Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-01-11
Beur Story.

Old Long John -, the Bear Hunter, said ::
One mornin in May, in the year 1810-least ways
it was blackberry time-I took Old Deah-in-he Path
the name of his rife,) on my shoulder, and belted
Old Butcher around my waist, and off started, to
look for deer, up Doggy Quit. After walked two
three miles, and seem deer, begin to look for
sign of other varmints. Now mind you, be God sirs
this is the truth am teln and want you all to lis
tin know (said he) that it is a matter long ago
given up, that all old hunters will e and must &C
knowledge that will lie little, too if you corner
me too close about bar fght-that is, if have to
shoot than time at it it always discom-
boborates me to fight bar in cane-break with an
empty gun, onless my dogs as mighty good-then
don't kere fig; jist walk right into 'em with Old
Butcher CHS knife J but if the dogs amt true al
ways git mad, and then | am jst apt to go right
off from it as any other way And, as I was sayin,
was lookin for sign and sure enough, be God
srs, soon found plenty right fresh and soft bar sign
I followed it up twill it come to big botte-eended
holler stump of tree that had been broke off about
fifteen foot above the ground | examined it well;
saw scratches and nail marks plenty on the stump :
so lent Old Death agin tree and laid Old Butch
er down by her. l thot hearn something nesting
inside the stump, so tuck off my shoes and up it |
went; when come to the top looked in, did; and
what do you think I seed Why two cub bars, be
God srs, rolling and playing down thar jist like two
little niggers. WE'LL says |, you're jst the critters
have been wantin for long time, for pets for the
children. So jist numbered ght down among them,
did. Then if you could bin thar to a hearn the
russ they kept up-slcn hoIleflng ana screaming
Oh it beat any baby crying ever heard, all holler
got mad at last and begin to slap first one, then
tother to try to make hush, but instead of that,
it made UNI ten times | luckily kept my btlt
on let it out few holes bigger and slipped one
under it each side, did, Then for the first time,
seed my salvation. Now, the holler of the stump
was heep bigger at bottom nor it was at top, and
could git no foothold to climb out by. Man tell
you, begin to feel mad then and them critters
keeping SIGH FUSS could hear nothing else while
they kept squalling, ist sot down, did, and stu
died, and studied, and studied, what on yearth
might ist well try to climb out of forty foot well
that warn't curbed. begin to think maybe the Old
She might come along arter while, to suckle her
young-an then thought to myself says |, | am in
nice fix here, mile from home in boiler tree, and
no gun knife, and every prospect of fight with
an Old She, he God sirs Man tell you was mad
then! All al oace, while was studyin about it, |
heard the allfredist rppet outside you ever heard
the Old She had come sure enough. Oh was mad
then, I was. All at once thought struck me ;
knowed that an Old She (nor bar of any kind, in
deed) could not bear to be fingered behind much SC
l intended to act accordin. When she enteredl the
top of the stump she made all look dark below tell
YOU she did I got on my feet and waited twell
could jst cleverly reach her, did; you know they
always come down tail formost. AS soon as | could
reach her, l grabbed her behind with both hands
and give her the whoop did; if ever you saw
skeered bar-and was mad, be God, sirs. She took
me faster than any railroad car twel she landed
about ten foot from the root of the stump, fiat my
belly, she did. Oh man was mad but sort
stuntifed-like by the fall Before could git Old
Death she was clean outen sight and running. 3
Now this is the truth" SULPHUR FORK.
great deal have omitted several that might per
haps be inserted to some advantage. He used the
words, " Mind you, be God, sirs,; very often wher
relating bear story. S. F.