Sharp County record., 1881-07-14
HOLLIE AND THE BEAR.
A True Story or"Ye OIden Time.

a True Story of "Ye OIden Time.'
He sat in the doorway eating turn
over, this little Hollie of whom | 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 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 hurry. Its
the bearr' he cried, excitedly. 81 do
believe it's the bear come again! Isn't
it, father?"
81 should say it was" returned his
father, Grossly; land either he's
monstrous big fellow or there's mvre'n
one of him. He's trampeG down a
square rod of the corn-patch. It's
enough to provoke a saint, that's what
it ISL
And l think it was almost. Every
night for a week except the last one
had Hollie's father taken down his
trusty queen s-arm and gone, at twilight
to the further edge of the corn field,
there to wait and watch until the morn
ing frightened in the east. For seven
long nights he stood guard and the
bear did not come. The eighth night
he slept, and the bear did come. Wasn't
it provoking?
Il shan't have enough corn left to
fat my pig" he went on, as Hollie's
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 a good spell. He must
be hefty chap; his tracks as big over
as q plate"
How large plate did he mean, do
you think?
"When are you going to watch for
him again?" asked Hollie mot her,.
"Not very soon, Treckon. The brute
has too much sense to come when I'm
there, and l wouldn't lose another
weeks sleep, anyway, for forty patches
of corn"
Hollie's eyes were twinklinglike very
bright stars, indeed. "Oh, father, let
me watch one night, pleaser' he cried.
- know how to fire the musket.
"Mayn't l, father?"
And of course his father said "Non-
sensen very decidedly. You knew he
would, didn't you? Your father would
not let his little boy spend night in a
corn-feld, with a deep, lonely forest
stretching 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 kill that
bear!
Father didn't say ] mustn't try"
he declared over and over to himself;
"he only said 'Nonsensen"
You see, don't you, that Hollie was
very like a 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 lace for win
dow in his bedroom. There were but
two rooms in tn little log house. The
larger was kitchen, dining-room, sit
ting-room and bedroom in one; the
smaller was Hollies bedroom, and the
old queen s-arm hung from a peg in
the wall, just at the foot of Hollies
cot. bed.
That night when Hollie's father and
mother were sleeping souadly, and
there were no signs of life anywhere
about the little house, the man-in-the-
moon. just peeping above the eastern
tree-tops saw those loosened boards
drop noiselessly down from the win
dow-hole, and la little boy crawl through
softly as any mouse, dragging a big
musket out after him.
How very still everything was! Hol-
lie had half mind to be frightened
There was no sound of life save the
monotonous Zero ak, cro-ak, cro-uk,
cro-uky' of the frogs down by the
brook. The well-sweep had an unfa-
miliar look, and the corn rusted and
shivered as it never rustled and shiv-
cred in the bright sunlight, surely.
But Hollie walked along, boldly
enough, toward that part OF the corn
field nearest the wood. Almost there,
he stopped-suddenly. A rustling,
much louder than the rustling OF the
soft wind among the corn. came to his
cara SOUND of tramplng and champ
ing.
II just b'lieve it's one of the oxen
got loose" he thought; ct aint bear
at all. Ho ho!' and he laughed so t.
ly to himself, thinking of the joke it
would be to tell his father in the morn
ing. ng.------- ---------
He went nearer. Through the tall,
thick growing corn-stalks, he caught a
glimpse OF a great, dark creature busly