Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-26

hadn't nothin but little jack-knifc to fight
with | was good ways ahead, and when
got into the limbs went up about as fast as |
knew how
1t was tall treo, and most up to the top,
where the tree want moro n Fix inches through,
there was good crotch, and up about five feet
further there was two more crotches,-one on
each limb of the big crotch. sot one o my
feet into the big crotch, and then stopped down
to see how near the bear was, but | couldn't
make ont that he was comm up at all could
hear scratchin round the roots O. the tree, and
made up my mind that lie was down there
somewhar. sposed he'd come right along ar
ter me tight, and felt little relieved when l
found that he want follern' on SO close as |
expected, and begar to look round to see if |
couldn't find some way to bel p myself when he
did come. found large limb up above the
small crotches that cut off after while with
the knife, and made club about four feet long,
that | tho't would do poorly good service if |
could get good chance to use it. Then hung
onto the limbs, and turned myself tother end
up, with one foot into each Of the little crotches,
and my elbow in the big one SOS to hev better
chance to hit i'm afore he'd get near. got
poorly well fixed, l thought, and hung there
lookn down, expectin' every minute to see the
old bear come scratchin up after me, but he
didn' tcome. couldn't hear thing on i'm and
concluded that mebbe he'd made up his mind
that lamb meat was better n eggs. hungjest
as long possibly could and then turned my
self right end up agin, and stood in the big
crotch morn two hours afore heerd ennything
morn little steppin round on the leaves. 1t
was dumned long time, ennyhow, and it raned
like Jupiter most all the time. hollered once,
but it sounded SO alfred ghost-like, and made
such hootin amongst the owls, that it skart
me wuss than the bear did, besides knew that
thar couldn' t nobody hear.
was thunderin uneasy, and just as wet as
drownded muskrat, but | dassent go down,
and it was well that didn't for afore long
heer'd the old bear scrapin away down to the
foot O. the tree agin. turned tother end up
once more, and put my feet in the small crotch
les, to be ready to hit i'm a rap with the club.
found 'twant quite so comfort BILE laying so in
wet weather, as it was in cloudy, for the great
drops O rain KEEP allin off O. the bushes above,
an follerin down my skin, and droppin down
of O. my chin. hung SO till l got so con-
founded nervous that ! wished the old cuss
,oouid come and hev it over with afore I'd got
tired out agn. But he didn't come, and had
to change ends agin, and then he didn't come
knew pooty well that he was down by the
roots O. the tree, and stood there in the crotch,
wet and shiverin, till didn' care much wheth-
er he ever come or not. stood there so long
that got numb or sleepy, don It know which.
Bout all know is, that didn't know much,
nor care much for nothin' when somethin' or
other CINE me start, and looked down, and
see two DIS ugly lookin' eyes as ever want to
see, lookin skware up into mine, and not NOR n
six feet down. 1t was jest as DARK as pitch,
and tho't then did care Il little, and sho'd
full as lives he let me alone. But thar warnt
no chance for squirmin then, and | knew it, so
frightened my hold on the club, and stopped
down to see'f could hit i'm rap; but he
warnt quite within reach. As soon as begun
to strike, he Legun to climb and | hit him
once or twice on the head, but didn't strike
very hard, for he kept cumn' right along. He
cum along till his eyes were within a foot o my
feet, when made up my mind that Id got to
CINE him good cracker, or else get the wust
ont wasn't cold amy then, now let me tell
yey, nor didn' know Sc it had rained for three
weeks All knew was, that them eyes looked
piaguy close, and plaugy ugly.
stood up straight and fetched blow with
all my might ker smash, but 1t missed his head,
and it was we'll it did guess, for it struck
whack onto one O his pa,Os found out to-day,
smashing it to jelly. didn't know then what
it hit, but knew hc didn't come up any fur
ther, and as soon as he could begun to let him
self down again, | was glad to see the critter
leave, as ever u man was and gladder yit, when
found he didn't come up agin. Wall, that's
about all there was to it, stayed up there
till day light, and the bear stayed in the pine
grove hollered like murder IS soon as it was
fairly light and Ben happened to be out still
huntn and cum up with his rifle and shot the
bear dead, and then cum down and went home
and the old woman's been rippin out eviry five