Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-04-05
Jim. Bakers Mistake.

hangin' out up thar"
That is what he said to me, when
went over to his cabin one night in Ne
vada, where we were neighboring farm
els and hunters.
"'Scuse me, but I'm all broke III
over it," said he, as he sat by the grea
fireplace with the tears rolling dowr
his weather-beaten cheeks Il coule
have braced up under it if poor Mar
had got sick and died at home with M
holdin' her head and consolini her al
she was breakin' camp for the othe
world; but to be chawed up by tarna
bar in the woods, and me nowhal
around TO protect her--that's what git
me, naber.N
"lell me all about it, !" said /.
'Waal, you see, | was goin' over &c
Truckee Meadows to sell them skins WI
got on our last hunt, and Mary said sht
reckoned she'd do up the months wash.
ing down TO the creek while | was gone
as it would keep her from being lone
some like; and last thing said too, was
Look out for yarmints.
"The sun was about an hour high
when | got back to 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 answer,
and, saws l. thars sumthin' wrong, and
shoulderin' my gun | started down to
the creek, kcepin' an eye open for any
signs OF danger hadn't gone more n
hundred yards down the path to the
creek fore | spied bar tracks, the tarn-
elest biggest b ar tracks | ever sot eyes
on Thar's one of his feet in the cor
ner; did you ever see such paw?
Why, naber, my heart went down into
my boots when | saw them tracks
knew Just rs vol why Mary wasn't at
home as if I'd seen that bar chawin'
her up at the creek; and then when
got down and found the clothes gathered
up in the tub, just us if 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 written down in book My poor,
dear Mary was gone whar washin' and
cookin' and helpin' her husband to
make q Twin was all over | knew
life was done WITH and | knew that
was left alone out hyar in these dreary
hills and woods with nothn' more in
this world to care for. What did do,
naber? Why, l picked up that bit of
an apron, all covered with blood, and
kissed it, and then | Strengthened up
and said |, Thar amt no time to be
wastin here. I'll Git that Internal b ar
if / follow him to the Pacific coast; and
thar he is nailed up to the forked poles
outside. Thar wasn't much trail, but
could see where he'd been draggin' her
through the leaves and then the trail
was lost on the rocks, so | knew he'd
carried her body to some cave where he
had left it, for | overhauled him about
shutdown coming from a different direc.
ton. No, it warn't much of fight he
was such n tarnal tough old critter he
died hard, and fought for it some, too.
He tore the sleeve of that coat and he
calculated he had got the hug on me,
but | fetched him with the knife, be-
sides the bullet which would have drop
ped any common b ar
This was the short but significant
story that jim Baker told me, and then
he broke all down again, as he took the
torn piece Of bloody apron from his
pocket and kissed it, and clied as ii his
heart would break. 1t was one of those
sad incidents of western life that touch
the tender places in rough hearts; and
don deny il, reader ! sat there silently
on the other side of the fireplace and
cried, too. / had known his wife for
years and Il nobler woman could not
have been found in that rough pioneer
country, or one who shared her hus-
bands hardShips with less murmuring.
And 10 think She had died that way! |
looked around at the plain, poor orna-
ments She had adorned the cabin with,
and thought of the dust tnat would
gather on them which her loving hands
would never again brush off for jim.
Poor jim, was sorry for aim and |
told him I'd stay all night to keep him
and we would hunt the bears
den the next day. and I'd help him to
cut up the bear ii he wished; but he eX-
claimed, with a flash in his eyes:
Not u bit of that Internal critter will
! eat after he has chawed up my poor
Mary
After supper poor Jim went TO sleep
in his chair and laid awake on the bed
listening to him calling so plaintively
the name of his Mary III his troubled
dreams. Suddenly, about 10 0 clock, |
heard n knock and picking up my re-
Diver, quietly opened the door
II WAS Mary!
Jim still slept in his chair. | mo-
Toned silence to her, and she quietly
went up to him and putting her arms
around him gave him II rousing kiss and
lifted him out of his chair
He really believed that he had seen a
vision from Heaven, and for ten min
utes he was crazy with excitement.
Then we quoted him down, aud when
lie really found that his Mary was there
alive and well | thought it was about
time 10 leave.
They sent for me next day to come
over to bear feast, and Jim ate more
of that animal than any one of us; he
had reconsidered his vow.
The explanation of her strange disap-
pearance was simply this: She had
been sent for TO come at once to a
few miles away, where the
illness of mans wife required
Woman's immediate presence, and
Mary, noble soul that she was, dropped
e1 erything, and went at once, expecting
to get home before night
The mystery of the bloody apron was
that she had killed rabbit, and hung
il up IN her apron, and then pulled it