The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-08-23
BEARS IN A MELON PATCH.
The Midnight Adventure of a Party II
Hunters.

The Midnight Adventure of Party Of
Hunters.
| once worked on a watermelon planta-
ton where we had 100 acres under vines at
one time. The curious thing about the
business was that the hardest fight wasn't
agin weeds. 1t was agin bears-black
bears. We'd got the vines all shooting
along, some of them with melons on 'em as
pig AS q pumpkin, and the old man was
getting the road to the river cleared out so
as TO be ready for shipping, when one
morning in came one OF The boys, and says
he:
Something has broke down the worm
fence and battered up about an acre OF the
vines in the clearin'."
We'd lust cleared about ten acres OF
woodland the past winter and melons were
doing amazingly well in that field. So you
NAV know the old man was mad when he
heard this. Him ana | vent down To see
what was up. and We saw in minute that
ii was bears.
There were tracks, Just as they were
made by men walking on their hands, in
the soft earth all over the field, and The
vines was torn up, and ripe and green
melons mashed TO flinders in a way that
nothing but bear could do.
"They'll be back Tonight said the old
man. "You and Josh and Henry clean out
your rides aud be ready for EN-"
There was full moon that night, and
tell YOU things looked purity. josh aud
Henry and | settin' behind stumps, wi b
our rifles across our laps, waiting. The
ience was still tore down al the point near
est the woods, and the moonlight shining
on the dark forest, where we expected the
bears to come from. and then on the field OF
watermelon wires, whose white tenduls
elistened like SILVER, looked mighty purity.
Nov and then we heart a screech owl
yelling down in the woods, but We d'dn't
pay no attention 10 that: and presently ]
saw bear come out and walk slowly into
the field. He was big fellow, as block as
coal in the moonliTh', and be wasn't In eny
hurry either. He sauntered along a. slow
as you plsase over b a big striped Georgia
melon, and, settin' down on his hams, he
lust picked that melon up IN hi two fore
paws aud SMASHED IL between EN- like pa
per. in half - mir ute bis whole bead was
drippiDg With luce. aud I could hear him
smacking bis rps like a hog.
We lei him A'oae. according to the old
mans instructions waiting until there
should be hesr apiece Tor Us, Tor the
tracks showed that ~ least six II 'em had
been around the night before.
"In q few minutes along came smother
one, and then there walked in en- old sbs
| with two little ones o. her heels. We had
three UthTr uUNH kuA univ NAAN " "
/ Watching them bears was the biggest PIC
/ mic ever i saw Sometimes they'd catch NJ
a melon Just az you'd take NJ A.baby, and
| holding ID close 20 'em, travel across the
field on their bind legs until they'd see {
bigger one. and then smash would 90 the
rind. and juice would drip on 'em iEe thsy
/ had Just cJme out u bath.
was watching the old she teaching hei
Young one bow 10 break into the Iuicl
pert. when crack went Johns rife, and the
| whole Gang started on run. The VINE
trlppsd ZEN - that they cOuldn't 70 ven
last. and We each baEgsd one Of EN-, min'
being one Of the young ones. We watched
everF night sfter bat tiii the season va
over, bur they we're kind Of vary nOg, an
us never sh0t more than one IN . night
While we'd Be sitting In one hsid waiting
Il for them. they'd Be rip-snuTting swHy q
The fruit on THE o.hEr si1s q TIE plartl
| ton
Bears ere ksener after watermelon
than . nsErn. aod csn ssy DO more TIA
that n-rOsn kspuDlicsn-