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 sPer IN gofi ing wes5 His father and mo
when he was a baby, and settled six miles
from any neighbOr. But before the farm was
all cleared other settlers came, and the family
m ma an on a;d R9nt want to be crowded the
WASH mine yesterday And he went far her
and fa'ther west every year, till by the time
the boy I'm telling you DIVA grown UP man
on the Pacific coast And as the Old man
couldn't move west any farther without get
ting intOthe ocean, and neighbOrs had moved
to bed sick, and died. faint no use" he
said, they're bound to crowd ar old man
outer the world. Ican't a. bear to tech. ell
with his nearest neighbor two miles away
Blu But 1t was going to tell you Of his son's
scrape with bear. They built their first log
and damp, that, James-for that was his
name-started to build bigger one higher up.
half a mile off, near a mountain brook with
grand gram old trees around the spot, and a, fine
wheels OF the old emigrant wagon that they
had crossed the great plains in, and made him
a good, strong two-wheeled cart, with box on
1t: And in this he drew back and forth his
carpenter tools, and his dinner and chips for
me nre, over rough rad that he had cut
through the woods.
day meals and one day when he was sleeping,
on bed of splendid evergreen bOughs that he
had fixed near the timberS he was at work on
NE WAS a; awakened t By loud rafting Of the tin
and what do you suppose he saw? A big
black bear, paving over the luncheon he had
le1,, and smacking his chops over piece of
wild honey and some corn cakes that James
hadn't eaten up.
This IS a pretty fix" said James to him
self, quick as a flash. :" My rifle and ak are
claw me to pieces before could get 'em out >
He was afraid the bear would chase if ne 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 a
hard lesson, or tough job of any sort if they
are only kept at work, with no e! can't" or
tba don't G want To- OBJ DEAR to hinder
have been telling it to you to make plan for
him.
He jumped to his feet quick as fash grab
could say Jack RObinsOn''-if he had known
hOw-and started on a keen run down the hill.
drawing the cart and the bear in it after HIM
Well, spOse there never was bear SO as
tOnished since the pair saved from the flood
| stepped out of NOah'S 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 darent Jump out
and SO he just chung on, and looked 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 seen the street cars
and when he found he had the bear caught the
fun OF the thing made him laugh.
Wnen the Dear rOared once he hallOed
back: All full inside take the next carr
And when the bear gave terrible grOwl, he
said: Move up in front, pease-and don t
grumb!e. 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 I
| see little boy crOOking his fingers for Fem to
stop on the crossing. The tin dishes in the
| bottom of the cart ratified like a peddler's
| wagon on the pavement: the Ak and gun
| bounded on to the bears 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 a 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
house, and he grabbed that down in a hurry,
ana as the bear stuck his head out from undef
| the cart ne shot him right between the ewes,
saying, There, that settles the question"
| what question:" asked his wife, who came
iunMine out 10 see what the noise meant
| why, the question whether had caught a
oeaI or ne had caught me-"
| mercy sakes" she said, as she saw the
| dead pear. Then he told her the story. and she
| Kissed MN, and laughed and cried at the Same
| Time. ana ne mad an oveTcOat made of the
SKIN, 10 remember the time when he gave the
| bear free ride" e"'0 VIC