Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-04
Playing Horse With a Bear.


Once there was man whose life had been
spent in going west His father and mo
th the, moved ,9 from New England to Michiga
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
GA man said, II heard rifle and an axe thai
and farther west every year, till by the time
the boy IN telling you of was a grown up man
they had got clear to the west part of Oregon
couldn't move west any farther without get
ting into the ocean, and neighbors had moved
WITHIN d two two miles Of him. he gave it up, went
said, they're bound to crowd ar old man
outer the world. Icant a-bear to tech ell
bows with folks, nOhow'' And so he died,
with it'll his nearest neighbor two miles away
But was going to tell you of his son 5
house at the foot of a hill; but it was so low
and damp, that James-for that was hi
half mile off, near mountain brook, with
grand old trees around the spot, and fine
view OF the country. He took off the two front
WINE OF the 20 old emigrant wagon that they
a good, strong twO-Wheeled cart, with box on
IL. And in this he drew back and forth his
carpenter tools, and his dinner, and chips for
the fire, over rough rad that he had cut
through the woods.
He used to take little nap after his noon.
day meals and one day when he was sleeping,
had fixed near the timbers he was at work on,
he was awakened by loud rafting of the tin
dishes In his cart. He looked around quickly,
back W Raar 90 you suppose ne saw? big
lef,, and smacking his chops over a piece of
WHO money and some corn cakes that James
hadn't eaten up.
This is a pretty fix" said James to him
self, quick as flash. MY rifle and ak are
both In the cart, and that ugly beast would
claw me TO pieces before could get 'em out.
frny no hon 4I,,n /.
and corner him if he stayed, and so he set his
wits to work to find way out of the scrape
Gooa brlght wits are too much for bear or a
hard lesson; or tough job of any sort, if they
~ don't want to- or "Oh dear.' to hinder
them. 1t didn't take James's wits so long as
have been tellingit to you to make plan for
him.
He jumped to his feet quick as flash. grab
bed the tongue of the cart before the bear
could say Jack RObinson''-if he had known
drawing the cart and the bear in it after him.
Wen, s.pOse there never was bear so as.
tOnlshed since the pair saved from the flood
stepped out of Noah ark and found the whole
world drowned. He had never had ride be
fore, and didn't want one now; but the cart
was going SO fast that he daren't jump out,
ana SO ne Just chung ON, and looked from one
slde TO the other, and fairly hOwled as the cart
bumped 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
luu VI tie tulIS maze MIN laugh.
When the bear rOared once he hallOed
pack: All full inside take the next carr
And when the bear gave terrible grOwl, he
| said: Move up in front, please-and don't
| grumble. This is through car. Git up.
| there and he buckled down to it and ran
| Just the way the car drivers make the horses
| do, when they are late, and pretend they don't
| see little boy crOOking his fingers for Fem To
stop on the crossing. The tin dishes in the
bottom OF the cart ratified like peddlers
| wagon on the pavement: the Ak and gun
bounded on to the bears toes, and he looked
| as II 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 as he turned the corner he ran
| the cart against log and tipped it right over
bottom side up, with Mr.. Bear on the under
side. His other rifle hung over the door in the
mouse, and he grabbed that down in a hurry
ana as the bear stuck his head out from undef
| tne cart ne shot him right between the ewes
saying, There, that settles the question"
| nat question: asked his wife who came
iunWulhe out 10 See what the noise meant
| ny, the question whether had caught a
otdI or ne mad caught me-"
| MtIcy saKes", she said, as she saw the
| iead pear. Then he told her the story, and she
kissed him, and laughed and cried at the SAM pn
| lime. And he had an Oyercoat made of the
skin, to remember the time when he gave t te
| bear free ride" gave Tile