The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-03-20
quiet neighbor was something that hap
pened about year after that.

p6neu aDOub year AIter bnat.
There was a rowing family Of Indians
encamped near the settlement; hunting,
fishing and making moccasins and bask-
cts, which they traded with the whites.
"One afternoon the Red-Sky -of-the-
Morning, wife of the Water-Snake-
with-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 Gorman's
grocery, Red-Sky took off her papoose
and hung it on a tree. The fellows
around the store had made fun of it
when she was there once before, 80 she
preferred to leave 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 this truck,
and bought, with other luxuries of
civilization, a gallon of whisky. 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 chatted like a
couple of silly white girls. They spent
good deal more time and money at
Gorman's than they would if it hadn't
been for the whisky, but finally they
started to go back through the woods.
"They went chattering and giggling
to the tree where the papoose had been
left. There was no papoose there
"This discovery sobered them. They
thought at first the fellows around the
| store had played them trick by taking
it away; but by -and-by the Red-Sky- of
the Morning set up shrek.
| "She had found the board not far of,
but no papoose strapped to it, only
something that told the story of what
had happened.
"There were bear tracks around the
spot. One of the prints showed only
two claws.
"The Red-Sky of the Morning went
back to the camp with the news the
other squaw followed with the Jug.
"When the Water Snake-with- the
Long Tail heard that his papoose had
been eaten by bear, he felt, suppose,
very much as any white father would have
| felt under the circumstances. He vowed
vengeance against Old Two CLAWS, but
| consoled himself with drink of the
| fire-water before starting on the hunt.
"The braves with him followed his
example. It wasn't in Indian nature to
start until they had emptied the Jug, so
it. happened that Old Two CLAWS got off
again. Tipsy braves can't follow trail
worth cent.
Not very long after that woman in
neighboring settlement heard her
| children scream one day in the woods
near the house. She rushed out, and
actually saw a bear Juggling off her
youngest.
"She was sickly, feeble sort of wo-
man but such a sight was enough to
give her the strength and courage of
| man. She ran and caught up an axe.
Luckily she had big dog. The two
went at the bear.
"The old fellow had no notion of los
ing his dinner just for a woman and
mongrel cur. But she struck him
tremendous blow on the back; at the
same time the pup got him by the leg.
He dropped the young one to defend
himself. She caught it up and ran,
leaving the two beasts to have it out
together.
"The bear made short work with the
cur; but instead of following the woman
and child, he skulked off into the woods.
"The settlers got together for grand
hunt; but Old Two Claws-for the
tracks showed that he was the scoundrel
escaped into the mountains, and lived
to make more trouble another day.
"The childp Oh, the child was
scarcely hurt. 1t had got squeezed and
scratched little in the final tussle; that
was all.
GAS to the bear, he was next heard of
in our settlement"
Tho bostler hesitated, winked his one
eye with an odd expression, put fresh
quid into his cheek, and finally resumed:
"A brother. n-law of my uncle, a man
of the name of Rush, was one day chop
ping in the woods about half a mile from
his house, when his wife went out to
carry him his luncheon.
"She left two children at home, a boy
about five years old, and baby Just big
enough to toddle around.
"The boy had often been told that il
he strayed into the woods with his
brother q bear might carry them of,
and she charged him again that forenoon
not to go away from the house; but he
was an enterprising little fellow, and
when the sun shone so pleasant and the
woods looked SO inviting, he wasn't one
to be afraid of bears.
The woman stopped to see her hus-
band fell a big beech he was cutting,
and then went back to the house; but
just before she got there, she saw the
Oldest boy coming ont of the woods on
the other side. He was alone. He was
white as sheet, and so frightened at
first that he couldn't speak.
"'Johnny,' says she, catching hold
OF him, what is the matterP'
"a bear I he gasped out at last.
Where is your little brother p was
her next question.
"'I don't know said he, too much
frightened to know anything just then.
Where did you leave him p says
she.
"Then he seemed to have gotten his
wits together a little. "A bear took
him 7 said he.
You can guess what sort of an agony
the mother was in.
"Oh, Johnny, tell me true Think
Where was it 2
"'In the woods, he said. Bear
come along.-I run
"She caught him up and hurried
with him into the woods. She begged
him show her where he was with his
little brother when the bear came along.
He pointed out two or three places. In
| one of them the earth was soft. There