The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-06-06
THE HOSTLER.N STORY.

" nat amused us most at lne Lake
House last summer was the performance
of a bear in the back yard.
lie was fastened to a pole by chain.
which gave him a range of a dozen or
fifteen feet Ii was not very safe for
visitors to come within that circle, I'M
less they were prepared for rough hand
ling.
He had Il way of suddenly catching
yOu to his bosom and picking your pock-
cts of peanuts and candy-if you carried
any about youth u manner which took
your breath away. He stood mp to his
work on his hind legs in a quite human
fashion, and used paw and tongue with
amazing skill and yivacity. He was
friendly. and didn't mean any harm. but
ne was a rude pIayfellow.
| shall never forget the ludicrOus adj
venture of a dandiiicd New Yorker
who came out into the yard to feed
Bruiu on seed cakes. and did not feed
him fast enough.
He had approached triile too near.
when all at once the bear whipped an
arm about him. took him tOhis embrace
and event through" his pockets in
hurry. The terrified face of the strug-
Cling and screaming fop, and the good
natUTed, bHsiDess-IiEe expression of the
fumbling and mUnchiug beast, offered
the funniest sort of contrast.
The One-cyed hOStler. who was the
bears especial guardian, lounCed quite
leisurely 10 the spot
Keep still. and he won't hurt We. '' he
said. turning his QUid. That's one of
his tricks Throw out what you've got
and he'll leave We.
The dandy made haste to help Bruin
to the last of the seed cakes. and escaped
without injury, but in a ridiculous
pIight-his hat smashed. his necktie and
linen rWnpled, and his watch dangling
but his fright was the most laughable
part of all.
The one-eved hOs,ler then made a mo-
tion to the beast, who Immediately
climbed the pole. and looked at us from
the crOsS-piece at the top.
~ bear. " said the Oue-oyed hOstIer.
turning his qUid again, is the best
hearted, knowin'est cTitter that goes on
all-fOurS. IN spcakin' OF our native
black bear, You understand. The brown
bear amt half SO respectable. and the
grizzly bear is one of the UglieSt brutes
in creation. Come down here. POmp.' -
Pomp slipped down the pole and adj
vauced toward the Oue-eyed hOstler.
walking on his hind legs and rattling
his chain.
Playful as a Kitten" said the one
eyed hos5Icr, fonJly. III show We.
He took wooden bar from a clothes
horse near by and made a Iunge with it
at POmp's breast.
No pugilist or fencing master could
have parried a blow more neatly. Then
the one-eyed hOstIer began to thrust and
strike with the bar as If in downright
earnest.
Rather savage play. I remarked
And a friend by my side. who never
misses 4 chance to make pun, added
Yes. a decided act OF bdr-bear-ity. "
'.Oh. he likes it - said the one-eyed
h0stler. -'Ye can't hit him."
And indeed it was so. No matter how
or where the blow was aimed. a move
ment Of Pomp's paw, as quick as a flash
of lightning. knocked il aside and he
stood goOd-hUmoTediv waiting for more.
'sOncc in 4 while, said the one-eyed
hOStler. resting from the exercise and
leaning on the bar. while POmp retired
to his pole. there's a bear of this Spe-
cies that's vicions and blOod-thirsty.-
Generally. YOU let them alone and they'll
let Won alone. They won't run from
YOU. maybe. but they won't go out Of
their way to pick a quarrel. They don't
swagger around with a chip o. their
shoulder lOokin' for some fool to knock
it off. -
"WHl they eat you?'' some one in
qumed, IOr there was a ring of specta-
tors around the performers by this time.
As likely rs not, if they are sharp-set,
and YOU lay yourself out TO be eaten. but
il amt their habit to go for human
flesh. Roots. nuts. berries, bugs and
any small game they can pick up salts
hes their humble appetites as general
thing.
Tie one-eved hostlor leaned against
the pole. stroked Pomp's fur affection
ately. and continued somewhat i'll this
style:
Bears are partic larry fond of fat,
juicy pigs and once give 'em a taste of
human fiesh-Why, i shouldn't want my
children to be playin' III the woods with
in a good many miles Of their den
(Which reminds me of Old Two
Claws. as they used to call him, a bear
that plagued the folks over in Ridge
town, where / was brought up-wall, as
much as forty year ago. =
He got his name from the peculiar
shape of his foot, and he got that from
trifling with a gun trap. You know
what that is-a loaded gun set in such a
way that a bear or any game that 5 curl
Gus about it must come up toit the way
it p'ints a bait is hung before the muZ-
zle, and a string runs from that to the
trigger.
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