The Brookhaven leader., 1884-01-10

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out and had killed him. and had only
waited our return to help skin and dress
him. We tried to make him tell us the
particulars, but to all our qucStioningS
we received the. response: "Wait til
after dinner, boys"
We brought in the bear, ami soon
everything was in order and dinner
cooking. After dinner every one, ex-
cepting Jack, lighted his pipe and sat
down before the fire to hear Jacks
story. 81 say, boys drawlcd Jack,
''aforc ! start inter this 'cr business,
You VII have ter excuse me VIII L. look
up my notes" Taking up a watcr-pail
he went to creek near by and soon re
turned with bucket full of water
After helping himself to drink of the
water, which he called "Adam' ale
he said: "Now, boys. yer unclc's rot
the floor. and for the first time since |
crossed the Rockies rise afore a au-
jcncc, and am awful sorry Dad is'ent
here to give me pat on my back"
One Of the boys offered to take Dads
place, but he was silcncpd by Jack. He
said: "Now, Bob, never YOU mind;
I'm g'winc to run this ere mcetin'
alone. You all iist keep yer seat, and
pay 'tention.' Taking another drink
of water, he continued: "Well, boyt.
I'd been kinder sorter thinkin' fer
some time long back that I'd kinder
sorter let up on this pran"in' ter
town every Sunday. It's well enough
fer You boys, but somehow when get
ter town an 20 in an see 50 much loose
change layin' round | kinder banker
after some of it. an sortcr thinkin' per-
haps | could fetch little of it away;
but Eve kinder made up my mind that
old sam Flemming's boy amt as smart
as he thought he was (Jaek
had been trying to beat 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 kcrvartin' round Sundays. so |
thought Id try an start in this ere
mornin an stop right here. Artcr you
boys left | cleaned up everything in she
cabin, washed them 'er shirts an things
what you seed on them bushes out thar,
an put on Il pot o beans to boil, an
begun to sortcr feel that | wished I'd
not bin fool an had gone long with
YOU boys: but it was cettin' nigh onter
dinner time, an though that if start
ed the fun would be all over afOre gct
thar, So kinder made up my mind I'd
better stick it out, an | reckon l won't
want ter do it agin all by myself.
Well, | kinder didcnt want ter git din
ncr, so | took Il cold bite an thought II
lay down an take good rest. I'd i'll
laid down. an was thinkin' of yoa
boys, when in popped the biggest crca-
tur ever seed. | 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-
ing to the ridgepOle), an with one grab
he fetched it down an chawed it an
had got it down aforc | 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 wa, no use of
tackln' him with a 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 a mouse. an
once in a while I'd look out an take a
see. Well, by-and-by, he took notion
that thar were sOmethin' better in this
ere house, an so | could hear him sor-
ter proSpectin' round like. Pretty soon
heard him a licking his chops, an !
looked out an thar he were pullin' the
plug out of that ere mOlaSses keg an
then he licked it up as it cum out. He
kinder thought it cum out too slow, an
so he hit the top with a lick of h 5 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 ter
see if thar was anybody in those 'er
hunks. | Iwerc all kivercd up, head an
ears. He stuck his nose in my bunk
snorted. | gawd, boys. thar's the time
begun ter kinder think of Dad and
Nam an how I'd like ter be in old
Boone ag'in. Well, pretty soon | heard
him lickin' his chops ag'in. l looked |
out. Thar he was with the sugar bar
rel, one arm round it, an scoOpin out |
the sugar with the t'Other. He'd sat |
down an was list shov lin it into him. |
| began to git orful tired of a layin' in |
bed, an wished were out on the hill |
where 1 could take better look of |
things. l heared him trampin' round, |
an pretty soon | heared him 90 out the |
door. / sorter unkivercd my head an
saw him a walkin' off with some bacon.
| got up an shet the door to make GER
tin he didn't come back for the syrup or
sugar. / watched him til he got up on
the side of the mountin' an thar he |
set down in the sun an begun /
to scratch himself an sorter rub his |
belly up an down, like a boy whatshad |
bin eatin' green apples. Well, while |
he set thar, | kinder reckoned that if | /
were on that ere ledge of rocks above
him | might make it kinder hot for him,
and when thought of that l gethered |
them three guns an all the pouches. an
out the door | slipped. His time was 50
taken up with his rubbin' an scratchin
that he didn see me. lodged round |
the hill, an up the gulch l clum, an i |
tell you | wasn't long bout gettin' up
thar. | Icrawled out on that ere ledge.
Thar he sat with his back to me, bout !
thirty steps down the hill. Lookin' ter
see that them guns was all right, | took !
Old Betty, and layin' t'others by my |
side, so they would be handy, took
rest and aimed at his head At the
crack of the gun he jumped about three
feet an rolled over. | give him the
t'others as he lay thar. LOadin' all the
ounS ar'in I Sot down to see how he'd |