The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-07-21
A TRAVELLING LIAR.
ST M. QUAD.

One afternoon in September as I was toiling over rocky trail in the Smoky mountains, which range of the Blue Ridge separates Tennessee and North Carolina for many miles, girl about thirteen years of age, bare headed, bare-footed, and having on a single garment made of cheap stuff, suddenly jumped into the road few feet ahead of me, fell down, rolled over, lost her hold on a bundle of roots and barks and was up and off like shot. She passed me without seeming to see me, and next minute a bear came rolling out of the bushes upon the spot she had covered. I had big revolver, and 1 had it handy, and bruin was dead before he could suspect how my hair stood on end, and my legs wobbled. He wasn't fifteen feet away, and he looked as big as yearling calf, and even if did shoot with my eyes shut, he would have been ashamed of me if l had failed to kill him with six bullets. He was kicking his last when the girl came back, regarded him with bulging eyes for moment, and then said:
 "Lordyl but was goner. Who be you 'un?"
 "Oh, I happened along here. Why didn't you scream?"
 "Couldn't. I hadn't wind huff"
 "How far did he chase you?"
 "A right smart"
 "Well, who are you2"
 "Susan. Come up to the house."
 She picked up the lost bundle and started on ahead, and a quarter of a mile above we came to a cove and the inevitable mountaineer's cabin. The cove was the same-cabin the same surroundings the same as a score of others. Aye! the gaunt, miserably- dressed woman stood in the door, two children rolled on the ground, and a big dog slouched out of the cabin and growled fiercely at the approach of a stranger. Susan led me straight to the door, and as we halted at the threshold she exclaimed:
 "B'ar was chasin' me. He'un killed it with his popper:"
 AS soon as the matter was under stood the three of us went back, made litter, and after hard tug got the bear to the cabin. We had just ar- rived when the husband came home, having been off on hunt, and the girl braced up; got rest for her back against the house, and told the story as follows:
 "Got my roots tied up. Bar cum fur me. Took a run. Met he'un. He'un never run tall. Heard him shoot-pop pop! pop! Went back. Bar was dead. Told he'un to come up and see we'uns. Gin him yer paw, pap"
 Stranger" said the man, as he came over to me with outstretched hand, "put it tharl Reckon you saved that gals life, for suah. Nam, give him yer paw"
 ''Ize thankful, shore I am," she said as we shook hands.
 wanted to go five miles further up the trail, to Uncle Joe Billings place, but there was a general protest on the instant, and the mountaineer ex- claimed:
 Stranger, do you'un think we'uns are heathens? Yves pore an forlorn am shuckless, but we's got feelings. You've got to stop right yere till to- morrow"
 'oDeed he hasl" added the wife. |tNobody as saves our Suse from a bar is gwine to walk of like that"
 'I thought was dun gone when I heard him go pop! pop! popi" said Susan, "an' the bar fell down in a heap"
 Then there came a period of silence, with every one looking full at me. I knew what was coming. It had come a dozen times in . fortnight. The man was uneasy, while the wife looked puzzled. By and by the husband hes itatingly began:
 "Stranger, we'uns is thankful to you'un, but-but-"
 "It don't make no difference, say I" exclaimed Susan.
 "Yes, her do," replied the father, as