Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-03-06
Playing Horse with a Bear.


been spent in going west" His father
and mother moved from New England to
Michigan when he was baby, and settled
six miles from any neighbor. But before
the farm was all cleared other settlers
came, and the family moved on. Don't
want to be crowded" " the old man said, Il
heard Il rifle and an AK that wasn't mine
yesterday" And he went further west
every year, till by the time the boy I'm
telling you of was grown up man they
had got clear to the west part of Oregon
on the Pacific coast. And as the old man
couldn't move west any farther without
getting into the ocean, and neighbors had
moved within two miles of him, he gave
it up, went to bed sick. and died. ~ Tain t
no use," he said, "they're bound to crowd
an old man outer the world. can't a-bear
to tech elbows with folks, nohow." And
so he died with his nearest neighbor two
miles away.
But was going to tell you of his sons
scrape with Il bear. They built their first
log house at the foot of II hill, but it was
so low and damp that James-for that was
his name-started to build II bigger one
higher up, half mile off, near mountain
brook, with grand old trees around the
spot, and IL fine view of tie country. He
took off the two front wheels of the old
emigrant wagon that they had crossed the
great plains in and made him Il good
strong wheeled cart with q box on it and
in this he drew back and forth his carpen
ter TOOLS and his dinner, and chips for the
fire, over rough road that he had cut
| through the woods.
lie used to take a little nap after his
MONDAY meal; and one day when he was
sleeping on splendid bed of evergreen
boughs that he had fixed near the timbers
he was at work on, he was awakened by a
loud rattle of the tin dishes in his cart
He looked around quickly, and what dc
you suppose he SAW A big, black bear
paving over the luncheon he had left, and
smacking his chops over piece of wild
honey and SOME corn cakes that James
hadn't eaten up.
This is Ehetty fix said James tc
himself, quick as flash. my rifle and
ax are both in the cart, and that ugly
beast would tlaw me to pieces before
could get 'em out He was afraid the
bear would chase him if he ran, and cor
ner him if he stayed, and so he set his wits
at work to get him out Of the scrape. Coco
bright wits are too mach for II bear or ;
hard lesson or tough job of any sort. i
they are only kept ut work, with no .
can't" or II don't want to-" or "Ot
dear! to hinder them. 1t didn't TAXI
James wits so long rs have been telling
it to you to make II plan for him.
He jumped to his feet quick us u flash
grabbed the tongue of the cart before the
bear could say Jack Robins ,"-if he
had known how-and started on II kecr
run down the hill drawing the cart anC
the bear after him.
Well, l suppose there never was II
bear so astonished since the pair saved
from the flood stepped out of Noah's ark
and found the whole world drowned. lie
had never had ride before and diln t want
one now; but the cart WAS going so fast
that he daren't Jump out, and so he just
clung on. and looked from one side to the
other, and fairly howed rs the cart bum p
ed over the roots and stones. James had
been to the city once and seen the street
cars, and when he found he had the bear
caught, the fun of the thing made him
laugh. When the bear roared once he
halloed back: "All full inside take the
next carl" And when the bear gave a
terrible growl,he said "Move up in front,
please-and don't grumble. This is a
through car. Git up, there! and he
buckled down TO it and Just the way the
car drivers make the horses do, when they
are late, and pretend they don see Il little
boy crooking his fingers for 'em to stop
on the crossing. The tin dishes in the
the bottom of the cart ratified like ped
der's wagon on the pavement; the AK and
gun bounded on to the bears toes, and he
looked rs if he didn't know which was the
worst-his mad or his scare.
Down the steep hill James ran, straight
for the corner of his log house. He had
his plans all made, and rs he turned the
corner he ran the cart against a log, and
tiped it right over, bottom side up, with
Mister Bear on the under side His other
rifle hung over the door, in the house, and
he grabbed that down in hurry, and as
the bear stuck his head out from under the
cart he shot him right between the eyes.
saving" There, that settles the ques-
ton"
What question:" asked his wife, who
came running out to see what the noise
meant.
Why, the question whether | had
caught the bear or he had caught me-"
Mercy sakes' she said, as she saw
the dead bear. Then he told her the story
and she kissed him, and laughed and cried
at the same time. And he had an overcoat
made of the skin, to remember the time
when he gave bear free ride. Gold
en- Rule.