Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-03
HOLLiE AND THE BEAR.
A True 5 DRY of "Ys Olden Time"

A True DRY of s'Ye Olden Time"
He sat in the doorway eating turn
over, this little Hollie of whom I am
gong to tell you, one sunshiny morning
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 CIV
ing morning concert. Everything was
so fresh and sweet and beautiful that
Hollie's heart sang, too, glad little song.
Perhaps the turnover had something to
do with that.
Just as he had finished the last mouth
full he saw his father coming along the
path from the corn-ield, walking very
fast, and with a very red face.
Hollie jumped up in hurry. sIt's
the bear!' he cried, eXcitedly 81 do
believe it's the bear come again! Isn't
it, father?''
~ should say it was," returned his
father, Grossly; "and either he's a mon
strous big fellow or there's more'n one OF
him. He's tramped down square rod
of the corn patch. It's enough to pro-
yoke saint, that's what it is!''
And l think it was almost. Every
night for week except the last one had
Hollie's father taken down his trusty
queens arm and gone, at twilight to the
further edge of the corn-feld there to
wait and watch until the morning bright
ened in the east For several nights he
stood guard, and the bear did not come.
The eighth night he slept, and the bear
did come. Wasn't it provoking?
II shan't have enough corn left to tat
my pig,'' he went on, as Holie's mother
looked out of the low doorway. eff l
could only shoot that tarnal critter,
though, we'd get meat enough out O. him
to last good SPELL He must be lefty
chap; his tracks as big over as plate"
How large a plate did he mean, do you
think?
"When are you going to watch for
him again!" asked Hollie's mother,
"Not very soon, reckon. The brute
has too much sense to come when Pm
there, and wouldn't lose another weeks
sleep, anyway, for forty patches Of corn"
Hollie's eyes were twinkling like very
bright stars, indeed. ooh, father, let me
watch one night, please!' he cried. 81
know how to fire the musket. "Mayn't
I, father?"
And of course his father said "Non-
sensel" very decidedly. You knew he
would, didn't you? Your father would not
let his little boy spend night in a forest
stretching away on all sides, and with no
company save the katy dds, an old mus
ket and possible bear, would he? 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 kill that
bearl
"Father didn't say 1 mustn't try" he
declared over and over to himself, che
only said 'Nonsense!"
You see, don't you, that Hollie was
very like good many little boys, now-a-
days.
So, in the afternoon, he crept around
and loosened some of the boards which
were nailed across the place for win
dow in his bedroom. There was but two
rooms IN this little log house. The
larger was kitchen, dining room, sitting
room and bedroom in one; the smaller was
Hollie's bedroom, and the old queen's-arm
hung from a peg in the wall just at the
foot of Hollie's cot-bed.
That night when Hollie's father and
mother were sleeping soundly, and there
were no signs of life anywhere about the
little house, the man-in- the-m moon, just
peeping above the eastern tree-tOps, saw
those loosened boards drop noiselessly
down from the window hole, and little
boy crawl through softly as any mouse,
dragging very big 4nusket out after
him.
How very still everything was. Hollie
had half mind to be frightened. There
was no sound of life save the monoton-
Gus "Cro-ak Gro ak, cro-uk, cro-ukP' OF
the frogs down by the brook. The we'll
sweep had an unfamiliar look, and the
corn rustled and shivered as it never rus
tied and shivered in the bright sunlight,
surely.
But Hollie walked along boldly enough,
toward that part of the Cornfield nearest
the wood. Almost there, he stopped
suddenly. A rustling, much louder than
the rustling of the soft winds among the
corn, came to his cara sound OF tramp
ing and champing.
~ just b'lieve it's one of the oxen got
loose,'' he thought; "t'aint a bear at ALL
Hol ho." and he laughed softly to him.
self, thinking of the joke it would be to
tell his father in the morning.
He went nearer Through tall, thick
growing cornstalks, he caught glimpse
of a great, dark creature busily chewing
off the half ripe ears of corn.
s.It's old black Starl'' said HODie, stoop-
ing to pick up stone. "Hur rap, there,
SIR"
The champing ceased. There was
low growl, and then the big, black crea-
ture rose upon its launches and looked
about.
Poor, frightened, little HollIe. For an
instant he stood in mute terror, his breath
coming in short, quick gasps, his heart in
his throat. But through all the fear
shone faint CLEAN of triumph Here
was the bear which his father had long
and vainly watched for. He raised the
old queen s-arm; there was heavy crash
which set the woods singing, mingled
with horrible whistling scream from the
bear
Hollie turned and ran; all his life long
he never forgot that wild race to the
house. Nor how, when he flung himself
upon the closed door, it's leather hinges