The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-02-22
uOHAwEn UP BY A R,AR.n

ers and hunters"
"Scuse me, but Tn all broke up over
1t, y said he, MS he sat by the great fire
place with the tears rolling down his
weather-beaten checks, IL could have
braced up under ii if my poor Mary had
got sick and died at home with me
holdin of her hand and consolin her as
she was breakin' camp for the other
world; but to be chawed mp by a tarnal
bar in the woods, and me nowhar
around to protect her--that's what gifts
me, naber.'
Tell me all about it, said l.
"Waal, You see, was goin' over to
Truckeo Meadows to sell Them skins we
got on our last hunt, and Mary said she
reckoncd she'd do up the months wash
ing down to the creekwhile | was gone,
as it would keep her from hein' lone
some like; and last thing said too, was,
"LooG out for varmints.
"The sun was about an hour high
when ! got back to the cabin, and no
Mary. thought kinder strange Of that,
as she ought to have been done her
washin' before that; so ! steps to the
door and gives my old whoop that she
knows whenever she hears it, but no an
swer, and, says |, thars sumthin
wrong, and sholderin my gun started
down TO the creek, keepin an eye open
for any signs of danger, hadn't gone
more n hundred yards down the path
to the creek fore / see bar tracks, the
tarnalest biggest bar tracks ever sot
eyes on. Thar's one of his feet in the
corner; did you ever see such paw?
Why, naber, my heart went down into
my boots when saw them tracks. !
knew just as well why Mary wasn't at
home as if I'd seen that bar chawin
her up At tho creek; aud then when
cot down thar and found the clothes
gathered up in the tub, just as ii she
was ready to come home, and her apron
on the ground covered with blood, the
story was told just as plain as if it had
all been writ down in book. Ny poor,
dear Mary was gone whar washin and
coo&n and helpin' her husband tomahe
q Twin was all over ! knew that, for
her, the toll and struggle Of life was
done with. and knew that | was left
all alone out haag in these dreary hills
and woods with nothin' more in this
world to care for. What did | do,
nabcr? Why, picked up that bit OF
her apron, all covered with blood, and
kissed it, and then Strengthened UP
and said I, Thar amt no time TO be
wastin here III Git that internal. bar
4 follow him to the Pacific coast and
thar he is nailed up 10 the torked poles
outside Thar wasn't much trail, but |
could see whar he'd bin draggin her
through the leaves and then the trail
was los. on the rocks, so knew he'd
carried her body to some cave whsr he
had LETT il. j.. verhsule6 him about
shutdown coming from q different direc-
ton No, 1t warn much Of a fight; he
was such 9 ,arnal tough old cyi,ter he
died hard. aud fought for it some TOO,
be tore the sleeve Of tia, coat sind he
calculated he had got the hug on me-
but I fetched him with the knife, besides
the bullet which would have dropped
any common b ar.
This was the shor, but significant
story tLSt Jim Baker told me, and then
he broke all down again, as he took the
torn piece Of bloody apron from his
poke, and kissed it, and cried as il bis
hear. would break 1t was one Of those
sad incidents Of Western life that touch
the tender places in rough hearts; and l
don't deny il, reader, sat there silent
IL on the other side Of the fireplace and
cried, too. / had known his wife for
years, and a nobler woman could not
have been found in that rough pioneer
country or one who shared her hus-
band hardsAips with less murmuring.
And to think she had died tina, way |
looked around at the ria.n. poor orna-
ments she had adorned the cabin with,
and thought of the dust that would
gather on them which her loving hands
could never again brush off for jim.
Poor jim, | was sorry for him and |
told him I'd stay all night to keep him
company and we would hunt the bears
den the next day, and I'd help him 10
cut up the bear ii he wished; but he ex.
claimed, with fash in his eyes
Not bit Of that internal critter will |
! ever eat after he has chawed up my
poor Mary!
Alter supper poor Jim went TO sleep
in lis chair and laid awake on the bed |
listening TO him calling SO plaintiyely
the name Of his Mary in his troubled
dreams. Suddenly, about 10 0 clock, |
heard knock and, picking up my re-
yolyeE / quietly opened the door,
1t was Mary
jim still slept in hischair lmotioned
silence to her, and she quietly went up
to him and putting her arms around him
gave him a rousing kiss that lifted him
out Of his chair,
He really believed that he had seen
vision from Heaven, andforten minutes
he was crazy with excitement Then we
quoted him down, and when he really
found that his Mary was there alive and
well thought it was about time to
leave.
They sent for Inc the next day 10 come
over TO bear feast and Jim ate more OF
that animal than any one of US; he had
rccoasidered his vow
The explanation of her strange disap.
peanncc was simply this She had
been sent for to come atonce to neigh
Dor, few miles away, where the illness
Of the mans wife required womans
immediate presence, and Mary, noble
soul that she was, dropped everything,