Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-06-24

quick time. / never felt so grand in
my life as | did a-hangin' on Jeddy's
arm. 1t makes me laugh to think OIL
it, and how / asked him if his ma
was well in such patronizing way.
Ofcourse there was fences'to git over
and he let me fall at the very fast
/ one.
Dear me How frightened the fell.
low was. Why, he stood there like
a spook, aud let me pick myself up,
and then said, over and over, ooh,
amt you hurt? Are you hurt bad /
Take hold OF my arm closer , and
Struggled up to his jacket again, try.
ing hard not to limp. for | did lame
my ankle little. Bat when got to
the farm house | forgot all about it.
All the boys and girls were there
for miles around, and the first thing
| heard was
oh, Hammers a5.ya bean = and
felt kinder provoked and kinder glad.
Well, we played the weeyily wheat,
and
''Here stands young couple,
Jined heart and hand"
| an hunt the slipper, and lots o
games that youngsters don't think OF
these times. We weren't dressed to
kill, with sashes yard wide under
our armpits, and we could run and
jump and laugh. Why, I've seen a
young Teller who had maybe been
ordered to redeem pawn after a
game of button, chase a young girl
all over an out, an round a house
half-a. dozen times afore he'd git a
kiss. You'd say now. DAYS, SIGH
doin's were undignifiea. an all that,
but know that girls in my day
weren't half as forward an KNOWN
as they are now.
Well, bout 'leven we started for
home, and we'd got SO well acquaint.
ed that we talked lots more than
when we came.
'Ain't it dark p said | as we enter.
ed the thick woods. sNothin' would
tempt me to go through here alone.
Do you 'spose there's been any bears
here lately?
Course not says Jedediah. IF
there were, you needn't be 'traid
long o me- and he held my arm so
close that all my fears vanished.
What was there to alarm me under
the protection of such q great strong,
manly, fearless fellow How did
look up to him
4 amt afraid of nothin,' he went
on. None o. the boys ever could
scare me. No matter what comes
any kind of a critter-Td protect you
Hammer dear. jest wish there ioaS
bear here yes, real live black
bear! I'd show you how l could de-
fend your
This was getting romantic, wasn't
it, now? | felt go grateful that |
tried to think of something to say to
express my gratitude, when he gave
start and cry
whats that?'
pulled the wrappings from my
face, and there, moving from the
trees to the left, was a great black
somethin'. comm toward us.
ooh, Jedediah, I'm afraid said ],
my teeth beginning to chatter, there
is bear ! Oh, dear! What shall
do?'
Jest hurry up, ses he and l felt
his arm tremble. well hive to be
gittin' out Of this mighty quick and
| found he meant it, for | couldn't
hardly begin to keep up with him.
The way he run was something won
derful for SO brave a youth, but the
quicker we went, the quicker came
that dreadful bear. At last my val.
liant protector cried out:
Let 60, Hammer, let go!
'Oh, Jedediah,' l gasped, don't
run away from me ; and | Just hung
on tighter, while he ran, draggin' me
along. Pretty soou be pushed me,
but wouldn't let 60.
Let 60 my arm, | say There's
no need of US both being devoured !;
let go, sayr and with that he gave
a savage pull at my arm, and away
he went, leaving me all alone.
We'll, dear, | couldn't begin to tell
you what | suffered. | can almost
realize it this mint, for all | could
think of was bowling wolves aud hor.
rid bears aad everything that was
terrible. | knew that black thing,
whatever it was, was close upon me,
for | could bear it. OF course had
not chopped running when my brave
protector left me, but my strength
klnd'r give out; felt faint like, and
though there wasn't much light, the
atmosphere turned blacker Closer
and clio ser the thing came.
There was great clamp of trees
on one side; If could make that,
and steal behind it, the bear might
pass on. ! did gain it, and waited,
sick with fear. | wondered my hair
didn't turn white, as Lord Byron's
did, poor young Teller
1t wasn't Lord Byron's, grandma;
it was the Prisoner of Gibbons >
Lord Byron only wrote about it.
20, did he I? well, it's all right
whichever way. cluug hold of the
trees, trembling all over, and the
thing did 60 past Gals, ! did hope
it would ketch Jedediah, aud eat
him all up, was SO angry aud NOR.
tilted aud frightened. Well, pretty
soon | stole out. The bear had gone
deeper into the woods, but | knew
where | was, on the open road to the
house, which was only half a mile
away. suppose the sound of my
teet attracted the critter, for | soon
found out that it was after me agen,
and then there was q race
Screaming at the top Of my voice,
Father help murder 7 | flew on,
and on flew the critter behind me.
Pretty soon, l saw the light of the
house. The front door was open,
and father and mother were coming