The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-11
A TOUGH STORY.
Old Jerry Greening's Big Bear.
Philadelphia Times ]

"Ever heerd bout the scrimmage me
and Case had with bar over long the
Rattlesnake CreekT asked old Jerry
Greening as he piled the logs on the fire
in his cozy little cabin near this village.
Jerry is one of the best hunters in Pike
County and his "reminiscences are pc
culiarly interesting.
"Pll tell ye all bout it fore Case-ye
know my son Case, don't Welcomes in.
Wall, me an Case an that ere ole yaller
houn' of mine-he's seventeen year old
this comm spring-we started out after
bee tree. Wall, we was a walkin' long
kinder quiet like, when all to suddent
that cussed houn' of mine give the all
fredest yell ever I hear, an outen the
brush an scrub oaks come tremengus
black bar. I'll be hanged if that bar
wasn't ten foot 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 Pll be gosh DANCED
if 'twasn't 70 com'cal l just sot down on
the groun' an LATED. / hen Case got up
on his ear COS we didn't have no gun nor
nothin' with us 'ceptin' make, an so he
yells to me, Reckon ye'd better'n get up
tree, 'nless ye'want ter git chawed into
mince meat sez he. Jest about thet
time Mr.. Bar made fur Case an l
Skinned up tree.
"Wall, Case he went fur the bar with
an ak. and all CT suddent the OF con-
Germ flew often the handle; so Case he
started fur ter climb tree as the bar
came fur him. Wall, sir, to see Case q
climbin' that ar tree with that bar after
i'm was more'n I could stan, SO I jest
bust out laffin' agin. Then Case he got
red-hot mad an the way he slung the
profanity roun' were caution. Jest
about the time he begin callin' me all
sorts er names, that bar reached one of his
paws up an pulled of one of Cases butes.
He slid down the tree with the butte and
when he teched the groun' he struck that
ar butte Jest like that seventeen year-oP
dog Of mine wud rat. But the butte
didn't seem to satisfy him, so he clim'
the tree agin. Case saw him comm,
SO he yells out, I'm a goner, dad /
sez Hold the fort an give him t'other
buie.' Jest then Case sez, Tll fix the
OF cuss'
"Wall, sir, that bar clim' Almost to
where Case were settin', when all to
once't see Case maxim some motions
with his fingers. Sez ], BE you a fxin'
himT Sez he, I be- Jest then the OF
devil gave a terrible roar an let go the
tree. Is'pose you'll hardly blieve it,
but gosh hang me f that bar didn't
turn summerset in tn air an light on
his head. Yes, sir. it's a solem' fac thet
tibet bar fell on his head 80 hard thet he
J broke hiz neck. The whole thing were
so cussed com'cal thet got laffin' and
fell clean of the limb / was straddlin'
an nearly broke my neck. When Case
com' down outen the trees, sez /, What
made the bar tumblep He looks at
me a minnit an then pulls out
| pepper-box. WALL sir, that ar boy--l
alters calls him boy, though he's thirty.
eight years Of comm hayin' time--had
stole the OF woman's pepper-box, just to
/ tantlize her, an that'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 after the bar with hoss an
wagon, I'll be blasted if we didn't fin
that OF yeller houn up mother tree yell
Rim like sin. Truth, sir, truth. Yes, sir