PAO» NINI
OUT-OF-DOORS STUFF
a game trail, where poison had been i
used, his indignation know no bounds. >
Each Christmas issue of The Sen He Icenched his withered hantfe and I
tinel I have given you a little Christ blinding team came to hfa old eyes.
mas story and so here’s another I Tears of rage, of pure helplessness.
The second year after poison had I
have written for you. Trust you will
enjoy it I wish alee Ao take this oc been resorted to Otter Dan’s total I
casion to thank the readers who have fur catch for the winter amounted to >
contributed bits of news and stories twenty-seven dollar«. The old man i
to my column in the pest and to wish skimped. He cut down on hfa food 1
and even on hfa beloved cut-plug. But ■
you all a merry Christmas.
it was no use. There was no work to >
be had and even though there had I
FORTY TIMES FORTY
been, Otter Dan was too feeble for '
Hfa name appeared on the county
most any sort of manual labor.
records as
Daniel Sherman—this
U waa bitter to have to acknow '
latest arirval at the poor farm. His
ledge defeat; to give up the little ■
old cronies would never recognize this
shack that he had called home for '
name nor associate it with Old Otter
so many yean; and become an inmate >
Dan, as he was familiary known to
of the county poor farm.
But he
hundreds. His poaaessiona consisted
couldn’t leave his traps behind. They
of a flour sack containing a suit of
were a part of his life. It would do
underwear, a pair of socks, a pair of
him good to have them near him; to
run-over shoes and a gunny seek of
fool with them; teat their strength
steel traps. Otter Dan had insisted
and imagine that be was once again
upon
bringing the hitter along.
Practically all hfa life, ever since he about to sally forth dnto the woods
in pursuit of furbearers.
’’
had been big enough to set a trap, he
Otter Dan was proud and hfa en
had trapped for fur.
trance to the poor farm was hard to
He knew no other trade and was an
bear. His old back seemed to bend
expert in his line of work. In fact he
a trifle more and his old Cheery smile
had acquired his monicker years be
was seldom ueen. For hours he would
fore by making a record catoh of ot
sit upon the veranda of the big white
ter.
buiding and dream of the years gone
But old age had claimed him and
by. He knew he hadn’t much longer
he was no longer able to buck the ele-
. on this earth and his proud old spirit
m-nts and go far into jungles in pur
revolted at the idea of dying a pau
suit of fur. But despite these facte,
per.
But what wae there to do?
Otter Dan was still able to make a Nothing. So with a sigh the old man
perfectly good living with his oteel would load up his pipe and leaning
traps, doser in to civilisation, until back in his chair, would dream some
the advent of the sheepmen.
more of those golden days, that had
With the coming of the latter and passed him by.
their flocks, poison bait was strung
Fall rolled 'round. It was only a
about the countryside, for the pur- few scant days to the opening of
pase of killing predatory animals trapping season and, as usual, at this
that preyed upon the sheep. The re time of year, Otter Dan began re
sult of this practice was appalling. ♦ ceiving mail. True it waa only circu
The fur-bearing animals which had lars—fur cineubm—
___
but they meant a
P^.*dn*
D*"’ WT*|
fonow. Bitring upon' the
By Lana I move
practically exterminated.
I porch in his favorite chair, he went
Otter Dan and several more mem over them one by one.
Fur» were
bers of Ms profession, appealed to sure high this season. If it hadn’t
sportsmen's organizations and com been for that poison bait, he would
mercial club, seeking to stop the wan have made good money. Yee, plenty
ton destruction, but to no avail.
of it.
Why, look at this! Otter up
The sheep industry must stay. What as high as fifty dollars! Regular war
did a few ignorant trappers’ opinions time prices! A paragraph art the
amount to? In vain, Otter Dan and bottom of the circular caught and
his associates sought to impress upon held the aged eyes. It read: “To be
them the fact that the predato» assured of a good Christmas stake,
could be trapped and that -poison ship all your furs to us.
