Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1880-05-29

rs tncy u Scu O CdlI uIM. u ucdI tuat
plagued the folks over in Bridgetown
where l was brough: up, wall, ~ much
as forty years ago.
He got his name from the peculiar
shape Of his foot. and he got that from
triaing with a gun-trap. You know
what that is-a loaded gun set in such
a way that a bear or any game that's
curious about II must come up to it the
way it p'nts; q bait is hung before the
muzzle and 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 on it; 70 in
stead of gettin' bullet in the head, he
merely had bit of his paw shot off.
There were but two claws left on that
foot, as his bloody tracks showed.
He got off; but his experience seemed
to have soured his disposition. He owed
a spite to the settlement.
One night great row was heard in
my uncles 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 o6 in bis armsi
The pig was kicking and squealing, but
he bear had him fast. He did not seem
at all inclined to give up his prey, even
when attacked. He looked sullen and
ugly, but a few jahs from a pitchfork,
and a shot in the shoulder convinced
him that he was making a mistake.
He dropped the pig and ran away be-
fore 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 a rowing family of Indians
encampe6 near the settlement, hunting,
fishing and making moccasius and
baskets, which they traded the whites.
One afternoon the Red-Sky.of.t the
Morning wife of the Water-Snake-with-
he-LOng-Tail came over to the settle
ment with come to their truck for SALE
She had pa4oose on her back strapped
on a 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 Q tree. The fellows
around the store had made fun of it
when she was there once before, 20 she
preferred 10 leave it in the woods rather
than expose it to the coarse jokes of the
boys. The little thing was used I , such
treatment. Whether carried or hung
up. papoosey never cried.
The squaws traded off their truck,
and bought, with other lnxuries of
civilization, a gallon of whisky. They
drank out of the jug, and then locked
at more gods. Then they drank again,
and from beirg shy and silent, as at
first, they giggled and chatted like a
couple of silly white girls. They speut
good deal more time and money at
Germans than they would If it hadn't
been for the whisky, but finally they
started to 90 back through the woods.
They went chattering and giggling 10
the tree where the papoOse had been left.
There was no papoose there.
This d sc0very sobered them. They
thought st first that the fellows around
the store lad played them a trick by
taking it away, but by -and-by the Red
Sky the Morning set up shriek.
She had found the board not far ofF,
but mo- 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. -sy$ .an.-' ...rt-
The Red .Sky-of-the-M Morning went
back to camp with the news: and the
other squaw followed with the jug.
When. the Water-Snake-with-the-
Long Tail heard that his papoose had
been eaten BY the bear he felt, sup.
pose, very UGH as any white father
would have felt under the circum-
stances. He vowed vengeance against
O'd Two Claws, but consoled himeelf
with drink of the fire-water before
starting on the hunt. %. =.
The braves with him followed his eH
ample. It wasn't in Indian nature to
staft until they had emptied the jug, 20
it happened that old Two Claws got od
again. Tipsy bIayestap't follow ., trail
worth a cent
Not very long after. nat a womsn in
q neighbofing settlement heard. her
children. scream one day in the woods
near the house. She luahcd out, and
actually saw q bear Juggling of her
youngest. ffti-Eg1I grk... .ar
She was . sickly, feeble prt of woman.
but such sight was enough to give her
the strength and courage of man. She
ran and caught up an AZ. Luckily she
had a big dog. The two went at the
/ The old fellow had no notion of losing
his dinner Just for . woman and mon
grel cur. But she struck him tremen-
dous blow on the back; at the sane
time the pup got him by the leg. He
dropped the youngest one to defend
himself. She caught it up and ran,
leaving the two beasts to have it out to-
gether.
The bear made short work with the
cur; but instead of following the
woman and child, he skulked off into
the wood. ,--
The settlers got together for a grand
hunt, but old Two Claws-for the tracks
showed that he Was the scOundrel-es-