, 1878-02-15
The Boating Bear.
A STORY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

Once there were two hunters way out
West, who spent their time fishing, and
trapping minks and beavers, and chasing
deer, and fighting wildcats and other
"varmints," as they called them. One
dav they were boating up the river, and
half a mile or so off they saw big
black bear come down to the edge Of
the water to get his breakfast off from
the body of deer that had got stuck
fast in the mud while he was licking
up salt water-which the deer liked
very much-and died there.
They tried every way to get near
enough to the bear to have shot at him,
but the old fellow was too cunning for
them. If they tried to row the boat up
TO where he was he would trot off into
the dark woods before they got any
where near close enough to shoot. Or
if they left the boat and tried to creep
up along the shore, he would smell the
powder ia theirguns long before he could
hear them, and would give mad kind
of a growl, and run away.
The hunters pretty soon got tired of
this sort of fooling, and thought they'd
try another game on him. So they
took what was left of the deer and threw
it into the river, and it hoated out into
the stream. Then they took an old boat
that they hadn't used in a long time,
and put on the seat 10 the middle big
cake of honey they had got out of a
bee tree few days before. They drew
the boat up, on the sand at the waters
edge, and laid the rope down and covered
it with sand aud stone, just heavy enough
to keep it from floating off, but not
enough to anchor it very tight. Every
bit of the work they did standing in the
water, or in their own boat, so as not to
leave any tracks or scent to scare away
the bear
Then they rowed across the river, half
a mile or more away, and got ready to
watch with a spy-glass.
Along about sundown the old bear
came trotting down out of the woods to
get another ''venison steak, rare, with
salt water sauce" Before he got there
he smelled the honey, and he began to
lick his chops, AS much as to say, "Good
enough wild honey for dessert" But
in minute he found his venison was
gone, and made as much fuss, flying
around aud growling, as your papa did
last Sunday when the cat carried off
the quails he had brought home for din
ner. But as the deer was gone, and he
was hungry, he started to smell out the
honey. Pretty soon he found the boat,
and saw the big cake of honey on the
seat. He started back scared at first, but
as there were no guns, no oars, nor any
sign or smell Of man, he came back
and began TO peek around.
Bears are good deal like BOYS in
some things, They love 70 play they
have a sweet tooth; they are cross when
they are hungry; and they are very curl.
Gus. 80 this old fellow whose mouth
fairly waterod for the honey, looked all
around, like a miscbieyous y0unker 20.
ing 70 his mamms's preserves, and then
jumped iuto the boat. But Ia less than
jidy he wished he hadn't, for his weight
loOsened the rope, aud bis jump into the
boat cent u out upon the stream, and as
the cufent was real sVifi there, Mr
Bear was soon floating down the river.
lie couldn't swim, aud Was too much
afraid Of thv water b bump in, and too
scared ta eat the honey No he did
again ja.i Siat = boy would do
"Nhats thaif'
"Nhf, be- h h4aled
The blli-rs bid secn everything De
did, and they iumpcd into their blat
nnd bgsn b. pal Coz him lively. Doe
ui cm ~ Ia ih- middie aud rlsei and
The other at IN roe los aith b.s rIf.
A. snon az they got uear enough tlf
hrst hunter began 10 laugh AMI TAX %
toe hear.
Where are ye duniu' to. sou 1.i
oontrabandf' be called uut --au q
Whatr ye ruuniu' n si'h my bat fri
Why toa't ye Jay d1wa a8d paidle aith
yer fFe pass, AMI sisrr aIth tnlt a.f
stab tail ~ a ruddcr Al hlu a1 sou
Like houey, anyhosf
Wheh tbv bear heard che arr,r- 4.
voice be- turnei bis head. aai aa. OBJ.
mad a. De- laI Iscu fJlrri ialTr II.
shoNe1 a.i his great savage f#f.. aaI
EloHiri cuDuE1 t1 make FHar arI.
stand ou end. Bur ths hu1rlr. u0-....
afraid, au'l rlsei up quite ....r
lou aunt seem uit glad 90 .rr g...
said The other one, -tbougb ] dare .as
y'ud hug u' ii you had cltnrs. Are
you h'hi1' 70 just boatl far p.-l.