The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-09-05

and comes out lean but it's only in very
cold weather that he keeps so quiet. In open
winter he's out foragn' around and when
there comes warm spell in the toughest
winter, you may see him. He likes to walk
out and sec what's going on, anyhow
The one.eyed hostler leaned against the
pole, stroked Pomps fur sflectionately, and
continued somewhat in this style
Bears are particularly fond of fat juicy
pigs, and once give 'em a taste of human
fesh-why, shouldn't want my children
to be playini in the woods within 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 Ridgetown, where l was
brought up-wal as much as forty years
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
loaded gun set in such a way that bear
or any game that's curious about it, must
come up to it the way it p'ints bait is
hung before the muzzle, and string runs
from that to the trigger
He was cunning fellow, and he put out
an investigatin' paw at the piece of pork
before tryin' his jaws on it ; so instead of
Citing bullet in the head, he merely had
bit of his paw shot away. There was but
two claws left on that foot, as his bloody
tracks showed.
He got off but this experience seemed to
have soured his disposition. He owed a
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.
they knew what the trouble was, or soon
found out.
"A huge black bear had broken down the
side of the pen he had seized fat porker
and was actually Juggling him off in his arms
The pig was kickin and squealin' but the
bear had him fast. He did not seem at all
inclined to give up his prey, even when at
tackled He looked sullen and ugly but a
few jabs from a pitchfork and shot in the
shoulder, convinced him that he was making
a mistake.
He dropped the pig and got 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 from being quiet
neighbor was something that happened
about year after that
There was rowing family of Indians en-
camped near the settlement, hunting, fish
ing, and making moccasins and baskets,
which they traded with the whites.
'One afternoon the Red Sky of the Morn
ing, wife of the Water Snake with the Long
Tail, came over to the settlement with some
of their truck for sale. She had pappoose
on her back strapped on board another
squaw travelling with her carrying an empty
jug.
Almost within sight of Germans grocery
Red Sky took off her pappoose and hung il
on a tree. The fellows around the store had
made fun of it when she was there once be.
fore so she preferred to leave it in the wood.
rather than expose it to the coarse jokes ol
the boys. The little thing was used to such
treatment Whether carried or hung ur
pappoosey never cried.
The squaws traded off their truck ant
bought, with other luxuries of civilization, 4
gallon of bad 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 chat
ted like a couple of silly white girls. The.
spent good deal more time and money a
Germans than they would if it hadn't beer
for the whisky, but finally they started to g
back through the woods.
They went chattering and giggling to th
tree where the pappoose had be, n left. Thel
suddenly their noise stopped. There was nj
pappoose here.
This sobered them. They thought at frs
the fellows around the store had played then
trick by taking it away bu. by-snd-b.
the Red Sky of the Morning set up
shrek.
SHE had found the board not far off, bu
| ho PoPfoooC osioPPCu W ohiy oohSlhibl
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 bacl
to the camp with the news the other squa'
followed with the jug.
when the Water Snake-with- Long
Tail heard that his pappoose had been cate
by bear, he felt, l suppose very much q
, any other white father would have felt uI
= der the circumstances. He vowed vengeanc
against Old Two Claws, but consoled hin
self with drink of water before starting o
A the hunt.
a The braves with him followed his e,
= ample. 1t wasn't in Indian nature to sta
until they had emptied the jug, so it hal
: pened that Old Two Claws got off agai
Tipsy braves can't follow trail worth
r cent
f Not very long after that woman in
:, neighboring settlement heard her childrt
: scream one day in the woods near the hous
She rushed out,and saw bear actually lu
: glng OH her youngest child.
n she was a sickly, feeble sort of womi
}, but such sight was enough to give her t
is strength and courage of man. She n
n and caught up an ak. Luckily she had
=, big dog. They two went at the bear.
a The old fellow had no notion of losi
a his dinner just for a woman and mongr
ol cur. But she struck HIM tremendous bic
on the back at the same time the pup G
Or him by the leg. He dropped the young o
le to defend himself. She caught it up al
ran, leaving the two beasts to have it Q
NJ together.
II The bear made short work of the cur, /
Is, instead of following the woman and chi
ey he skulked into the woods.
es The settlers got together for gra