The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-14
THE WOLF-SHEEP
L AND THE SHEEP-WOLF.
Uncle Jase Rescues the Squire
From the Suspicion Of the
Knob Country.

LAcKAwAxEN, Pa july ie.-@Even Simon
looked at the Squire sort o pityin' an
sorrowin' after the Squire had told him
about it," said the man from the Knob
country, ~an' there amt no doubt but
what I'd ~suspicioned him till my dyin'
day. il Uncle Jase hadn't spoke up an
said: ,
Believe itH' says he. Why not? Natur'
ia queer. a n the queerest thing she does
amt the settin' OF an old cat to nussin'
a passel o. gray squir'ls. not by a durn
sight, says he.
THE Squire had come in to Simon's
store, over to Eddy. al sot down on the
three legged cheer. l was on the cracker
bari. Uncle Jase bein' bumped up on the
mackerel kit. an Simon was lollin' ag'in
the counter. SOS he had the pail o. loose
chawin' behind him. Right away the
Squire up an says: .
" Beats all. says he, about Ellis Sans
old cat. Last week she had a litter o.
kittens. an Ellis Sans folks not wantin'
EN- around. havin' a new litter o. boun'
pups on their hands jest then, tooh the
kittens out an ~drownded EN-.
The old cat disappeared. an what mas
she lone but brung ia half a dozen young
gray squir'ls, hsvin' ct their nanny, I
s'pose. an ia nussin' Of 'em up as lovin
as il they was her WIZ nat'ral offspring
instead o. the git O. creaturs she's been
huntin' dow an dinin' on ever sence she
was big enough TO do il.
Kin you believe that now?' says the
Squire, an even Simon. who has swore by
the Squire fer twenty year an better,
looked at him sort o pityin' an sorrowin'
an there amt no doubt but what I'd sus-
p~icioned him till my dyin' day. il Uno!e
Jase hadn't spoke up an sot il out hat way
that natur' was queer, an that the queerest
Of her doin's want the settin' Of an old cat
TO nussin' a family o. gray squir'ls.
But the Squire he looked disappointed
when Uncle Jase give it in as his opinion,
so to speak. that the cat an squirt sarcum-
stance was only n triHin' caper o. %natur's,
fer somehow the Squire hadn't never took
the opinions Of Uncle Jase rs them as ought
TO be sot down in the books as perceedents
to go by.
why. there amt nothin' funny about it
at ALI says INCL Jase. gittin' up often the
mackerel kit an steppin' forrid. which
caused Simon TO take his pityin' an sor-
rowin' eyes often the Squire an hoist him
self on to the counter. with his back socked
square ag'in the pail O. loose chawin'.
There amt nothin' funny about it at all!
says Uncle Jase. takin' a chaw of his own
outen his vest pocket an settlin' Town on
to a couple O. b. gs o. feed that vas layin'
there. But I wa mt to tell Ellis Sans folks
one thing, an that il that they better kill
them squir'ls before they grow up, an
the sooner the better!
Them squir'ls won't only be squir'ls,
but they'll nuss the natur' o. their cat
nanny, too n'whatM be the c~onsekences?
The consekencesn be that they'll clean the
trees O. that deestric' outen every bird there
il In il, an wipe out every young chicken
the country t~hereabout kin put in its best
ticks a-hatchin"
An that amt all. They'll carry their
cat natur' even ag'in the squirt Is, an slaugh-
ter their own ancestors an their uncles
an aunts N cousins, jest az II they had
been born real cats. instead o. only bein'
cats by breedin'l II Els Sans folks is
up to snuf they'll drownd or smother or
bison them squirls before they'm a week
older. says Uncle Jase.
-The Squire wigGled around on his cheer
facin' to'rd Uncle Jase, an | could see that
ne was goin' to say somethin' that some folks
mowt n twisted into remarks refiectin'
on Jason. but Simon cut in ahead of him. an
says to Uncle Jase, toler'hle severe:
jason says he, do you recomember
any cat as riz a family o squirls as acted
that way?'
Uncle Jase chawed n minute, an then
SAYS, talkin' straight al me:
Now, Danl.' says he, did | say l did?'
Il says to Jase that "a fur as ] knowed l
hadn't heerd Of him sayin' so.
NO says he, nor you wont hear o
me sayin' so, neither, No, Dan1,' says he,
actin as il there want nobody else by. an
as il I had rz the hull question. An why
won't you never hear me say that ! reco-
member a cat as riz a family o suuirls as
unless they'm took out an drownded or
somethin'?
-"Cause I don't recomember setch.' saws
Uncle Jase. p u | know natur', Danl,'
saws he, an I know what she'll do.
don't recomember no cat-squirls, but
recomember a wolf-sheep an a ~sheep-wolf,
an ! know what I'm talkin' about, Dan1H
saws he.
Then | knowed Uncle Jase was goin'
10 lug in a perceedent that d make IL ridic'-
lous fer any one to carry doubt ag'in that
citation o. the Squire's from Ellis Sans,
an mine faded awav like n passin' cloud.
But Simon he dropped down offen the counter
an went 10 the hack end o. the store, leavin'
the pail ~ loose chawin' u~nkivered, as IL
he mowt Jest as we'll surrender first as last,
an the Squire wiggled on his cheer till he
made il squeak.
"'Danl,' saws Uncle Jasa. there was
VOLTS a-plenty yit around the headwaters
when I was a boy. Why, if | r~ecomember
right. before I was 10 year old ] had to git
up many n night an go out an shoot \ wolf
or two in our ward before I could git to
sleep. they hollered an yelled an fit so
tremendous.
-'We KEEP quite a few sheep fer them DAYS
in the Knob country, an to keep EN- safe
while they was pasturin' somebody had to
stand around 'em with a gun TO plug VOLTS az
fhev come sneakin' outen the woods on the
lookout fer mutton.
"'But fer all the watchin'. every wunst in
n while soma rampagin' old wolf would
alp IN an grab n lamb or rip up a eve.
Dar1,' ga vs. Uncle Jase. they was fierce"
"l'ncle Jase was 40 worked up over the
recomemberin' o. them fierce VOLTS that
he tossted his chaw into the woodbox
an was steppin' acrosst TO where the I'M
protected pail o loose chawin' was standin'
on the counter Whether the Squire had
got a little skeert AT the pictur' Uncle Jase
drawed n them VOLTS or not ] don't know,
hut he riz outen his cheer an drifted in the
same direction that Uncle Jase was goin'.
an got there ahead Of him. an Jest on the
minute that Simon had worked back from
& other end o. the store an took the pail
down an put it behind the counter. shown
that though he now view the Squire with
4. ,stutnf an IN aoTrpxpin' nya tho rulin'