Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-04-15


in the stump of that tree.
81 brought up pretty sudden, tell
you, and took good look at him. He
looked meek enough at first glance, but
In jiffy he fixed his eyes on me, and
his great mouth, which was half open,
with teeth, looked waterish like, as
though it was just achin' to get hold of
me. l see him kinder raise one of his
big paws, and then l started. | heerd
him give low, wheezy kind er growl,
as he started after me, and didn't wait
to hear any more. If a teller ever run,
the Teller was Tom Wilson.
81 reckon thought of every story l
ever heerd about grizzlies; how savage
they was; how they could beat loss
runnin' any time. The more I thought
the faster run, and the palmer I could
hear the bar comm after me.
II declare I never knowed 1T was in
me to run so. l throwed off pretty
nigh all the clothes l had on, and was
doin just my level best, when suddenly
tripped on somethin' or other, and l
went down. Then 1 knowed it was all
up with me for sartin', and expected
every minute to feel that bars paw on
to me-
IL remembered how I'd heerd Nat
Beal say, that if grizzly thought a
man was dead, he'd dig hole and bury
him, without hurtin' him any, and after
day or two would come back and dig
him up. So laid still and held my
breath, waitin' for the bar to bury me.
II could hear him diggin' the hole,
and though my eyes was shut, l could
see jest how he looked, as he handled
them paws of his.
''It seemed to me that | laid there
and held my breath for nigh an hour,
expecting every minute to have the bar
roll me into the hole. After awhile I
ventured to peek out, and, would you
believe it, there was no bear there!
al jest picked myself up mighty sud
den, and made tracks for camp, and l
reckon if ever a Teller felt beat that fell
Ter was me, then and there
sit was long time before said
anything about my scare in camp but
at last, I told the Genera, land l Thought
he'd split laughin'."
"WelL Tom" said I. "you must have
I been pretty badly scared
Enlightened jest tell you, sir, I
was the worst scarf man this side of the
San Juan, and l didn't git over it Meth
er in hurry, sure's you're born"
"What had become of the bear 2"
asked l.
"Why, you see he was asleep in that
hole, and when l thumped on the tree
with my stick it woke him up. AS a
natural consequence, his curiosity was
riz, and he poked his head out to see
who was knockin; but, added Tom,
with a laugh, ''befole he could say
come in l was gone. I've always
owed grizzlies grudge ever since that
scare "
"Well, Tom,' said I, "that's pretty
good story, and don't blame you for
running. I'll now fill my plpe and
have a smoke before retiring. Will it
be necessary to keep guard to~nlght @
"No, I reckon not, replied Tom ;
1--WE haint seen no trail for two days,
nor any patches of corn, and l don't
believe the Indians come into this re-
gion very often. Anyway, we'll risk it
to-nig ht." with which remark he went
out to take a last look at the animals
before retiring, and npon his return
spread his blankets a little distance
from the fire. and was soon fast asleep
Not feeling in mood for sleeping, /
replenished the fire, and sat smoking
my pipe and laughing to myself at the
ridiculous figure Tom must have cut,
running over the prairie with nothing in
pursuit; until some hours later, a grows
ing feeling of drowsiness warned me
that it was time to spread my own
blanket, which I did, and soon fell a.
sleep.
How long slept I do not know; but
I was aroused by vague expression
that something was wrong about the
camp. Half awake, | turned over, and
opening my eyes, fancied that could
discover III the darkness the faint out.
lines of an animal, which supposed to
be one of the mules, so I once more
dropped to sleep.
In short time I again awoke, and
this time saw two eyes angrily glaring
at me in the darkness. l sprang to
sitting posture, bu. as I did not then see
them, supposed that l had been dream
ing, and that the fiery eyes were the
natural result of Toms story.
The fire had burned low; occasionally
half consumed brand would flare for
an instant into bright blaze, casting
ruddy glow upon all things around, and
then suddenly die out, leaving the dark
ness more intense, the gloom more pro-