The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-09

I'm g'wine to run this ere meetin'
alone. You all jist keep yer seats and |
pay 'tention.' Taking another drink |
of water, he continued: ''Well, boys, |
I'd been kinder sorter thinkin' fer
some time long back that I'd kinder
sorter let up on this prancin' ter
town every Sunday It's well enough
fer you boys, but somehow when | get
ter town an go in an see so much loose
change layin' round l kinder banker
after some of it, an sorter thinkin' per-
haps I could fetch a little of it away;
but I've kinder made up my mind that
old Sam Flemming's boy ain as smart
as he thought he was (Jack
had been trying to beet at monte for
long time, but had found
out to his sorrow that where he had
won one dollar he had lost one hun
dred), and if ever get back to old
Boone again I'll have ter let up on this
ere kervartin' round Sundays, so |
thought I'd try an start in this ere
-nornin' an stop right here. AFTER you
boys left cleaned up everything in she
cabin, washed them Ter shirts an things
what you seed on them bushes out thar,
an put on pot o beans to boil, an
begun to sorter feel that wished I'd
not bin fool an had gone long with
YOU boys; but it was gettin' nigh onter
dinner time, an though that if | start
ed the fun would be all over afore l got
| thar, so l kinder made up my mind I'd
| better stick it out, an I reckon | won't
want ter do it agin all by myself.
Well, kinder dident want ter git din
lay down an take good rest. I'd jist
laid down, an was thinkin' of you
boys, when in popped the biggest crea-
tur l ever seed. I gawd, boys, ]
thought there were a circus show round
somewhere an the elephant had got
loose fer certin. Well, sir, in he walked,
right up to the beef hangin' thar (point-
ingto the ridgepole), an with one grab
he fetched it down an chawed it an
had got it down afore | could wink.
Then he began to help himself to all the
things, and thar laid, an thinkin' of
what ter do. Thar stood the guns in
the corner. knowed it was no use of
tacklin' him with revolver, for it
would only cause a row right here, SO |
calkerlated he d not see me an I'd iist
kiver up an let him have his own way
fer awhile | laid still as mouse, an
once in while I'd look out an take a
see. Well ,kbMa nd-by, he took a notion
that thar weEsomethin> better in this
ere house, aMsso l could hear him sor-
fer prospectfn' round like. Pretty soon
| heard him licking his chops, an
looked out an thar he were pullin' the
plug out of that ere molasses key an
then he licked it up as it cum out. He
kinder thought it cum out too slow, an
so be hit the top with lick of his paw,
an smashed it all to thunder. Thar he
sat, lickin' in dead earnest, but it soon
got to runnin' all over the ground, an
| kinder reckon bars don't like much
dirt with thur grub, so he begun tel
see if thar was anybody in those 'el
hunks were all kivered up, head an
ears. Hestuck his nose in my bunk
snorted. | gawd, boys, thar's the time
: / begun ter kinder think of Dad anC
Nam, an how I'd like ter be in ole
Boone ag'in. Well, pretty soon hear(
him lickin' his chops ag'in. l looked
out. Thar he was with the sugar bar
rel, one arm round it, an scoopin' on
the sugar with the t'other. He'd sa'
down an was jist a shov' lin it into him
| began to git orful tired Of layin' il
bed, au' wished I were out on the hill
where / could take better look o
= things. | heared him trampin' round
: an pretty soon heared him go out tn,
door. | sorter unkivered my head an
} saw him a waikiki off with some bacon
got up an shet the door to make Ger
tn he didn't come back for the syrup o
: sugar | watched him til he got up OF
} the side of the mountin' an thar b
J set down in the sun an begul
, to scratch himself an sorter rub hi
belly up an down, like boy whatsha'
) bin eatln' green apples. Well Will
: he set thar, | kinder reckoned that if
l were on that ere ledge of rocks abov
I him might make it kinder hot for him
/ and when thought of that | gethere
: them three guns an all the pouches, al
e out the door [ slipped. His time was S
1 taken up with his rubin an scratchir
e that he didn t see me. lodged roun
n the hill, an up the gulch clum, an
Y tell you wasn't long bout gettin' u
y ! lidt. IA" leu Oul VI bIlhL GIG ICuGs
d Thar he sat with his back to me, bot
n thirty steps down the hill. Lookin' tie
g see that them guns was all right, too
n Old Betty, and layin' t'others by m
= side. so they would be handy, | took
/ rest and aimed at his head. At tn
. crack of the gun he jumped about tire
e feet an rolled over. l give him tn
i t'others as he lay thar Loadin' all til
y guns ag'in, l sot down to see how he
e act Soon I seed him move one foo
P an sorter reckoned he were playir
1t "possum; so | give him three more shot
g / were up thar loadin' them gur
k when ! seed you hoys comm; an
h sorter reckoned would let you see no
: he'd left things after helpin' himsel
Is But say. boys, what's goin' OF
r town." After satisfying Jack of All II
l. news we found that it was clevc
Is o'clock and time to go aslecn. III
Il bear weighed eight hundred pound:
l. and we supplied several camps, as we
II as our own. with bear meat for sewers
II days Jack never tired of telling h
Is bear story on all occasions that Offered
,, San Francisco Examiner.
; Things That Don't Seem Right
n Brother Gardner