The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-03-15

las. we reached the place. A monster bear, sat with his back against tree. grinning viciously and using his enor- nous paws with dexterity that could hardly be followed with the eye. When Blow came up, he cooked his gun and began to dodge around, trying to draw a bead on the bear.
 "Pu, ,ha, gun down." yelled old Andy Ain't you got no more sense than that 1: What did you come for! To kill beef or see bear hghtF'
 "Shoot him." yelled Blow, for he'll make break at us."
 "Shoot that air creetur an I'll skelp yer" said Hoe Handle. "A man whu, ain't got no more sense than you've got, oughtenter go inter the woods.'
 Bet you don, get me to stand here and get a hip ehawed of me. You fellers can stand here as long as you please. but I'm goin' to take care of my self. First thing you know he's goin' to make break to get out of here and he'll sweep you fellers from the face of the earth and in spite of his flesh he man. aged to clislb tree.
 By this time the bear was playing a drama of sad havoc among the militia, and the cries and howlings ofthe wounded together with the barking of the able bodied, to say nothing of an occasional "squawl from bruin, made din stop ping but little short of a pandemonium The young hound that had shown such lmpatience, exhibited considerable spirit in making, an attack, but as the Irish man, in the old story, said of bull that attempted to butt railroad engine from a bridge, he admired his bravery but his judgment was not up 10 the standard. The bear made one or two ineffective slaps at the hound. which only increased the ardor of his spirit, for he began to think that he was even superior to Achilles and had no vulnerable sides to his battle array. The bear did not seem to be disappointed a. this. bu, he kept a sharp eye on the enthuastic militia man. until fortune favored hlw with an oppor- tunity. He was no; slow in appropria,ing all of the advantages arising from this chance, for with sweep of his great arm. he drew the bowling dog 10 him, hhgged him. and finished the tragedy, after break ing nearly every bone in the enthusiasts body, by biting him through the neck Old Caper shook his head sadly, and think that he drew moral from the melancholy termination of the young hounds career, for l noticed that the militia men were not nearly SO" rampant afterwards. Up to this time the regulars had not doIe much work. Old Bose, carried away by the enthusiasm of the youngsters. had ventured pretty close and received box on the ear Alter awhile though. seeing that the bear was be- coming worried. the old-timers would pass around the hat occasionally. snappIng his hams as they passed Andy and Hoe Handle stood off. the very pictures of extreme earthly happiness old Andys eyes twinkled, and Hoe Handle looked as though he were gazing into paradise. Suddenly. the bear knocked down one of the regulars, swep, the militia from his front and made break We sprang out of the way, and the bear, pursued by the dogs. hugged tree and began to climb up slowly.
 "oh, Lord ..' yelled Mir Blow, he's oomin' up after me" and indeed he had taken Blows tree. Hoe Handle. and in tact, all of us, had prepared 10 shoot, wher old Andy said:
 Ie, him alone an we'll have some fun. He won, go up very high unless we shove him."
 Andy
 "Nes."
 Where are you: ~
 Down here whcre're you: -
 ID it, you know I'm up here"
 "les. sec
 Andy, for Gods sake, shoot the dew lish thing. for he's oomin' up after me-
 Why don't you shoot himY''
 |" l forgot to bring my gun up with me-
 "Come down an get i,.''
 "or wait tell fetch i, up ter yer, said Hoe Handle.
 Never mind; I'll pay you feller; when get down."
 "les, when you git down" replied Andy
 "Oh, Lord, he's comin' righ, after me. Andy, we come mighty nigh bein' brothers -in-law once, and you ain, goin' to stand there and see me chawed into sausage, are you:''