy
so.
"But Murphy said no. The torkle
had the dog gripped by the tail, and
the dog had the same hold on the
torkle.
"'And. David says Murphy, III bet
You fifty that the torkle let's go first
"Unelc David looked at the torkle
and the torkle looked at Uncle David.
am double the bet!' says Uncle
David. and they doubled the bet.
"The dog and the torlle hung on
TO one another and didn't say word.
"Then the torkle riz 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
clumb into the river Murphy's dog
give a SILVER, but he held his grip.
"The torkle stayed on top a spell.
but the dog didn't let go. Then the
torkle went under and took the dog
with MIN, 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 q
win the bet.
"But the dog didn't come back, nor
the torkle didn't come back, and by
and bv Murphy wanted TO draw the
bet. but Uncle David said no unless
that torkle didn't show up this TAU
at 'tater-diggin' or turnip-pullin' time
he wouldn't draw the bet; no, SIR.
"And it begun 10 look as If the
torkle wasn't goin' TO show up, wheh
t'other day Uncle David seen him tot
term along to'rd the 'tater field, but
he was so thin and wobbly that Uncle
David hardly reco'nized him. And he
was earryin' a white bone in his
mouth and draggin' another one
along that was fast to his tail.
"ITnele David most busted into
I tears and sent for Murphy.
"sThere you bel says he to Muir
. nbv The torlxle has got the bone
O. your bulldogs tail in his mouth
and there's the jawbones o your pun.
dog clutchin' on to the torkle's tan!
ayes. sir. Neither one o them crit,
ters had let go, and the bulldog had
been eat up by the fishes, all put my
iawbones that kept their clutch ana
the torlle had held onto the bone o
the dogs tail rather than let go ana
get somethin' TO eat.
"Uncle David took hold o the bone
70 null 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 o steps.
"Then somethin' clicked. The Jaw
homes O. the dog had cracked, and u
let go the torkle's tail and fell on
Then the torkle give Uncle David a
look and spit out the dogs tail bone!
; He had won the bet for Uncle David
but"
Don't dwell on the rest" said