The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-04-27
OLD STEENE.
His Queer Theory About Tanning
Wild Animals.
His Successful Experiment on "a Isear-HOv
He Failed in His Effort with =
Mountain Iona Despe-
rate Fight.

Old Steene came in the other day |
with his scalp hanging down over his |
ear and his clothes plastered with |
blood. Old Steene had been up in the |
mountains having fight with Rocky |
Mountain lion. Steene said he had got !
the worst Of it, and he looked as if he
had /
Steene has a theory in regard 10 wild
or savage animals which he has been
preaching for long time, but when he
came to put it into practice on a Rocky
Mountain lion, it would not work.
Stccne's theory is that all you have to
do is todoas the animal does until you
catch the brute's eye, and then yon
are all right and can tame dogs, lions
tigers and bears. The old man has
good eve and it is fact that he has
stared two or three savage dogs out of
countenance and made them Put their
tails between their legs and sneak off
This encouraged him to believe that he
could cow all animals. He told the
boys not long ago most improbable
story about himself and a grizzly bear.
Barney says it is romance, but Steene
sticks to it as the truth
You see, fellows" he said, cit was
Just this way was up in the canyon
IN berry time, and the bears were pref
ty thick, for the wild plums were ripe.
was a-huntin' bear, and never think
in of my theory, for l was there TO
Kill. had been out all day and had
MT seen bear, though there were
lots of fresh tracks. II was nearly
evening and had given up all hope of
findin' amy thing, and thought l would
Just gather a few wild plums and then
30 home. Isot my gun down against
a tree and went into the
thicket and had been there
about five minutes when I heard lit
tie noise, and. looking around, there
stood one of the biggest grizzlies you
ever see. He was right between me
and the gun. and / seed it WASH no
use to try to reach it, He Just looked
ut me and winked, as much as to say:
No, you don't, old fellow. Eff there 5
any shootiu' to be done I'll do it my
self Then he laughed q little.
Come, come, said Barney, "a bear
can't laugh.
Eyes, they cam" said Steene;
leastwise that bear laughed, for 1 seed
him, and horse laughs Never see a
horse laugh when you give him cornF
Hey.
go ON with your story about the
bear" said Barney, sulkily.
well, that bear laughed n little but
didn't and ! felt mighty ticklish.
had my big butcher. but I'm a-gittin'
old and don't care to fight bears any
moro with butcher knife only. When
4 In, 10
Arkansaw river
"Hold mp" cried Proctor. eve have
heard that Arllansaw river story iiv,
times before this. Go on with YOU
story of the bear in the canyon"
''Axing your pardon for yer imppi
dence, young man." said old Steene
looking very hard ut Proctor, Il sal,
that bear laughed and / didn't, but hi
laugh reminded me Of my theory and
determined to put it into practice an,
do Just as the bear did. Wall, h
looked at me and / looked at him
Then the bear riz MP on his hind leg
and 1 did the same.
"How did yoL do that" querie,
Barney, "when you have only tw
legsP"
Don't ask foolish questions" re
piled the old man angrily. 81 riz OF
my toes SO, and threw up my hands so
jist as if was held up by n highway
man..
And / guess You was" chuekle
Barney.
"Durn you. won't YOU lie still
Whose a-tellin' this story, you or me-?
cried the old man. "Tll chuck you i
the jaw if you interrupt me again
young fellow?n Thus admonished
Barney kept still. and Steene went on
''Wcn, the bear he shufiied first (
the right, sasheed, as we say at tn
balls-then he sasheed to the left
When he sasheed to the right did tn
same, and when he sasheed to the lief
so did l. Then he stood still an,
laughed Tell me a bear don't laugh
Why, that grizzly almost snicl1ere,
right out, it was so funny to him. Blu
Ididu'tlaugh nor did feel bit funn,
nuthcr
"Byme by the bear went littl
back and / did the same. Then h
came forward and back again and $
did l. Afeer we had a couple Of foI
wards and backs he sasheed TO tn
right and so did l. I never seed
bear like to dance so well as that on
did in all my born days But all tn
time he was gittin' closer and closer
] tried TO catch his eye, but couldn't
he kept UP such an Internal dodgir
about and dancin. / got out my bi
butcher and took firm holt onto Il
fearing he meant mischief, and l.
have to let him have il. Pretty 500
We got NJ side by side almost, and III
bear looked al me and looked at th
bear. caught his eye and he quaileS
Then he sort a. reached over his hea
sideways and smellcd of my overall
and went 'whew. and l reached ov'
and smelled Of him and went whey
and doggoned my buttons if that bel
didn't drop on all tours and run iii
blazes."
what do You suppose made hi
run9" asked Barney.
.AIy eve. Of course. said Steen
4.bc was c0Wed- "