The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-03-17
A Tough Bear Story.

A correspondent of the Philadelphia
Times, writing from village in Pike
county, Pa, tells this tough bear story:
"Eyer heerd bout the scrimmage me
and Case had with bar over long the
Rattlesnake creek?" asked old Jerry
Greening, as he piled the logs on the fire
in his cosy little cabin near this village.
Jerry is one of the best hunters in Pike
county, and his "reminiscences are pecu-
liarly interesting.
"I'll tell ye al bout it fore Case-ye
know my son Case, don't ye-csmes in.
Wall, me an Case an that ere ole yaller
boun' of mine-he's seventeen years old
this comm spring-we started out after
n bee tree. Wall, we was walkin'
long kinder quiet like, when all to a
suddent that cussed houu' of mine give
the all-tiredest yell ever I hear, and
outer the brush and scrub oaks comes
a tremengus black bar. I'll be hanged
if that bar wasn't ten foot long. Wal,
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 com'cal l
lust sot down an laffed. Then Case he
got up on his ear 'cos we didn't have no
2 gun nor nothin' with US, 'ceptin' a axe,
and so he yells to me: Reckon ye'd bet
tern get up tree, 'nless ye want ter git
chawed into mince meat sez he. Jest
about thet time Mr.. Bar made for Case
an Skinned up tree. o.,
"Wall, Case lie went fur the bar with
the axe and all of suddent the Of con-
Germ flew often the handle; so Case ne
started fur ter climb g tree, as the bar
come fur him. Wall. sir, to see Case q
climbin' that ar tree with that bar
after i'm was more'n could stan, 80 l
lust bust out lafin' agin. Then Case he
got red-hot mad an the way he slung
the profanity round were q caution:
Jest about the time be begin callin
me all sorts er names that bar reached.
one of his paws up an pulled off 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
a 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 I sez, Hold the
fort an give him t'other butte Jest
then Case sez, 'I'llfx the Of cuss.
"Wall, sir, that bar elm Almost to
where Case were a settin', when all to
once't I see Case maxim some motions
with his fingers. Sez I, Be you tixin'
him?' Sez he L be- Jest then the
oil bar gave terrible roar an let 20
the tree. ! s'pose you'll hardly b'lieve
it, but gosh hang me 4 that bar didn't
turn y summerset III tn air an light on
hiz head. Yes, sir, it's solem' fac,
thet thet bar fell on hiz head so hard
that he broke hiz neck: The whole
thing were so cyssed como thet got
q laffin' an fell clean off the limb l was
straddlin' an nearly broke my neck.
When Case com down outen the tree:
sez I, What made the bar tumble"
He looks at me.a minnit an then pulls
out a pepper box. Wall, sir, that ar
boy-I alters calls him boy, though he's
thirty-eight year OF comm hay time
had stole the OIL woman's pepper box,
lust to tant'lize her, an that's what
saved his lie. He sprinklcd the pepper
in the bars eyes an nearly drove
him frantic, so he dropped. But the
StranEPSL part OF Lllc Sloly - VIC uuS'
When me an Case went back after the
bar with hoss an wagon III be blasted
if we didn't fin that OF yeller houn' up
mother tree ycllin' like sin. Truth: sir,
truth. Yes, sir, that ar dog he'd been
50 scarf that lie just elm that tree
'tho,lnt thinkin'. Mcbbe you think I'm
lyin' when / say tl.aL bar weighed i've
hundred an fifty poun'. But it's the
truth, sir, never.iied yet, an I'm get
tim too ol' to learn, fur I'm nigh seventy
ypar ol,n