The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-20

and pushes, down In kind of littl
hollow. There were no leaves on tn
bushes, you know; so l could see some
thing through them that looked lik
black hair.
81 went little nearer and looked
little harder, and then off with my cal
and swung it round, and sung out:
'Hurrah for that three dollars =
yours, Squire Plummerr Then
called: Co boss, CO. boss, CO. boss
Come, Blackey, comet"
but the old thing wouldn't stir.
picked up some little stones and shie'
EN- at her to hurry her up. / didn'
want to lose time, but l did want t.
drive her home with me for fear SOM
one else might get ahead of me if lief
her and then came back. l hollered Il
her and kept on throwing; but still sh
wouldn't bulge an inch.
Then [ thought I'd slide down tn,
side of the hollow she was in and ge
ahead of her and drive her out. trieC
rolling down a lot of stones and grave
first, almost over her head, to see i
that wouldn't start her; but it didn' t
So l began sliding myself down.
''But just then | heard a growl-sucf
a growl as no mortal cow ever made
yet, / know. And there began such /:
scratching of gravel and such scrab
bling up that bank, mixed up witt
growls all the time, that l scrambled
myself up pretty lively and started ant
run, | tell you.
"When l got little piece off,
looked back. and just getting to the toy
of the bank was Old Blacky; but i
wasn't black COW. 1t was blacl
bear, sure's you liver
Tom paused moment to enjoy the
little ripple of DISBURSEMENT and dismay
which came in just here.
you'd better believe I ran. But i
was hard work-up hill, and rough, too
/ tumbled over logs and | Jumped
through bushes, and he trotting after
me all the time, mad, | suppose, with
the pummeling and stirring up L d giyer
him, growing like young thunder
storm all the while.
''Soon | began to feel how tired my
walk had made me, and to wonder how
it would be with me if l got clear tireC
out before the bear did, as seemed very
likely.
"When | knew / couldn't hold out
much longer | made for tree anC
climbed up it quicker | ever clisn' 6
tree before or since.
'Then l tried to catch my breath anC
think a bit. L was glad to be out o:
reach of the bear; but wondered how
long he might keep me up that tree
20 f.,
and | thought of father wanting the
medicine, and if you'll believe me,
thought, too, about that blamed OLD
COW and the three dollars | WASH
going to get for finding her.
"But it don't take long to think, yor
know, for I'd thought all that before
he got to the foot of the tree, and it was
a mighty little while, too; and when he
did get there, he walked round it, anC
smelled little, and the first thing ]
knew, he was clawing away at the
bark, and climbing up after me, fierce.
Then began to think harder thar
ever. I'd read of boy who was up 6
tree, with bear after him, and he
elm out on some weak limbs, where
the bear had sense enough to know he
couldn't 90, and he kept the poor little
chap there, growing at him q mean
the boy), till some one came and shot
him (shot the bear, mean.) But this
wasn't that kind of tree. The limb:
were stubby, and knew the bear could
90 most as far as l could.
81 looked down to see what chance
I'd have if l swung myself down, anC
got new start of him; but the tree
was tall one, and it was all stony
under the branch where l was. If
should get a sprain or hurt. il would
| be all up with me. So my only chance
was to keep out of his way the best J
could. put my hand into my poke
to get out my knife, for l wasn't going
to let him get the better of me without
tusSle.
"Then, what do you guess 1 felt
and what do you guess l thought
Why, felt that bottle of ammonia, ant
| thought of that time in church. AnC
cracky! if could help laughing RICH
out, as thought if 1 could only get i
on that bear as I'd got it on mysel
long ago. If all that man said wa.
true, perhaps 'twould send him kitin
down as good as if he'd been shot.
81 poured a lot of it on my handker.
chief, most all there was, looking ou
to keep little back for father. till more
could be sent for. tried to keep from
getting a smell of it myself, but the
wind whitfield some of it into my face
and do the best could, it handled mt
so [ came mighty near dropping.
81 held the handkerchief tight in my
hand, and reached it down Just as he
poked his ugly muzzle up between the
lower branches. He gave a big sniff
as he saw it coming, thinking, s'pose
he'd got ME sure; and the next momen;
| was rubbing it like fury against hi.
mouth and nose and into his ewes.
''He gave a most awful snort, and lie
90, and went crashing down on the
stones and bushes. 1 thought for s
moment he was dead, but he wasn't
He scrabbled himself up, and Wen
snarling and tumbling, over and over
down-hill like all possessed.
81 didn't wait to see how far he went
though, for l dropped out of that tree
and put out of that neighborhood mos.
as lively as the bear had. After while
L took it easier, for 1 reasoned he
wouldn't be likely to track me, after
the dose I'd given him. That's all"
Hasn't it a good revolver, now?'
asked Toms mother, regarding the
bottle with affeetionate interest.
''And you didn't find the COW, after
alp" asked, after expressions OF ap
proval of his GOODNESS had been ex
hauSted.
mo: buttons eyes twinkled-
81 told Sam PIummer, Squire Plum.
mer's boy, what I'd seen, and where
I'd seen it, and he went after it wifi
his gun, and finished what the ammonis