We pay
need not be resorted to; that the poi more.” It went on to state how to
son was destroying harmless birds ship, etc., but Otter Dan’s aged eyes
and animals, as well as valuable fur- had «topped upon that one word that
bearerea. But a daaf ear waa turned stood out so distinctly from the
upon them.
others, that word which had leaped
Sadly, Otter Dan watched the ter at him from the other print, but waa
rible work of the poison slingers. The new seen only dimly through the mist
dsy he found ths mother 'coon and that filled hia lyw-QW
her two half grown ones lying along
Old Dan «wallowed hard,
dislodge the lump that had risen in doing by the superintendent of the Then—“ain’t much on flgurea, mis
hfa throat.
He brushed p gnarled farm, Dan replied, “Never have ter, so would you mind tellto’ me what
hand across his' eyes and blew his missed the first day of trappin’ sea forty times forty makes ? And any,
nose violently. Leaning back in his son since 1 was knee high to a grass Mister, wonder if you'd do me a little
chair he fished hfa pipe from his poek- hopper—that is, ’eeptin* this one. I favor. I ain't much on writin' and
et and carefully stoked it and aa he wias just aorta lookin’ the old steel spellin’ and 1 waa wondering if you'd
lit up he mused to himself, “Wish over."
Something like a sob sound drop old Pete Anthony a Christmas
they hadn’t sent me that price list— ed in the withered throat as he add card for me and tell the old aon-of-a-
drat it all anyway.”
ed, “Just fur old times* sake, you gun to meet me at. my shack three
That one word Christmas
had know."
days from now and bring my old gun
brought back a rush of memories. The
The superintendent was a kindly along that I left in his care, and tell
old shack which had been home to soul and was touched deeply by the him we're going to eat duck together
Dan for so many years was visioned old trapepr's apparent sorrow. He again this Christmas.”
again through the tobacco smoke. gazed at the old fellow for several
Each article in the little cabin stood seconds.
Suddenly he brightened.
His Humble Opinioa
forth distinctly—the three old dining “Say,” he said, “I saw an otter track
Motorist (Inquiring hie way)—Boy,
room chairs, the old rocker, the down on the bank of the stream last am I all right for the coo?
faded carpet and in the corner the week. He indicated the stream which
Bright lad—As far as I know you
squat lititle stove—the stove with an ran through the borders of the farm. are, mister, but I'm not running the
soo.—Montreal Uazette.
'
oven just large enough to admit the
It was the old man’t turn to bright
old blackened roaster with two plump en. “You don’t say!"
Sos You!
ducks nicely stuffed with dressing.
“I waa just thinking you might set
“After all," says a politician, “Great
Never had Otter Dan failed to have a trap or two for him. There might
Britain and America speak the same
two ducks for Christmas dinner. He be more than one.
I don't* 'know language.'
would always take time off from his much about them myself.” But his
"Oh, yeah?”—The Humorist Maga-
trap line a few days before Christ voice was drowned by the rattle of
mas and with Ms old muzzle loader, trap chain« as the eld trapper again
which he had clung to down through dumped his treasures upon' the porch.
UNANIMOUS
the yeans, slung across his shoulder,
A few moments lawr. Otter Dan,
he would set forth for the little pond a dozen traps in one hand, a hatchet
which nestled in a clump of willows and several yards of wire in the
far from the beaten path of the city other, was making his wsy across
gunners.
fields to the distant stream. It ap
Old Dan knew just how to approach peared that hiu step was quicker, that
that particular pond which was al his stooped shoulders had strengthen
ways certain to hold a flock of feed ed a trifle and there was no mistak
ing mallard*. He would make a cau ing the gleeful light which danced in
tious approach and presently the his eyes. The first day of trapping
booming voice of the old gun would season and as in rhe days of yore he
shatter the silence, the dense smoke wan on his way to make his seta the
of the black powder would splurge first morning!
These
thoughts
forth in a great cloud and the two brought once again that cheery smile
birds that Dan had signaled from the to Otter Dan’s lips.
flock lay quietly upon the water,
“What sort of fellow 1» JonesF
Arriving at the bank of the stream
while with quacks of alarm the rest his eye« travelled expertly along the
“Well, he means well."
“So you think him a nuisance, too.
nt the flock took wing. Upon arriv soft mud at the water’s edge looking
ing hom the old trapper carefully for sign. “Ah!” The breath fairly
Imagination
plucked and dressed the birds and whistled from his lipa as his gaze
She—Do you remember where you
hung them in the frosty night air un came to rest upon a portion of the
were first struck hy my beauty?
til Christmas morning.
bank on the opposite side of the
He—Tea, dearefa.
