Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-12-03
The HOstler's Story.

last summer was the performance Of bear
in the back yard
He was fastened 10 q pole by chain,
which gave him range Of twelve or fifteen
feet. 1t was not very safe for visitors to
come within that circle, unless they were
prepared for rough handling.
He had way Of suddenly catching you TO
his bosom and picking your pockets Of pea
nuts and candies-if you carried any about
you-in manner which took your breath
away. He stood up to his work on his hind
legs in quite human fashion, and used
paw and tongue with amazing skill and viva
city. He was friendly and didn't mean any
harm, but he was rude playfellow.
shall never forget the ludicrous adven-
ture of dignified New Yorker, who came
out TO feed bruin on seed-cakes and did not
feed him fast enough.
He approached trihe too near, when all
at once the bear whipped an arm about
him, took him to his embrace, and went
through his pockets in hurry. The terri
fed face of the struggling and screaming
fop and the good-natured, business-like ex-
preston of the fumbling and munching
beast, offered the funniest sort of contrast.
The one-eyed hostler, who was the bears
especial guardian, louDged quite leisurely 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 ye've got and he'll
leave you"
The dandy made haste to help bruin to
the last of the seed cakes, and escaped with
out injury, but in ridiculous plight-his
hat smashed, his neckte and linen rumpled
and his watch dangling; but his fright was
the most laughabe part of all.
The one-eyed hostler then made a motion
to the beast, who Immediately climbed the
pole and looked at us from the cross-piece
at the top.
"A bear" said the one-eyed hostler, turn.
ing his quid again, ais the best-hearted,
knowin'est critter that goes on allfours
I'm speakin' 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 advanced
toward the one-eyed hostler, walking on his
hind legs and rattling his chain.
"Playful as kitten !" said the oneeyed
hostler, fondly. "Ill show ye."
He took wooden bar from clothes
horse near by, aud made lunge with it al
Pomp's breast.
No pugiist or fencing master could have
parried blow more neatly. Then the one
eyed hostler began to thrust and strike with
the bar as if in downright earnest
"Rather savage play" remarked. And
| friend at my side, who never misses 8
chance to make a pun, added:
"Yes, decided act of bar-bearity."
"Oh, he likes it,"'said the one-eyed host
Ter. "Ye can't hit him."
| Aud indeed it was so. No matter how o.
where the blow was aimed a movement O
Pomp's paw, as quick as flash of light
ming, knocked it aside, and he stood good
humoredly waiting for more. "Once in
WHILE" said the one-eyed hostler, resting
from the exercise and leaning upon the bar
while Pomp retired to his pole, there's
bear of this species that's vicious and blood
thirsty. Generally you let them alone ant
they'll let you alone. They won't run from
you, maybe, but they won't go out of tn
way to pick quarrel. They don't swagge
round with chip on their shoulder lookin
for some fool to knock it Off"
"Will they eat you ?" some one inquired
for there was ring of spectators around b.
this time.
"As likely as not, if they are sharp-set
and you lay yourself out to be eaten, but i
amt their habit to go for human flesh
Roots, nuts, berries, bugs, and any small
game they can pick up, satisfies their humble
appetites as general thing"
The one-eyed hostler leaned against tn,
post, stroked Pomp's fur affectionately, ant
continued somewhat in this style;
Bears are particularly fond of fat, juic.
pigs, and once give 'em taste of human
fiesh-why, ! wouldn't want my children
playing in the woods within a good man,
miles of their den
Which reminds me of old Two Claws, a!
they used to call him, bear that plagued
the folks over in Bridgetown, where wa
brought up, wall, as much as forty years ago
He got his name from the peculiar shap,
of his foot, and he got that from trifiinl
with gun-trap. You know what that is
loaded gun set in such way that bea
or any game that's curious about it mus
come up to it the way it pints; bait il
hung before the muzzle, and a string rum
from that to the trigger
He was cunning fellow, and he put ou
an investigatin' paw at the piece Of porl
before trying his jaws on it; so instead o.
gettin' bullet in the head, he merely had {
bit of his paw shot off. There were bu
Two CLAWS lelL Oh tudt lOOt, as us DlOOul
| tracks showed.
He got off; but his experience seemed t.
have souIed his disposition. He owed &
| spite to the settlement.
One night great row was heard in my
uncle's pig-pen. He and the boys rushed
out with pitchforks, gun and lantern
found out. A huge black bear had broken
| ln,.,n do Aft tha ha haI aaiyal a
| fat porker, and was actually Juggling him
| squeaking, but the bear had him fast He
prey, even when attacked. He looked sui
len and ugly, but few jabs from pitch
| fork and shot in the shoulder convinced
him that he was making mistake.
lie dropped the pig and ran away before
my uncle could load up for another shot
The next morning they examined his tracks
1t was old Two Claws.
But what split him for being quiet
neighbor was something that happened
about year after that.
There was rowing family of Indians en-.
camped near the settlement, hunting, fishing
and making moccasins aud baskets, which
they traded with the whites.
One afternoon the Red-Sky-of-the-Morn.
ing, wife of the Water-Snakewi the Long
Tail, came over to the settlement with
some of their truck for sale. She had a
papoose on her back strapped on board
another squaw travelled with her, carrying
an empty Jug.
Almost within sight of Germans grocery,
Red-Sky took off her papoose and hung 1t on
a tree. The fellows around the store had
made fun of it when she was there once be.
fore, SO sac preferred leaving it in the woods
rather than expose it to the coarse jokes OF
the boys. The little thing was used to such
treatment Whether carried or hung up,
papoosey never cried.
The squaws traded off their truck, and
bought, with other luxuries of civilization,
gallon of whiskey. They drank out OF
the Jug and then looked at more goods.
Then they drank again, and from being shy
and silent, as at first, they giggled and chat
tad like "A couDle of sillv whita irls Thav