The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-03-27
THE HOSTLER'S STORY.
BY J, T. TRowBRIDaB.

What amused us most at the Lake
house last summer was the performance
of bear in the back yard.
He was fastened to pole by chain
which gave him range of dozen o.
fifteen feet. 1t was not very safe fol
visitors to come within that circle, unless
they we're prepared for rough handling
He had way of suddenly catching
you to his bosom. and picking your
pockets of peanuts and candy-f you
carried any about you-in q manner
which took your breath away. He stood
up TO his work on his hind legs in 8
quite human fashion, and used paw and
tongue with amazing skiu and vivaolty'
He was friendly, and didn't mean any
harm, but he was rude playfellow.
I shall never forget the ludicrous ad.
venture of a dandified New Yorker who
came out into the yard to feed bruln on
seed-cakes, and did not feed him fast
enough.
He had approached triae too near,
when all at once the bear whipped an
arm about him, took him to his embrace,
and "went through" his pockets In q
hurry. The terrified face of the strug,
cling and screaming fop, and the good
natured. business-like expression of the
fumbling and munching beast, offered
the funniest sort of contrast.
The one-eyed hostler, who was the
bears especial guardian, lounged leisure
ly to the spot. >,
"Keep still, and he won't hurt ye,"
he said, turning his quid. "That's
one of his tricks. Throw out what you've
got, and he'll leave ye."
The dandy made haste to help bruln
to the last of the seed-cakes, and es-
csped without injury, but in ridicu-
lons plight-his hat smashed, his neck.
tie and linen rumpled, and his watch
dangling but his fright was the most
laushabie part of all.
The one.eyed hostler made a motion
to the beast, who Immediately climbed
the pole, and looked at US from the
crosspiece at the top.
ga bear" said the one-eyed hostler,
turning his quid again, sis the best,
hearted, KNOWN, est critter that goes on
sll-fours. I'm speakin' OF our native
black bear, you understand. The brown
bear amt half SO respectable, and the
grizzly is one of the ugliest brutes In
creation. Come down here, Pomp."
Pomp slipped down the pole and ad-
vanced toward tie one-eyed hoetler,
walking on his hind legs and rattline
his chain.
PLAYFUL as kitten !" said the one
eyed hostler, fondly. "I'll show ye."
He took a wooden bar from a clothes.
horse near bv. AMI made a lunge with it
at Pomp's breast. :,
NJ pugillst or fencing-master could
have ~-,.srxiea- -hloI--mnre- neatly.
Then the one-eyed hostler began tc
thrust and strike with the bar as If ID
downright earnest.
"Rsther savage play" I remarked.
And friend by my side, who never
misses chance to make a pun, added
"Yes, a decided act of bar-bear-ity. "
"Oh, he likes I'll" said the one-eyed
hostler. "Ye can't hit him."
And indeed it was 30. No matter how
or where the blow was aimed, move
ment of Pomp's paw, quick as a flash OF
lightning, knocked it aside, and he
stood good d-humoredly waiting for more.
"Once in awhile" said the one-eyed
hostler, resting from the exercise and
leaning on the bar, while Pomp retired
to his pole, "there's bear OF this spe-
cies that's vicious and blood-thirsty.
Generally, you let them alone and
they'll let you alone. They won't
run from you maybe, but they won't
20 out of their way to pick quar-
rel. They don't swagger round with a
chip on their shoulder lookln' for some
fool to knock it off,"
Will they eat you ?" some one in
uuired; for there was ring of spectators
around the performers by this time.
GAS likely as not, if they are sharp
set, aid you lay yourself out to be eaten,
but it amt their habit to go for human
flesh. Roots, nuts, berries, bugs and
any small game they can pick up, salts.
fes their humble appetite as general
thing.
The one-eyed hostler leaned against
the pole, stroked Pomp's fur affection
ately, and continued somewhat in this
style: "
"Bears are particularly fond of fat,
juicy pigs; and once give 'em taste OF
human fesh-why, I shouldn't want my
children to be playin' in the woods with
in good many miles OF their den !!
(which reminds me of Old Two
CLAWS, as they used to call him, 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
triGing with a gun-trap. You know
wh. It that is-a loaded gun set in such @
way that bear or any game that's curl.
ous about it must come up to it the way
it p'ints; bait is hung before the muz-
zle, aud a string runs from that to the
trigger.
"He was a cunning fellow, and he
put out an investigatin' paw at the
piece of pork before trying, his jaws OF
It: 80 instead of gettin' bullet in tht
head, he merely had bit of his paw
shot of. There were but two claws lef
on that foot, as his bloody tracks show
ed.
"He got off; but this experieoc
seemed to have soured his disposition
He owed spite to the settlement.
"One night great row was heard il
my uncle's pigpen. He and the boy
r ushed out with pitchforks, gun and
lantern. They knew what the troubl
was, or soon found out.
ga huge black bear had broken dow
tie side OF the pen; he had seized a ia
q, rker, and was actually Juggling hir
of in his arms The pig was kickin
aud squealiug, but the bear had hiI
fast. He did NOT seem at all inclined
piya up his prey, even when attacked