Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-03-25


The next morning they examined his tracks
II was old Two Claws
But what split him for being quiet neigh
Dor was something that happened about a
year after that.
There was a rowing family Of Indians en-.
camped near the settlement, hunting, fishing
and making moccasins and baskets, which
they traded with the whites.
One afternoon the Red. Sky -of-the. Morn
ing, wife Of Water snake-with. he-Long Tail
came over to the settlement with some Of
their truck for sale. She had papooso on
her back strapped on a board another
squaw travelled with her, carrying an empty
jug.
Almost within sight Of Gorman's grocery,
Red-Skin took of her papoose and hung it on
a tree. The fellows around the store had
made fun Of IL when she was there once be-
fore, so she preferred leaving it in the woods
rather than expose it to the coarse Jokes of
the boys. The little thing was used to such
treatment. Whether carried or hung up,
papoosey Dever cried.
The squaws traded of their truck, and
bought, with other Injuries of civilization, a
gallon Of whiskey. They drank out of the
jug and then looked at more goods. Then
they drank again, and from being shy and ST.
lent, as at first, they giggled and chatted like
a couple of silly white girls. They spent a
good deal more time and money at Gorman's
than they would il il hadn't been for the
whiskey, but finally they started to go back
through the woods.
They went chatting and giggling TO the
tree where the papoose had been left. There
was no papoose there.
The discovery sobered them. They thought
at first that the fellows around the store had
played them trick by taking il away, but by
andby the Red-Sky- of the Morning set up a
shrek
She had found the board not far of, but no
papoose strapped to it, only something that
told the story Of what had happened
There were bear tracks around the spot.
One of the prints showed only two claws.
The Red Sky 1.-the Morning went back to
camp with the news the other squaw fol-
lowed with the Jug
When the Water Snake-w -with-the Long Tail
heard that his papoose had been eaten by a
bear he felt, l suppose, very much as any
white father would have felt under the cir
cumstances He vowed vengeance against
old Two Claws but consoled himself with a
drink Of the fre-water before starting on the
hunt
The braves with him followed his example
1t wasn't in Indian nature to start until
they had emptied the Jug, 80 it happened
that old Two Claws got of again. Tipsy
braves cannot follow trail worth a cent.
Not very long after that woman in a
neighboring settlement heard her children
scream one day in the woods near her house.
She rushed out and actually cav a bear lug
ging of her youngest.
She was a sickly, feeble sort of woman but
such a sight was enough 10 give her the
strength and courage of a man. She ran
and caught up an AK. Luckily she had big
dog. The two went at the bear.
The old fellow had no notion of losing his
dinner just for a woman and a mongrel cur.
But she struck him tremendous blow on
the back at the same time the pup got him
by the leg He dropped the young one to
defend himself. She caught it up and ran,
leaving the two beasts TO have it out together.
The bear made short work with the cur ;
but instead of following the woman and child
he struck off into the woods
The settlers got together for q grand hunt,
but old Two Claws-for the tracks showed
that he was the scoundrel-escaped into the
mountains and lived TO make more trouble
another day.
The child? Oh, the child was scarcely
hurt. 1t had got squeezed and scratched q
little in the final tussle that was all.
As to the bear, be was next heard of in our
settlement
The hostler hesitated, winked his one eye
with an odd expression put fresh quid into
his cheek, and finally resumed.
A brother-in-law of my uncle, a man Of the
name of Rush, was one day chopping in the
woods about half q mile from his house
when his wife went out to fetch him his
luncheon. She left two children at home, q
boy about five years old, and baby just big
enough to toddle around.
The boy had been often told that if ht
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bear might catch them, and she charged hin
again that afternoon not to go away from the
house but he was an enterprising little fel
low, and when the sun shone so pleasant anG
the woods looked SO inviting he wasn't to bt
afraid of bears.
The woman stopped to see her husband
fell big beech he was cutting, and theI
went back to the house but just before she
got there she saw the Oldest boy coming ou
of the woods on the other side. He wa
white as a sheet, and so frightened at frs
that he couldn't speak.
Johnny" says she, catching hold of him
''what is the matter?"
"a bear" he gasped at last.
"Where is your little brother p was he
next question.
81 don't know" said he. too much fright
ened to know anything Just then.
''Where did you leave your brother 2" say
she.
Then he seemed to have gotten his wits to
gether little. "a bear took him !" said he
You can guess what sort of an agony tn
mother was in.
"ob, Johnny, tell me truel Think
Where was it 2"
'.Jn the woods" he said "Bear com
along-I run"
She caught him up, and hurried with hin
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her where he was with his little brothe
when the bear came along. He pointed ou
two or three places. In one of them tn
earth was soft There were fresh track
crossing it-bear tracks There was M
doubt about it.
1t was a terrible situation for a poor wo
man. Whether 10 follow the bear and try b
recover her child, or go at once for her hus
band to alarm the neighbors; what to d
with Johnny meanwhile-al that would hav
been hard enough for her to decide even i
she had her wits about her.
She hardly knew what she did, but jus
followed her instinct, and ran with Johnn.
in her arms, or dragging him after her, t
where her husband was chopping.
Well, continued the one-eyed hostler,
needn't try TO describe what followed. The
went back to the house, and Rush took hi
rifle and started on the track of the bear
vowing that he would not come back withou
the child or the bsar's hide.
The news went like wildire through tn
settlement. In an hour and half dozel
men with their dogs were on the track wit
Rush. II was so much trouble for him +
follow the trail that they soon overlook him
with the help Of the dogs.
But in spite of them the bear got into tn
mountains. The two dogs got up with him
| and one the only one that could follow
scent, had his back broken by stroke of hi
paw. After that it was almost impossible t
track him, and one after another of the hunt
ers gave up and returned home.
AT last Rush was left alone, but nothin
would induce him to turn back. He she
some small game in the mountain, which h
cooked for his supper, slept on the groun
and started ON the trail again in the morning
Along in the forenoon he came in sight q
the bear as he was crossing a stream. II
had good shot at him as he was climbin
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