The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-01-08

| ped himself. He started, and after
| tlresome walk reached Tripletts cabin
and announced the purpose of his visit. |
| Triplett received him with all the kind |
ness and courtesy known to the back
woodsman. And as the two sat over
| their noggins of white whisky and honey, |
| they compared notes, and found that
| they had served in the same brigade and
shared the dangers Of the same cam
paign; and that they had heard each
| others fame spoken of in the army
| but the discipline had forbidden any
thing like pugilistic trial of manhood
between them; and some lingering re-
| spect for that rule, with the feeling that
swelled in the bosom of each on meeting
a fellow soldier forbade the trial in that
way now While Dave McColvin could
not think of insisting on the fight. on
the other hand, he could not think of
| going back to the salt works without be-
| ing able to disabuse the minds of the
wood-choppers of their impression that
| Triplett was the best man. so he
! determined to hear from Trip
| iett's own lips a full account of his
most daring exploits, and by initiating
them, prove himself Triplett's equal, or
die in the attempt. Triplett began with
l glowing description of the excitement
| of hand to paw fight with the bear
| ne tOlo now very 1hICl lNoOAhS an
tainment it was, when the dogs brought
| the bear to bay, to slip up behind him.
fasten your hands in the wool of his
| aanks, up-end him, and churn his brains
out against the ground. How defiantly
he would growl when you first caught
him, and when he found himself help
lessly in your power how he would
change his tune to supplicating moans-
and how the dogs would stand off and
enjoy it all McColvin told Triplett that
was enough for one time-he need not
| tell him any more-but if Sinnett
would lend him the dogs he would prac
tice the next day, on that lesson, and
when he had mastered it he would take
another Sinnett gave him some direc-
| tions how to find mountain rough in
which large bear stayed, then ordered
the dogs to follow him.
The bear was started, and after fighting
him for a mile, he was brought to bay
He had got his back against stump and
was boxing off the dogs as they came up
in front But we will let McColvin tell
the rest himself He says
Here was my opportunity. came up
behind the stump; | seized the bear as
directed The dogs, as is their habit,
(Which did not then know, let go as
! soon as took hold. 1t was, if possible.
more fearfully exciting than TripTett had
described it, l tried to churn him; but
he wouldn't churn any more than a sled
load of pig metal He whirled around,
and for an instant seemed astonished at
my foolhardiness; he then seemed, at a
glance, to take in the whole situation,
which was fast becoming decidedly more
interesting than Triplett, with all his
descriptive powers could paint it. By
some unaccountable touch, which / have
never understood to this day, the bear
turned me wrong end up, and slapped
my head to the ground with jar that
gave the idea that he understood the
brain-churning business a little better
than did. He then set me right end
up as if had been ten pin, and drew
back his huge paw, sorter sIedge-llke
and slow, and without the least apparent
hurry about it, he slapped me twenty
feet into hole of water, where, Gf no.
body cried time) | concluded to lie still
and cool; because the dogs had politely
: yielded the floor when / wanted to play
my piece, and did not wish to interrupt
their tragedy further. As soon as | was
out of the fight, the dogs pitched in
again with such vigor that before l could
crawl out OF the water, shake myself and
get the hang of things, bruin was forced
to climb leaning tree. Triplett had
: told me that / would find the churning
business little awkward in case the bear
=. went up a tree, and at his suggestion |
: had brought the rifle. picked her up
where l had thrown her down to churn.
fired, the bear fell to the ground
? wounded, and "chawed up one of the
dogs. l reloaded as quickly as l could ;
} but before | shot again the bear rolled
? down the hill toward me- dropped the
l gun and did not stop till got near Trip
let's house. | then recollected that the
dogs had quit fighting, and knew the
bear was dead | went on to the house,
and as calmly as 1 could l told Triplett l
had killed a large bear. We took the
e pack horse and went; Triplett picked
: him up and put him on the horse with
S an ease that made me think | could
t never learn to handle bear, especially
S a live one, as he handled them. 1 sat
down on log mad enough to discard
, all recoilections of army discipline, all
: feelings for a fellow-soldier, and whip
} Trplett But the thought of his having
Y churned bears to death, and my own
aversion to being further churned while
E my head was still sore, made me little
shaky; in fact, my courage all wilted al
/ the bear thought. But could not think
+ of going back to the salt works with such
5 a report of my unsuccessful effort to imi
! tate the wonderful exploits of their IA
1 vorite.
1 l settled down in Braxton, neighboi
n to Triplett and swallowed all his Nun
! chausens as genuine. l became as sue
!. cessful a hunter as he; but not such
+ one as he had been-but it seemed tha
: all his miracles ceased from the day thai
+ we commenced hunting together, anc
although | was with him at the killing
e of many bear, was not with him a
n the churning of single one
And when age and rheumatism had
t robbed us of our manhood, and when ;
|, new generation-amongt them. his chill
II dren-were listeners, Triplett became
e less marvellous in his narratives. sale
e TO him:
n "Triplett, have always wanted to ash
l. you one question, and | believe you will
u tell me the truth did you not experience
% some Inconvenience the first time yol
t churned 4-year-old bears brains out
e Said he: me, do you suppose that
r was ever damn fool enough to try such
II thing?
is Said 1, don't know, but knew man
u who was
u And right there, with a crutch anc
n walking stick, we would have settled The
II fight had come for, thirty years before
q if younger men had not interfered.
q, Now the winter games for the hom
81 Il T.. Al