The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1883-12-15

had emptied the jug, SO it happened that
Old Two Claws got off again. Tipsy braves
can't follow o trail worth a cent
"Not very long after that woman in a
ncishboring settlement heard her children
scream one day in the WOODS near the house.
she rushed out and actually saw bear lug
ging off her youngest. She was q sickly,
feeble sort of a woman, but such sight was
enough to give her the strength and courage
of man. She ran and cought up an az.
Luckily she had big dog. The two went
at the bear.
"The old fellow had no notion Of losing
his dinner just for woman and 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 to-
gether.
"The bear made short work with the cur;
but instead of following the woman and
child, he skulked off into the woods.
''The settlers got together fpr a 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.
s'The child: Oh, the child was scarcely
hurt 1t had got squeezed and scratched
little in the final tussel; that was all. As
to the bear, he was not 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 unsle, a man of
the name of Rush, was one day chopping in
the woods about q half mile from the
house, when his wife went out to carry him
his luncheon. She left two children at
home, a boy about five years old. and baby
Just big enough to toddle round.
''The boy had often been told that if he
strayed into the woods with his brother,
bear might carry them of, and she charged
him again that forenoon not to 60 away
from the house; but he was an enterprisins
little fellow, and when the sun shone SO
pleasant aud the woods looked SO inviting he
wasn't to be afraid of bears.
The woman stopped to see' her husband
:cll a big beech he was cutting. aud then ven.
Lack to the house; but just before she got
there, she saw the Oldest boy coming out of
the woods cn the other side. He was alone.
He was white as sheet, and so frightened
at first that he couldn't speak.
Johnny says she. catching hold Of
him, what is the matter?'
ga bear!' he gasped out at last.
Where is your little brother? was the
next question.
g I don't know, said he, too much fright
eced to know anything just then.
"'Where did you leave your little brother
nays she.
''Then he seemed to have gotten his wits
together bit.
".A bear took hint said he.
''You can guess what sort of an agony the
mother was in.
"Oh, Johnny, tellme true! Think! Where
was it,
In the woods he said. Bear canc
along-I rum
''She caught him up, and hurried with
him into the woods. She begged him ia
show her where he was with his brother
when the bear came along He pointed oui
two or three places. In one of them the
eerth was soft There were fresh tracks
crossing it-bears tracks. There was nc
doubt of it.
''It was terrible situation for the poor
woman. Whether to follow the bear and
try to recover her child, or go at once fo,
her husband, or alarm the neighbors; what
to do with Johnnie meanwhile-all that
would have been hard enough for her to
decide even if she had her wits about her.