The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-09-16
A Tough Story.

Ever heerd bout the SCrlmmage me
and Case had with a bar over long
Rattlesnake Creek p asked old Jerry
Greening, as he piled the logs on the
fire in his little cabin near this villeage.
Jerry is one of the best hunters in
Pike county, and his "reminiscences are
peculiarly interesting.
"Ill tell We all bout it for Case-ye
know my son Case, don't welcomes in.
Wall, me an Case an that ere old yal-
Ter houn' of mine-he's II year old this
comm Spring-we started nat arter a
bee tree. Wall, we was a walkln' long
kinder quiet like, when all to a student
that , cussed houn' of mine give the
all-tiredest yell ever l heerd, an outep
the brush and scrub oaks came a tremen-
jus black bar. I'll be hanged if that
bar wasn't ten feet long. Wall, the
bar stood still in the path, an looked at
me an Case, an Case an me stood still
an looked at the bar, an I'll be gosh
hanged if 'twasn't so comical l just sot
down on the g;oun' an LATED. Then
Case he got up on his ear COS we didn't
have no gun nor nothin' with us, 'ceptin'
a max, an so he yells to me
"'Reckon ye'd better git up a tree,
'nless We want ter cit chawed into mince
meat, SEE he.
"Jest about thet time Mr.. Bar made
fur Case, an l Skinned up a tree.
"Wall, Case he went fur the bar
,,,+l A. 49, 49, Ill Sc , c,,l11n% xlo o1l
concern flew often the handle; so Case
he started fur ter climb a tree as the
bar come fur him. Wall, sir, to see
Case a climbin' that ar with the bar
arter I'm was more'n [ could stan, so |
Just bust out latin agln' Then Case he
got red hot mad, an the way he slung
the profanity roun' were a caution. Jest
bout the time he begin a calm me all
sort err names, that bar reached one of
his paws up an pulled off one Of Cases
butes. He slid down the tree with the
butte, an when he fetched the groun' he
struck that ar butte jest like that l7-year
old dog of mine wLd a rat. But the
butte didn't seem to satisfy him, so he
climbed the tree again Case saw him
a comm so he yells out, I'm a goner,
dad!' I SEE, Hold the fort, an give
'tother butte Jest then Case seq, I'll
fix the ole cuss.'
"Wall, sir, that bar elm Almost to
where Case were a %settin', when all at
once't | see Case maxim some motions
with his fingers. SEE l, BE you a ixin'
himF SEE he, 4 be- Jest then the ole
divil give a terrible roar and let so the
tree. | s'pose you'll hardly blieve it,
but gosh hang me if that bar didn't
turn IA summerset in the air an light on
his head. Yes, sir, it's a solem' fac tibet
tibet bar fell on hiz head so hard tibet he
broke hiz neck. The whole thing were
so cussed com'cal tibet | got a%-laffin' an
fell clean eff the limb l wuz straddlin'
an nearly broke my neck. When Case
come down Outen the tree, SEE /, 'Wl;at
made the bar tumblel He looks at me
a minnit, an then pulls out a pepper
box. Wall, SIR, tibet ar boy-I alters
calls hin boy, though he's 80 year ole
comm hayin-time-had stole the ole
woman's pepper box, just % tant'lize
her, an thes's what saved his life. He
sprinkled the pepper in the bars eyes,
an nearly drove him frantic, so he
dropped. But the strangest part of the
story is the dog. When me an Case
went back arter the bar with a boss an
wagon, I'll be blasted if we didn't fin
thet ole yaller houn' up mother tree,
yelln' like sin. Truth, sir, truth. Yes,
sir, thet ar dog he'd been SO scarf that
he Jest elm tibet tree 'thout thinkin,.
Iiebbe you think I'm lynn when l say
tibet bar weighed $50 poun'. But it's
the truth, sir. l eve lied yet, an I'm
gettin' too ole to larn, fur Pm nigh 10
wears ole