The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-07-07
HOLLIE AND THE BEAR.

A True story OF We O.den Time"
lie sat in the doorway eating a turn
over, this little Hollie, of whom l am
going to tell you, one sunshiny morn
ing IN August. ninety years ago. The
corn tassels were waving in the soft
| breeze, and beyond the small clearing.
among the tall old forest trees, the
BIRDS were giving a morning concert.
Everything was SO fresh and sweet and
beautiful that Hollie's heart sang, too.
glad little song. Perhaps the turn
| over had something to do with that.
just as he had finished the last
mouthful he saw his father coming
along the path from the corn Held.
walking very fast, with very red face
Hollie jumped up in a hurry. "It's
the bears' he cried, excitedly. 81 do
pelleve IT'S the bear come again! Isn't
it, fatherp''
81 should say it was, returned his
father, Grossly; land either he's a
monstrous big fellow or there's more n
one of him. He's tranped down a
square rod of the. cern-patch. It's
enough to provoke saint. that what
it isl, .u 49, 80 f1
And | think. it was almost. Every
night for q week except the last one
had Hollie's father taken down "a
frusty queen's-arm and gone, at TWILIGHT
to the further edge of the corn field.
there to waitan watch until the morn
ing frightened in the east. For seven
long nights he stood guard. and the
bear did not come The eighth nioht
he slept. and the bearded come. Wasn't
it provokingp -
81 shan't have enough corn left to
fat my pig,'' he went on, as Holiie :
mother looked out OF the low doorway.
:" If | could only shoot that, tarnal crit
ter. though, we'd get meat enough out
O him to last q good spell. He must
~ . betty chap his tracks as big over
How large a plate did he mean, do
you think? 81 4a4g 109 5tlEE'
when are you going, to watch for
him again?' asked Holfie' mother.
80 Not very soon, I reckon. The brute
has too much sense to come when I'm
there, and wouldn't lose smother
weeks sleep, anyway, for forty patches
of corn.'' .~-.s
Hollie' eyes were twinkiinplike very
bright stars, indeed. sob, father. lei
me watch one night, please!p he cried.
~ know how to fire the musket.
!" Mayn't /, fatherr'
And of course his father said .. Non.
sense"' very decidedly. You knew he j
would, didn't voup Your father would
not let his little boy spend night in a
corn field, with deep, lonely forest
away on all sides, and with
no company save the katy-dids, an old
musket and possible bear, would hep
No more would Hollie's father
Nevertheless the idea grew and grew
until it filled Hollie's bright little mind /
completely. If he could but Kin that I
bear! 49, ea .r.aisl asT 4 --ss
Father didn't say mustn't try.'
he declared over and over to himself:
.she only said .Nonsenser
You see, don't you, that Hollie was
very like good many little boys, now
a-days. sc -s.a asa '.4ss sf'f ~. ssstl i
So, in the afternoon, he crept around
and loosened some of the boards which
were nailed across fireplace for a win-i
dow In his bedroom. There were but
Two rooms in this little log house. The
arger was kitchen, dining-room, sit
and bedroom in one; the
smaller was Hollie's bedroom, and the
Did queen s-arm hung from q peg in
he wall, just at the foot of Hoilie .
cot bed. lF.ii
That night when Hollie's father and
mother were sleeping soundly. and
here were no signs Of life anywhere
'oout the little house, the man-in the
noon. just peeping above the eastern
ree-tops saw those loosened boards
!rop noiselessly down from the vim
low-hole. anda little boy crawl through
oitly as any mouse, dragging bio
nusket out after him. 80
How very still everything was! Hol.
le had half a mind to be frightened. i.
there was no sound of life save the
nonotonous . Gro ak, cro-ak, cro-uk.
ro-uk" OF the frogs down by the
'rook. The we'll sweep had an unfa-
niliar look, and the corn rustIed and Fl
hivered as it never rustled and shiy-
red in the bright sunlight. surely.
But Hollie walked along, boldly
nough, toward that part OF the corn
cid nearest the wood. Almost there.
q stopped-suddenly. A rustline.
much louder than the rustIing of tie
oft wind among the corn. came to his
aI-a sound OF trampIng and champ
ng.
u just b'lieve it's one of the oxen
OF loose" he thought; g T amt a bear
all. DO! ho!' and he laughed so t.
to himself. thinking of the joke it
'ould be to tell his father in the morn ,
~.
He went nearer. Through the tall.
corn-stalks, he caught q
hmpse o. q great, dark creature busily
hewlng OF the half-ripe ears Of corn.
IL Old black Starr said HolIie, j
looping TO pick up stone. Hur-rap /
here, sirr'
The champing ceased. There was a
Nv growl, and then the big, black :
FEATURE rose upon its launches and i
,oked about.