The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26
A WISE MAN OF
n THE KNOB COUNTRY,
Uncle Jasper's knowledge Of Wild
Cats and the Remarkable Woma,
He Left a Widow.

part OF the Pike county wilderness that liz.
back of LnckawGcli, why, Uncle Jasnar
could actully smell bear, Uncle Jasns,
could. And when it come to wild emf,
why, gosh oil hcmlock he was Ike
prophet Of nd'
"One time hadn't seen wildca, in tro
months. end ! wanted couple tile wus.
way. Seemed "a If wild cats had all lief, tina
county. SO, one day was passin' alons
by Uncle Jaspers and | asked him vbors
all tho wildHofs 900
Ale said hr hadn't thought nothin ahma
wildcats for Il good while
Why. Saws he, do you wan, somey
Only Il couple | says
femme see, si,ys he 'This is alorrln
November he says.
Then he looked Ground at the woa,her
awhile, and seemed to BE- consllorin' Tho
leaves, how they was fallin, and then Ia
says
Well, Dan'l' he says, I see by the way
things looks that there's couple o Wildcats
down back o the swamp yender.' he saws.
and I'm glad you come along he saws.
cause wouldn't "a thought nothin'
about wildcats il you hadn't come along
he says, and them two would a been IN
here and played hob with my chicken,
tonight, sure he says i wish you'd 20
down and git en- he says. but you won't
git 'em both il you don't act right, for they
amt together
Go down just beyend the big tamaracks
first, he says. There, in one o them ta,na-
racks, or nigh it. YOU Il run agin one o them
Wildcats he says.
tn be the lttlest one o the two. Don't
kill her dead he says. Jest wing her 70
She can't git away or jump on to YOU. Then
she'll yell. Great Jupiter. how she'll veil.
he says
Then you want to keep your eve peeled
sharp, fer it won't be long before t'other
I'm u come tearin' along that wav, from
up yender in the laurels, where's he's LAWN
about this time. watchin' fer a pheasant.
He'll hear them yell- o her'n,' saws
Uncle JasEer, and he'll tear down to sea
what's goin' on. Stand out good where
hen see you about the time he gifts within
II couple o rcd q where t'cther un's a
yellin' and spittin' and squallin'' saws
Uncle Jasper When he sees YOU he'll
step and squat. Then you let him have it.
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.
settle t'other un,' he says, and you'll have
EN- both, and arm glad you come along
he says, SOS to set me 10 thinkin about
wildcats. and SOS / could sort o locate
these two fer YOU he says. Them two ia
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 Wild
cats. and follered it out and got EN- both.
A leadin' and valuable citizen Uncle Jasper
was, and 1t was big swat to the Knob
country when he passed away.
1T was somethin' tough on him that he I
had to CO. too. particly as he had to leave
was Why, whenever remember Hammer
and them three bears almost have to SET
down and shed tears for Uncle ''sper 10
think he had to go and leave setcu u woman
a wilder.
Them three bears, the old she ono and
the corn patch at Jasper's clearin jest about
dusk one day, when the milk was in the corn,
and laid out TO have high old feast on TO
it. They knowed, them bears did, Jest az
sure as you're born, that Uncle Jasper
was way back O the Knob, havin' tho gun
with him, and wasn't comm home that
night; but they didn't know that Hammer
had so many pints about her
They had been rompin' around in the
corn, tearin' off roastin' ears and havir'
a good time gener'ly, before Hammer dis
covered EN- There want no gun in tn"
house, but Hammer didn't calc'late to let
that bear family harvest that corn crop.
gun or no gun.
Uncle Jasper had both the dogs with
him, too, but the little yaller whitfet was
20 home. So Hammer, she grabbed pitch
fork. and calm the whiffet, started fer Tho
corn patch to attract the bears
THE bears didn't SEQ her till the whifes
l.. tl,.srv
did look up and s"e what was comm they
only shifted. Jest as il they considered thai
here was more fun than ever cut OUT for
EN-. But Hammers dander was way mp.
and when the old bear riz on its hind feet
and made a big shown o teeth, Tanner
marched right on and give the hear Il lab
with the pitchfork that made il boiler
The whiffet attacted the bear in the
rear at the same time, and the three ot en-
scrambled away and Skinned up chestnut
tree that stood in the patch.
"If them bears had an idec that by gitttn'
ont o the way q the dog and the pitChf"rk
in this way hey was g"n' Ia have the field
all to themselves when Hammer got tired ~
waitin' fer ON 10 come down aud went
away, they was terrible miStook FMS
Sam lived only mile from there, and
Hammer could "A soon skited over md SOD
him and his gun. but she want guin ~
take no chances on them bears git'in away,
so She plunkeD neFshI Gown al VIZ" lNol w..
the tree and KEEP tho bears from gittln'
down o,Iten it, though they tried to do 10
more han a dozen times
Hammer knowed that Eli's sam d In
along by there early III the mornln, 80
there she sot and so, all night labDn' tie
pitchfork good and deep into IN" bears
every time they'd think they had 4 chance
to sneak down, and seutn en- pacS
outen reach a'gin. hollorn' and gri'tln'
their teeth.
"A little after daylight next mornin'
Eli Sam come along, on his way TO h's
chopin, and as luck would have Vt he ha1
his gun with him. lie hcered some one
hollerin' to him, and he see Hammer st1ndn'
in the corn beck"nin To- him WITH tns
pitchfork.
What's the matter, Hammer sass ELS
Sam.
"'There amt nothn' the matter" HAMMER
hollers back. Blu | got crop o b"ais
here. and | want you 70 help me- Ge'her
en- she holer.
"Ihen Ellis sam. he see the bears in -
tree. and he trotted over there on ~.
double quick and picked off al three ~
EN- rs easy AZ turning pancakes
"A shame to leave Setch "A woman as
Hammer a widder? Should saw so, and
leadin' citizen and valuable IN H." kn9n
country though he was. | wouldn't !"
hunk Uncle Jasper would "a done It
But Hammer didn't stay a wido"r long.
How could she? A lumber contractor
with considerable money rescued Ter. ana
they tell me she's Twin NJ th" county,
seal now. in n real board h0u.N with -hinErS
on to II, an hes woman 10 do '"r "a"h'h'
GIANT TURTLE ~ NET.