The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-06-08
From the Boston Olive Branch.
Stoves Bear Story.
BIT ALFRED TENNYsoN.

4 few weeks ego we gave the readers
of the Olive Branch good account of
old Steyes adventure in tie capitol. Now
we Give them one of his wonderful bear
hunts, in which he shines brighter than
in his career IS l. gislator.
Old Steve had but one hand having lost
the other BY some means. One night
when some half dozen of US wore seated
IA the Office of the Bartlett House, after
taking bis accustomed dram, he seated
himself by the fire. and was Immediately
importuned to tell a bear story.
"Tel thom about the one N which you
lost your hand" said the Landlord, with
u low chuckle.
''Yes, that is it; let US have itr' ex-
claimed several.
avail, seeing you must have one, l
don't caro- if do tell that ere one" re-
piled old Steve, and throwing his quid be-
hind the backlog, he began:
"You sec it was good many years
ago, when had that tnssol with that ere
bar. | was a Young Teller then, and had
Jest built my cabin by the foot of
Chouara, and had translated my old
'oman and the two young cubs she had,
This two first boys into it. want a
hit afraid of wild beasts in them days,
for [ calculated [ could have throwed
the Old Nick in fair wreste 9. [ was
'siddered great at hugsin them days, and
that was the way the bars, the tarnal
critters, liked to fight; so want tall
skittish, tho it was Rear two miles to
the nearest nabors. Wall. we moved in
the spring, and as soon as the snow w:s
gone | planted my corn and taters, and
when [ had finished, built fenco
round to keep my old cow and a sheep,
and lamb, bad, out of it, but needn't
have done it, for tho COW broke her neck
over log, and the bars catched the sheep
before [ had got it done.
Zone day was out hocing my corn;
/, was an awful hot day in June, when
what should see bat large bar como
ont of the woods and make straight to-
ward ne, jest as independent rs q drunk
GU man on Fourth Of July. My old
omen seed the bar the same timo did,
and come to tho door of the cabin and
scrceched for me to run as fast as my legs
could carry ne. But didn't run. Ny
Iander riz when thought of the sheep
and lamb, that the pesky critter had cat
up; and SO | r;z my hoe-handle over my
head and waited Tor him.
"The bar kept on till he got within
'l.nlt tLr.o foot Of ,ne, then he hstod
himself on his hinder parts, and locked
r.e rite in tho face, with his paws held
eat really 10 give me Il hu9gin. Ny old
omen seeing that / want agoin to run,
come Il cantering cut to where we were,
with her two cubs 4 following arter, and
s,ualiing with nil their night. | spccts
they come to see tina; VIC lad far 4 5ht.
"Wall, We eyed one another kiud of
sharp for some time, bnt at last | b gan
~ think it WAS about time to bring things
to climax, 81 ; died. up toward the old
bar, aud gave him y wback ritz on his
snout, which broke my hoe-hando into
two pieces. H gave mo one awful
grtwl atcl spra,g rite toward me with
his mouth wi,lc open, but met him half
way and Stickiag a'Y LETT hand into las
ja,cs, Icaught hia By tie tongue while
with my right grabbed him by the tail!
Tho tall" exclaimed one of old
Stoves auditors.
"Yes, his tail. Don't 'rupt me- lie
had mighty long tail for bar, aud |
hung to him like all persessed. The old
bar tried to hug me, but he couldn't do
IL: ami as Nance was pe'ting him over
tho bod with the broken hoe, he thought
it b. st to leave; SO he brought his jaws
dawn smash into my arm, and started in
such a pligh, that had 70 go to. And
we went That pleasure ride of Johnny
GiIpin was nothing compared with it.
.O'or stumps and trees, DER hills and
yalcs,' as the poet bas it, we went; my
cid 'oman coming on behind at the rate
II two-fsrtv, and yelling, Let the bar 90,
Steve, or YOU are g0nor.' Jest as tho
could let 20, with that ere bars teeth in
INV arm. Putty soon we come to the
fence that | had built, and know that
there was hotter behind It ftdg Of snov;
aud thinks |, old bar, if caa get We in
10 that Eve got ye. So | kinder steercd
him that way hF his ruddor, and over
sho fence We went and landed in the
snow keYebuca. landed on top, and
as be kinder opened his mouth to spit
ont the snow, pulled my hand opt and
grabbed BIN by the ear Then bad
him!
Il held him till my old oman como
MP aul took my knife from my pocket
aud eat his throat. So [ came out best,
tho h6-Gurt my hanI 80 that I bad 10 be
on. OFF,
.-But did YOU used to hay? snow Up
,-ge T. / III, time asle. orc a cGs