The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-04-06
Playing Horse With a Bear.

once there was man whose life haC
been spent in, "going west" Hi
father and mother moved from New
England to Michigan when he was .
baby, and settled six miles from an,
neighbor. But before the farm was al
cleared other settlers came, and the fam
lily moved on. Don't want to b,
crowded the old man said; ." hearC
a rifle and an Ak that wasn't mine yester
day. And he went farther and farther
west every year, till by the time the bo,
I'm telling of was grown-up man they
had got clear to the west part of Oregon
on the Pacific coast. And as the old mar
couldn't move west any farther withou
getting into the ocean, and neighbor,
had moved within two miles of him h,
gave it up, went to bed sick, and died
"'Taint no use," he said; "they're
bound to crowd an old man outer the
world. | can't a-bear to tech elbows
with folks no how" And so he died
with his nearest neighbor two miles
away.
But was going to tell ysu of his sons
scrape with bear. They built their
first log house at the foot of hill; but
it was so low and damp that James-for
that was his name-started to build a
bigger one higher up, 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 wheels of the emigrant wagon that
they had crossed the great plains in, and
made him good strong two-wheeled
cart, with box on it. And in this he
drew back and forth his carpenter tools
and his dinner and chips for the fire, over
a rough road that he had cut through
the woods.
He used to take little nap after his
MONDAY meal, and one day when he was
sleeping on a splendid bed of evergreen
boughs that he had fixed near the tim
bers he was at work on, he was awakened
by a loud rafting of tin dishes in his
cart. He looked around quickly, and
what do you suppose he saw? A big
black bear, paving over the luncheon he
had left, and smacking his chops over a
piece of wild honey and some corn-cakes
that James hadn't eaten up.
"This is pretty fix" said James to
himself, quick as flash. "My rife and
AK are both in the cart, and that ugly
beast would claw me to pieces before
could get 'em out" He was afraid the
bear would chase him if he ran, and
corner him if he stayed, and SO he set his
wits to work to find way out of the
scrape. Good bright wits are too much
for bear, or hard lesson, or tough
job of any sort, if they are only kept at
work, with no 81 can't. or :" / don't
want to, or oh dear !" to hinder them.
1t didn't take James's wits so long as
have been telling it to you to make a
plan for him.
He jumped to his feet quick as flash,
the bear could say "Jack Robinson -
if he had known how--and started on a
keen run down hill, drawing the cart
and the bear in it after him.
Well, l s'pose there never was bear
50 astonished since the pair saved from
the flood stepped from Noah's ark and
found the whole world drowned. He
had never had ride before, and didn't
want one now; but the cart was going
so fast that he daren't jump out, and
50 he just chung on, and looked out from
one side to the other, and fairly howled
as the cart bumped over the roots and
stones. James had been to the city once
and had 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 carp And when the bear gave a
terrific growl, he said, "Move up to the
front, please--and don't grumble. This
is a 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 crossing his fin
gers for 'em to stop on the crossing.
The tin dishes in the bottom part
of the cart ratified ike peddler's wagon
on the pavement the ak and the gun
bounced on the bel RS toes, and he looked
as 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 as he turned the
corner, he ran the cart against log and
tipped it right over, bottom side up,
with Mister Bear on the under side.
His other rife hung over the door, in
the house, and he grabbed it down in a
hurry, and as the bear stuck his head
from under cart, he shot him between
the eyes, saying, "There, that settles
the question"
What question:? asked his wife
who came running out to see what
the noise meant.
"Why the question whether / had
caught bear or he had caught me-"
mercy sakesP' she said, as she saw
the dead bear. Then he told her the
story, and she 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"
THE recent attempt to kill the Master
of the Rolls in England, made by the
Rev Mr.. Dodwell an insane clergy.