The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1913-04-03
Professor Tweee,
Claim Jumper
Q, LAURA COLBY

SVnssauuy tuTusuu8 themselves upon
%. must needs be going back not thou.
sands but millions Of years To a peri.
Cd when there was not labor union,
. su6ragette society or q trust. to dig
up the bones Of dinosaurs, ichthyo.
sauri and kindred animals, which, In.
stead OF being as We are today, all
brains and no body. were all. body and
no brains.
There was Professor Tweeg Of -
university. who had no use for a hu.
man being who lived on the banks OF
the Nile 5000 years ago. but consider.
ed a trilobite Of the palaeozoic period
q very interesting creature. And the
university to which he was attached
seemed willing to send him anywhere
he chose to go for the purpose Of dig.
ging for bones so old that they are
only ft for paving purposes.
Professor Tweeg was riding about
on such quest over the western
plains mounted on a horse which
should have been more interesting to
him than those Of mastodon, from the
fact that his bones were ready for q
glue factory, when he met girl
In cowboy costume with a rife slung
to the pommel Of her saddle and no
end Of cartridges bristling in her belt.
"Howdy, stranger" she said:
Good morning" replied the profess
sor from behind his spectacles.
BE you the Teller that jumped the
Darby and Jones claim?"
"No." replied Tweeg. I'm the man
to whom 1t was reported that the bones
Of an extinct animal were buried over
there (pointing). and I've been digging
for them. I'm going there now to con.
tinue my search"
"Waal. I reckon you'd better let the
mis'able buried animal alone and light
out The owners of the property air
after you. and IL they ketch you they're
likely to make you dance with your
legs too short to reach the ground.
There they come now"
In times of danger man Is expected
! to step to the front But what can be
expected Of a fellow who is absorbed
In an age when even stone headed
weapons hadn't been invented? Tweeg
looked SO helpless that the girl took
pity on him. "You come along with
me-" she said. and. turning her horses
head toward a gulch in the mountain.
she and the professor fastened toward
It, chased by the mounted men. When
they arrived at defensible position
the girl gave the order to dismount and
got behind powders heaped together
by past foods. Tweeg, approaching
the danger much more readily than
could be expected from one Of his i'm
practical disposition. placed himself
beside her
"Whar's yer gun?" she asked.
"My pistol? haven't any arms"
lord save us! Was you born with.
out any brains in yer head?"
There was no time to reply to this.
for the men who were after the mine
Jumper had dismounted and were ad-
vnncing on foot, each man with cock
ed rife in his hand. When they came
within range one of them called out:
"Come out O. that"
you better cone and take us out"
replied the girl
"Who are you?"
I'm Nan Jones'"
"You Nan Jones? What yol dom
with that galoot that was diggin' our
gold?"
Reckon he want after dust"
THAT won't wash. What else could
he be after?'
There was parley between Nan and
the professor, and It was agreed that
he should explain. Nan exacted a
promise that the miners should hold
OF for awhile. and the professor raised
bis head above the rocks.
"Jist look at himr' cried one Of his
opponents. Hes got double lights in
his head"
"Reckon he's one O. them monkeys
they had in the show that come along
spell ago." said another
my friends" said the professor, II
had no idea that ! was jumping your
claim or digging in mine at all. l
was told that a peculiar bone was
found on your property and, having ex.
amined It, found 1t to be Of the ID.
nosaurian family"
There hain't never been no SIGH
family buried there" tie spokesman
shouted. II been here forty year and
know what ! say"
mot human family" the professor
fastened to say. II refer to an animal
thirty feet long," =
what are you givin' us?"
II don't mean that It exists now, but
lived many millions Of years ago"
Expressions OF impatience were
heard coming from tho men, and they
showed signs Of ending the pariey.
"He's looney. You don't want to Kill
an imbecile. do your cried Nan.
II assure you" the professor con.
tinued, ''that am In my sober ssnssA
I have been sent out here TO-
prospect for bones1' cried one Of
the miners.
II have been sent out here BY -
university to look for tho dinosaur, tho
ichthyosaurus and the BUFFALO"
"Oh, shet upi There hain't been q
buffalo in these parts in ten year."
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