Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-04-07
A Tough Story.
Old Jerry Greenines Big Bear.
philadelphia Times.l

me and Case had with bar over
long the Rattlcsnakc Creekf' ask.
ed old Jerry Grecning as he piled
the logs OH the fire in his coy little
cabin near this village. Jerry is
one of the best hunters in Pike
County ard his "reminiscences are
peculiarly interesting.
"l'll tell ye all bout il fore Case
-ye know my sou Case, don't yc.
comes in. Wall, me an Case an
that ere ole yallcr houn' of mine
he's seventeen year old this comm
spring-we started out after II bee
tree. Wall, We was q walkin' long
kinder quiet like. when all to u sud.
dent that cussed honn' OF mine give
the allhredest yell ever | hear, an
outcn the brush an scrub oaks
come a trcmengus black bar. I'll
be hanged if that bar wasn't ten
foot long. Wall, the bar stood
still in the path an looked ut me
an Case, an Case an me stood still
an looked at the bar, and I'll be
gosh hanged if 'twasn' so com'cal |
just sot down on the groun' an
LATED. Then Case he got up on his
ear COS We didn't have no gun nor
nothin' with us 'ceptin' an axe. an
no he yells to me, Reckon ye'd bet
tern get up tree, Mess We want
ter git chawed into miuce meat,
SEE he. jest about that time Mr..
Bar made fur Case an | Skinned
up u tree ----
"Wall, Case he went fur the bar
with the axe and all of student
the OF concern flew often the han
die; so Case he started fur ter climb
a tree AZ the bar come fur him.
Wall, sir, to see Case n climbin'
that ar tree with that bar after
i'm was morc'n could stan, so
jest bust out lailin' agin. Then
Case he got red hot mad an the
way he slung profanity roun' were
q caution. jest about the time he
begin calm me all sorts er names
that bar reached one of his paws
up an pulled of one of Cases F.
butes. He slid down the tree with
the butte and when he tcched the
groun' he struck that ar butte Jest I.
like that seventcen.yearo dog OF
mine wud rat. But the butte |
didn't seem TO satisfy him, SO he /.
elm tho tree agu. Case saw him
a comm, SO he yells out, I'm "a
goner, dad | seq, Hold the fort
an give him tothcr butte jest |
then Case seq, IN fix the OF cuss'
"Wall, sir, that bar elm Almost
to where Case were scttin', when
all to once't | see Case maxim some
motions with his fingers Scz |,
BE you tiXin' himr Seq he, i be-.
Jest then the Of devil gave u terrible
roar an let go the tree, | s'posr
you'll hardly b'lieve il, but gosh
hang mefthat b'ardidn't turn a sum.
merset in tn air an light on his
head. Yes, sir, it's q solcm' fac
tibet tibet bar fell on hiz head 80
hard thet he broke hiz neck. The
whole thing were so cussed com'cal
tibet ! got n latfiin' and tell clean of
the limb | was straddlin' an nearly
broke my neck. When Case com
down oaten the tree, seq |, 'What
made the bar tumblcr He looks
at me a minnit an then pulls ont
pepper box. Wall, sir, that ar boy
i alters calls him boy, though he's
80 year oil comm haydn time-had
stole the Of woman's peppcr.box,
just to tant'lize her. an thet'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 a boss an
wagon, Ill be blastedif we didn't fin
that Of yeller houn' up mother tree
yellin' like sin. Truth, sir, truth.
Yes, sir, that ar dog he'd been so
scarf that he just elm that tree
'thout thinkin'. Mebbe you think
I'm lynn when | say that bar weigh.
ed $50 poun'. But it's the truth, sir.
i never lied yet, an Pm gettin' too
OF to learn, fur I'm nigh seventy
years op.'