The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-04-30
Browns, of the Massanutton.
A STORY OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY
FITz JAMES.
CHAPTER FIFTH.

| nave gun. just you ask old Uncle
Moses Joseph how arful he had it with 9
big bear, after he had put five ounce bal
through and through him. | tell you Mr.
young man, Uncle Moses nearly went uE
that time.''
''Oh! do tell US about that, y said Char.
ley, with eyes and ears wide open. Rosa
smiled again. She was willing to stop,
kindly willing to see Charley so interested
little longer.
oh a'well,' said the miller, who
didn't often have, as he thought,
such fine visitors, and loved to talk him
self, a'well then, l won't begin to GO
over all the big hunt, only the very last
part-and this zactly as Moses told me
hisself. [ tell you Moses was most as
strong as Sampson, you know about him
In the Scriptures. - The young man
looked as if he might not have examined
that part of the good book lately, but still
found words to say, ''Well, go on.'
You see from here,' continued the
miller, with outstretched arm toward a
rugged part of the mountain, ''that and
| that point, the two big bluffs, we call 'em
storm points. A'well now there's deep
sink tween them points. The one
q half mile from the other, but Moses
was one Of your great shots. / tell you
when he lets off his big rifle, which you
| couldn't hold up. something has to come
down, sure. Here the old man gave a
low laugh. ''A'well, he saw the old bear
at that point and he fired his big gun from
the other, and he saw the old bear fall and
roll. Then Moses hurried over with his
big knife. and it was big knife, SO long
and heavy, the blade full foot. When
he got there, don t you think, the old bear
turned over and got up, with all that big
thr0nVh md fhroIJnh md hn
blood just pouring out. You see sir,
you have. not only to hit, but to hit
zactly at the right place, what they call
the vital part-vltal part, yes that's what
they call it-a' well sir, this big bear. a
real big old bear, he did go for Moses with
open mouth. Moses hal, his big knife,
and they came together it was now to be
death to one OF both, and Moses knew it..
Moses, the first thing, put his left arm into
the bears open mouth and the big teeth
went to the bone of the strong arm, but it
did not break-fortunate for Mr.. Joseph.
Then his right arm was free with the big
knife, which he sunk over and over again
into the BEARS side and, strange to say,
without any effect except to increase the
blood flow. But now the bear loosed his
hold on the arm, and in a moment was
stanCing up like great big strong black
man, big as Cary Miles. and had thrown
his fore arm, strong indeed, over the neck
and shoulders of Moses, and was giving
the terrible hug. Ask the strong, bold
| mountaineer what that means from a
| fierce, strong, old bear !? Moses still had
his right arm free, and in his right hand
| the bloody knife, which now he used with
repeated blows on the bears head and
neck and shoulders, but all without appa
rent effect. At this point Moses was gasp
| in
! while he would be no more.''
| Here the old man paused for breath and
gave a heavy sigh What then asked
the excited Charley.
| Now, Rosa knew from the beginning,
that although hair breadth escape, Mr..
| Joseph had not been destroyed that time,
and so rather enjoyed Charley's excite
ment and anxiety, and was very solemn
to add to it if possible.
| ''Oh Mr.. Miller! what happened then ~
repeated Charley. and his eyes were grow
ing, dim, if he was tender-hearted young
! girl should haze added, with tears.
| Why said the miller, Uncle Moses
| first tried to say his prayers, so he said
part of the one he knew best, Now | lay
| me down, down to sleep'-here came an
other hug from the bear, and short breath
and groan from Mr.. Joseph. Amen,
with emphasis, came again from Mr..
Joseph, as if he had forgotten the last
part,-one more hug from the bear-'Oh,
Lord ! said MI. Joseph, the blood stream
ing from his mouth. F" Now the old miller
| had became excited and was making the
fight seem q real thing Charley had
grown very pale, imagined he could hear
the Cry and groanS and see the blood. Rosa
with a single glance at Charley, saw that
he was perhaps suffering so Rosa with d
desire to assure Charley of Mr.. .Joseph7s
| safety, here looked the miller fun III the
face, with the kindly remark, My old
| friend will you tell us what happened
then ?" This remark seemed to bring the
old miller to sudden conclusion. ''A'well
then," said the miller, Mr.. Joseph
| thought he would make one more strike
| for life, and so with all his remaining
strength he struck heavy desperate blow
| in the upper neck of the bear near the
| head. and just at the same moment you
see Miss that broken pine 2" and Rosa
| looked and bowed her head, -.a'well from
! that point at the same moment came the
! quick, sharp crack of q rihe,-oh yes, it
| was in the hands of true man,-yes, q
| true eye, that of Mr.. Jim Brown. The
ball passed through the BEARS heart, and
the knife of Mr.. Joseph went this time to
| his hand between joints, and the bear fell
| dead at his feet. You see two vital parts
were struck, the heart and joint next the
| head. Mr.. Joseph could never tell which
| did the work, the rifle or the knife, to save
| him. but he thanked God all the same"
''True now,'' added the old miller with
| honest face, Il always did say and always
did think Mr.. Jim fired that death shot
from the broken pine, but couldn 'tswear
| to it either, for the young hunter when
| he saw the bear fall, sprang back into the
| mountain for the hunt, and they claim that
| shot for Compton, and Shelf Lewis, and
| Jim Steele-they were all in the hunt that
day, and | admit, either equal to the
| shot"
Rosa now somewhat rested from delay
in the. cool shade of the old mill took
pleasure in quietly watching the bright
water being fretted into white foam in
it's efforts to keep the big wheel moving,
as if responsible for the grist within.
And then II possible to prevent another
bear story, seeing Charley ready for an
other, here remarked to the miller: rs
there convenient place near here where
we can stay for the night - Charley had
taken out his money and asked whats to
pay, sir, for horse?'' .'Oh. nothing" an
swered the kind old man. Charley put up
his money, but in moment Rosa had out
his own and handed the old man with a
pleasant word the right amount, which he
accepted, simply adding with a smile,
''Have your own way Miss" Then the
old man continued You say, any con-
venient place to stay? Why yes. there is
my house just across the way. where sure
you will be welcome. and get the best we
have, and you won't complain of the
CHARGE Rosa would gladly have ac-
cepted his invitation, for the house infull
view evidently had woman i'll it, and
tho plain, was pleasant looking with its
little white portico covered with the run
ming vine, and hard by even bed of roses.
Charley was solid on the stay question,
and Rosa was considering, when the mil
Ter added But Lor' Miss, you are only
three miles from Rawley, you have plenty
of time to get there before shutdown, and
there you will have venison and trout. yes
our mountain speckled trout, and there
you will see everybody from everywhere.
This was a step too far for the old man,
but then of late years Rawley with its
grand improvements and its increased
company had SO affected the minds OF the
dwellers near, that in the height Of the
season-the music, the high prices of
everything they could bring from garden.
river and mountain, and the constant Or
rather continued new arrivals, really
made them feel that everybody was there
from everywhere, and the old man was
/ ,ofo -.