The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-06-05
[BFN PORCUP|NE WAS UNDER BED AND
AfN YORK BANKER WAS PREPARED
D Fire Stories by an Old Timer at Rowe
Pond Interesting Incidents

~ Auoo. liz Ndo sure that We COuIu
not get back. We tried to reassure
him, but did not succeed very we'll.
Even after we reached the camp he
insisted that We were lost. We asked
him how we could have found the
camp if we We're lost and he could not
answer that, but still he did not
change his mind about our being lost.
While we were fishing that evening
louis and l told him a few stories to
get his blood circulating. l said,
We'll, Louis, | see that the old
scratches are still on the door"
Yes, | noticed Them he answered.
What's that asked Mr. Cotton.
Last year, told him, Louis and
were over here and brought some
food just as we did tonight. We did
not think about bears and put it right
inside the door. Before we Went to
bed we barred the door | don't
know how we happened to do it, be-
cause no one ever locks a door up
here, but we did. During the night
a bear came around and smelled the
bacon. He stood up on his hind
legs and tried to push the door open
and his claws tore those scratches in
the tarredy paper on the door.
Mr.. Cotton swallowed this story
whole. OF course there was no truth
in it. The door opened outward and
the scratches were made by pushing
a stick against the door to keep it
closed when the camp was not in use.
But Mr.. Cotton did not notice this
discrepancy.
Then Louis told him a story about
Ii.
and beloved and scratched his back
against the corner of the cabin much
as a pig will scratch his back by rub
bing against something. Mr.. Cotton
swallowed that story, too.
After a while we were ready for bed.
Mr.. Cotton got in with his overcoat
and shoes on. Said he was likely to
be cold. We made him take off the
heavy boots but he still retained the
coat The bed in this cabin by the
way, we built clear across one end OF
the cabin Six or seven men could
sleep there side by side very comfort
ably That night, Louis was on one
side, | was on the other and Cotton
in the middle OF course, Louis and
being young, growing boys and very
tired, went to sleep Immediately
Never shall | forget that next
morning. | opened my eyes and
found myself looking at Mr., Cotton.
He was sitting bolt upright in the bed
| have never seen anyone sit so
straight On his head he had white
handkerchief in which he had tied
knots at the corners. He was wear
ing it as a night cap. In his lett
hand he had one of those very long
thin old fashioned hand bags probably
at least forty or fifty years old at that
time. In his right hand he had one
of those old fashioned, double bar
relied pistols-one barrel under the
other-called a derringer, think.
| kept very quiet He did not
move. Finally | stirred and he looked
around and then heaved sigh OF re
lief. whats the matter / asked nm
"Welln he answered last night,
after we went to bed, | thought that
while we were out fishing, a pofcu-
nine might have come into the cdbII
and hidden under the bed, Anu
have been sitting here all night walt
ing for him
When we had stopped laughing we
had breakfast and then took MI COZ
ton back to his soft bed at Rowe Pond
where he made up his lost sleep thal
afternoon.
remember very we'll another trip
TO Lost Pond that ! took with Alifeo
Walker another young fellow from
Boston. 1t had been raining for seF-
eral DAYS and finally cleared on about
noon one day. Alfred and | Went
ont on Rowe Pond to do a little bait
fishing. But the fish would not bite'
After a while we got to talking anon
Young's Pond and finally decided TO
go over. We rowed back 20 camp
got some provisions from MIS-. Way
field and started out. Inc hpal III
Bean Pond was full OF water oui we
did not bail it out Alfred fe","
with his feet up on the sides oil inc
boat out of the water and / stood up
on the stern balancing myself '-
hest I could. We reached the ponN
and got a boat and started ASh'he "'
.evactlv six o'clock The fish were
jumping near the dock. We No''
using flies. t,
Every time we east "a lly "o eaue'',
a fish Then We got organI@ea
would put out my line ana calsh
fish and Alfred would net H. neil
while was getting my line ready 10
20 ont again he would eaten Il ,7.
and / would net his. We kept la'l
m for two hours IA long time al''
If got so dark that We coulu 10, s,O
our lines. When We feiulheu p"
eamp an 8 o'clock We had twenty
eipht hsh-twenty one salmon anu
seven trout averaging Il niue oel'{'
than three quarters of pound eae"'
That was some sport a..
But it did not beat very muea tno
snort D'Auby and had lately at bean
Pond which is one OF the ilIe po,uS
usually called the Rowe Ponds. we
went over to Bean at O'Clock IA ,3e
afternoon and came back al ciooN'
Part of the time was spent III ~, 10"
ing around to find the hsh' l'.n
" .tro,,g tyo mounds | got