Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-03-08

as last as they could leap. The cart
was humping and runbling over the
frozen ruts, and in 1t was block Great.
ure that looked as large as yearling
steer. The animal was staggering in
his endeavor to keep on his feet as the
cart jounced along, and he turned round
constantly in making attempts to jump
ont.
Z" It's sbear " Joe shouted. "Thsre's
bear in shs esrsi. IS
We ran on after the cart as nimbly as
we could. There was quite long hill
to go up but the cattle got further from
us at every leap. l never saw steers
run so.
"Must-er-smelt--er -er-ther-meat-
er--the-turkeys !" painted Joe. can
--got--in-the cart. No wonder-the
steers-was scairt'" .ss..rFs
Steers and bear got to the top of the
hill a long way ahead of rs, and then
the cart went rumbling down on the
other side.
When we reached the top they were
"streaking it," as Joe said, across the
sandy flat below us, and the bear was
still in the cart -sL. .EsE.. ..
They'll haul him. home !" exclaimed
Ranse.
1t seemed curious that the animal did
not spring out but we could see him
lurching from side to side and turn
ing round, apparently afraid to jump
off the cart.
Our house and barn were in plain
sight from the hill. We had left the
great door of the barn open that morn
ing, propped back, so that "Thenty +"
could drive the sheep IN toward night.
She could shut the barn door, but could
not open il.
She and little "Sile" were standing
near the we'll sweep when We reached
the top of the hill. They soon heard
the cart coming. We saw them turn
and look moment, then they both ran
into the house, and in second mother
came to the door.
The steers turned into the yard a. full
run. One wheel of the cart bum mped
over big stone and struck against q
post that held the bars, breaking it with
crash that we heard away back where
we were coming down the hill.
But the bear still clung to the cart,
and when mother saw it and its occupant
tearing through the yard she ran into
the house and shut the door.
The steers, in their blind fright, dashed
on toward the barn, going over pile o.
stove-w wood, smashing the saw.horsc, and
knocking off the well-curb.
The barnyard gate was open. Rush.
ing into it, they broke with the nigh
wheel one of the gate-posts short off at
the ground. z, s --
We took the shortest cut across the
field, but as jumped tho fence 1 saw
steers and cart 60 with the speed of a
locomotive into the barn at the great
door. They knocked down or Jared
downthe prop against the door, and it
slammed TO after them. l>a ~
"Now we've got 'um + exclaimed
Ranse; they're all in there together y
In a pen at the farther end of the
barn floor was an Old hog with litter
of ten little pigs, and in another tempo
rary pen, in the cattle "tie-up," were
two other hogs, which We were going to
kill in day or two.
The rest of cur turkeys, thirty or more,
were shut up in one of the empty bins
of the "hay-bay.'
We rushed to the barn. never, in
all my life, heard such noise as there
was inside Boards were being smashed.
The old hogs were barking like wild
boars, and one of the little pigs was go
ing rock. ok ok -ok-ok the turkeys were
oil flying and futtering and "quitting"
anu ychpihB.
Mother and lhenty had ventured out,
pale Us ghosts, wanting to know what,
"for mcrcy's sake, was the matter.
"Matter enough, I should think r
said Joe.
"well, we must GO in and get 'em
apart, somehow !" exclaimed Ranse, ex-
citedly. -.-
He got an AK, and / pnlled open the
small door of the "tie up"
had no sooner got it half open when
out ran one Of the fatted hogs, followed
by one of the pigs. A turkey came fly
ing out over their backs. There was
such a dust that we actually couldn't see
into the barn.
"Shut it mp" cried Joe, "or tho
bear Il be out in our faces r
Then he and Ranse got their guns
ready. and threw open the great door.
All the turkeys came out at once.
As soon as we could see through the
dust, we found that one OF the steers
was unyoked. He had broken through
the partition into the turkey-bay. The
other steer was threshing about over the
cart tongue, and had knocked down
both the pig pens. The little pigs were
rushing this way and that, under the
cart mud all over tho barn.
But we, could not see the bear any.
where. We had supposed that he
would iush out Ranse and Joe had
their guns cooked, and was ready for
him with the az.