It was at a
It wouldn’t be Christmas without stream. It was worn smooth as glass
masked ba IL—Boston Transcript
roast duck and old Pete Anthony to and a trail led from the surface of
share them with him, a* he did each the water to the very top of the worn
No Stopping It
Christmas. No, it wouldn't be Chrfat- spot An otter slide.
Teacher—Willie, what la an adult?
mas without sitting down to a meal
Danb heart was thumping against
Willie—An adult la one that has
in that little shack.
True, he was his ribs with excitement as he found Stopped growing except In the middle.
treated well at the farm, but it waa a foot log and crossed the stream. The —Kansas City Htar.
far from being like home, and—the wire was unstrung, a trap taken
dinner gong sounding broke into the from the string, a long stake cut and
Ask Ned €. Kelley for rates on Fire
old man's reflections and with a ‘he was ready to make his set. And Insurance.
weary sigh he arose, stuffed the fur what a sat it was! Hb was not nick
circulars in his pocket and made Ma named Otter Dan for nothing. Stand
Calling carda 50 for SI.00.
way slowly toward the dining .oom.
ing back several yard« the old man re
The opening (4ay of trapping, sea garded the set intently,. nodded hfa
son rolled ’round. It found Otter Dan head in evident satisfaction and made
seated in his favorite chair, his sack his way on up the stream. When he
of treasured traps at his feet He returned that evenng, in spit« of a
had brought them from his room, strenuous day, his step waa still
dumped them upon the porch and springy and a score of years seemed
carefully gone over each of them. to have slipped from his shoulders.
When questioned
It fa just one week until Christ
Modern Prues Architecture
Sow« penal Institutions which have
adopted modern prison architecture are
the new federal penitentiary at Lewis
burg, Pa.; the New York Ulate Medi
um Security prison at Wa'.lklU. the
Massachusetts State prison colony at
Norfolk, the New Jersey reformatory
at Annandale, the Maryland State pen
al farm at Roxbury aad the new later
mediate reformatory at Jeffersonville.
Me.
For sound Are insurance, go to Nsd
& Kelley.
Dr. Mlles
NERVINE
"Did th» work’
says
Mias Oliver
WHY DON’T
YOV
TRY ITT
JBIy more
__________________
than three months
of suffering from a nervous ail
ment, Mias Oliver used Dr. Miles
Nervine which gave her such
splendid results that she wrote
us an enthusiastic letter.
• If you ruff er from"Ntrv»».“
If « you wvw
lie uuzurvu
awake night»,
Pw*|pv*wwg
aturt at sudden noises, tire
easily, are cranky, blue and
/Idpety, your nerves are
probably out of order.
•Julet and relax them with the
same medicine that “did the
work” for this Colorado girl.
Whether your “Nerves” have
troubled you for hours or for
yrers, you’ll find this time-
tested remedy effective.
At Drug Stores 25c and $1.00.
OR.
MILES'
ERVIN E
_____ i 'QUID
«
The Favor of Other Men
mas. It is evening. The superinten
dent of the poor farm and Otter Den
are seated tn the former’s office. The
superintendent has just completed a
long distant ’phone call.
The old
man fa leaning expectantly forward
in his chair.
“Well, Dan that house offers you
forty dollars straight through on good
grades of otter pelts.”
Old Dan strikea a match, applies it
to hfa ancient briar, blows a ring of
smoke ceiling-ward before replying.
f
Unless two pinto of bile juice
flow daily from your liver into
your bowels, your food decays in
your bowels. This poisons your
whole body. Movements get hard
and constipated. Yoji get yellow
tongue, yellow skin, pimples, dull
ryes, bad breath, bad taste, gas,
dizziness, headache. You have be
come an ugly-looking, foul-smell
ing, sour-thinking person. You
have lost your personal charm.
Everybody wants to run from you.
But don’t take salts, mineral
waters, oils, laxative pills, laxa
tive candles or ehewing gums and
LOOK HERE FRIENDS!
». *
DOLLAR SAVING OFFER!
ALLA ONLY
MAKE UR YOUR OWN CLUBI
CHOOSE
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