Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-18

An EngHsbmau's Sketches OF Western
American People.

American People.
FRAN Revpoifs Newspaper.
"Pike County" is "a tale ofau imaginary
American settlement, and the settlers
tell queer stories one 10 another. The
sheriff Is capital hand at what irrever-
ent persons, not having the fear OF the
law in their souls might mildly designate
drawing the long bow. All the stories
are very entertaining. but the quaint and
queer dialect used lu many is, perhaps,
TO some extent drawba The little
volume, however, is hrintul OF strange
stories well calculated ID amuse ana
tickle the fancies of the generality OF read
ers. Here is one OF the Slerl1's anec-
dotes concerning a tough bear:
Nv uncle aud | We're numbering over
on a tract Of land that belonged 10 some
fellow over in Monroe county. Wed
seen signs OF bear. and an Old bark peeler
told US there was big one that kept IN
swamp down the creek ways. Every
hunter that had been in the woods for six
months. he said, had put a ball in the
bear. and the old cuss had carried Of half
dozen traps and got rid Of them in some
way. One Saturday, Uncle Joe and l
made up our minds 10 take day of and
try and capture this tough old animal
We came on TO the bear in less
than an hour after we started
out He came tearing out Of
the swamp as if some one was urging
MIN with a three-tine pitchlork, and made
Tor the top OF little ridge about 100 feet
away. Uncle Joe let him have his rife
barrel and then his buckshot. But the
bear kept right on. ! got both my barrels
in on him, but the old fellow never paid
any attention TO US till he got TO the
top of the ridge. The ridge
wasn't more than - feet hign,
and it run up TO quite narrow top. When
the bear got up there be stopped, turned
with his face toward Us. raised up on bis
launches and opened his mouth blamed
near foot wide. He was in plain, open
sight only a hundred feet away, and we
just thought we had him foul. "Did you
shoot him? ;" asked the poormaster rs the
sheriff paused to get MS share Of the re-
freshments the county clerk had ordered.
"ShOOt him' said the sheriff. "shoOt him
Well, think IL might be called shooting
unless my memory is very short. W ny,
that bear never stirred from ms tracks,
and Uncle Joe and / peppered away at
him for more than q quarter Of an hOur,
and we nit him every time. All he'd do was
TO give himself a whack with first one
paw and then the other whenever ball
or charge OF huckshOt rot in on him. That
was all our firing seemed 10 disturb him,
and finally Uncle Joe said TO me, see
here. Do you know what that old cuss is
going to DOR Well, he's just waiting un-
I'll our ammunition gives out, and then
he'll give Us the grand bounce out O these
woods"
Uncle Joe had been in the army, you
know, and he saw that this ground hogs
hole was just bully chance to spring a
mine on our live old target. So he takes
81 the powder the both of us had-abOut
three pounds. ! guess-and poured it in a
leather pouch he had. aud made as snug
a bomb as we could wish FOR. Then, while
/ kept the bears attention BY pretending
70 be crawling up the side OF the hill, as
II Imeant TO tackle him. Uncle Joe crept
up on the other side and Tammed the
leetheF cartridge into the hole and tamped
hsr solid. he laid train Of powder down
the all a ways, hollered 10 me TO run, and
feed her. In about two seconds the top
OF t1Rt hill and the bear were sailing
toward the clouds. The bear went
up ten feet above the top of a big chest
nut tree there was on the ridge, turned
over 4 couple OF times and tumbled back
into the tree. Now, Of course, all bears
amt as tough as this bear was, but when
the stones and dirt and ssplings got
through falling there we saw Old bruin
perched on big branch Of the chestnut.
looking a little surprised. TO be sure. but
gazing down at US with actually q smile
on his face, as II be rather enjoyed the
nOKelty Of the little experience he mad
Jitst passed through. That was all the
change there seemed 20 be in the old cuss'
appearance.
There was a heavy shower coming, but
Uncle Joe said he wasn't going 10 quit
untIi be got that bear. So back he started
for camp after an ak. l STAYED TO watch
the bear. The thunder and lightning was
something fearful. When Uncle Joe got
back ne went to work chopping down the
chestnut tree. In about an hour down
she came, bear and all. In the fall the
tree fell plumb across the bears back and
broke II; but before Joe could get at him
with the AK he twisted from under the
tree. and away he crawled down toward
the swamp. We would have lost that
bear as sure as guns, but Just then there
came one OF the hardest thunder-olaps
1 ever heard. and not more than a second
afterWard lightning struck not 10 feet
away. 1t struck that bear square
in the head. And, sir. maybe you won't
believe 1t, but it's a fact, the old cuss'
bounced of il like q rubber ball. and car
Tomed on big oak tree eli to the right
tearing il into a million pieces. The bear
was stunned considerably by the light
ming, and before it came TO Uncle Joe got
his work IN with the AK and finished him
We dragged the carcass into camp. II
weighed 417 pounds, and we sold il for II
cents pound 10 a clearinghouse keeper
in P0cOno. Three days afterward he came
back and demanded 81 so. He had taker
1S pounds Of lead out Of different parts o.
that bear, and OF course we deducted il
from the bill.