The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-09-13
A BREEZY BEAR STORY
TOLD OF OUR NORTH CAROLINA
FOUNTAINS.

TOLD OF OUR NORTH CAROLINA
FOUNTAINS.
ssStranger'' Said the Man as he Came
to Me With Outstretched Hand,
cut it Thar
One afternoon in September, was
toiling over a rocky trail in the smoky
mountains, which range of the Blue
Ridge separates, girl about thirteen
years of age, bareheaded and barefoot
ed, and having on single garment
made of cheap stuff, suddenly jumped
into the road a few feet from me, fell
down, rolled over and 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
of the bushes upon the spot she had
covered. had a big revolver handy,
and Bruin was dead before he could
suspect how my hair stood on end and
my legs wobbled He wasn't fifteen
feet awoy, and he looked as big as a
yearling calf, and even if did shoot
him with my eyes shut he would have
been ashamed of me ifI had failed to
kill him with six bullets. He was
kicking his last when the girl came
| back regarded him moInent with
bulginp eyes, and then said:
''Lordy! but | thought was gon.
err Who be youun?
"Oh, 1 happened along here. Why
didn't you scream?"
"Couldn't. Hadn't wind huff"
GLOW far did he chase you ?"
GA right smart
"Who are you %
''Susan Come up the to house"
She picked up the lost bundle and
started on ahead, and a quarter of a
mile above we. came to cove and the
inevitable mountaineer's cabin. The
| cove was the same, cabin the same,
surroundings the same as score of
others. Ayel The gaunt, miserably
dressed woman stood in the door, two
ildren 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:
HE KILLED THE BAR.
"B'ar was chasin' me. He'un killed
it with his pepper"
AS soon as the matter was UNDER
stood the three of US went back and
made litter, and af er a hard tug got
the bear to the cabin. We had just
arrived when the husband came home,
having been off on a hunt, and the
girl braced up, got a rest for her back
against the house and told the story as
follows
"Got my roots tied up. Bar come
for me. Took a run. Met he'un
He'un never run tall. Heard him
shoot--pop! pop! Went back. B'al
dead. Told he'un to come and see
we'un. Give him yer paw, pop"
Stranger" said the man as he came
TO me with outstretched hand, "put
it thar! Reckon you saved the gal'.
life, for shuah. Nam, give him yer
paw"
"I'se thankful, shore am" she sale
as we shook hands.
[ wanted to go five miles further
up to the trail to Uncle Joe Billing
place, but there was Q. general protes
on the instant, and the mountaineel
exclaimed:
Stranger, do you'un think we'un'
are heathens? We's pore an forlorn
an shuckless, but we's got feelin' s
You's got to stop right yere till to-
morrow.
Deed he has !' added his wife
Nobody as saves our Sue from b'a
is gwine to walk off like that"
Il thought | was done gone whsn
heard him go pop pop y said Susan
land the bar fell down in a heap"
Then there came period of silence
with every one looking full at me.
, knew what was coming. 1t had com
dozen times in a fortnight. Th
, man was uneasy, while the wife look
, ed puzzled. By and by the HUSBAND
hesitatingly began:
WHO ARE YOU ANYHOW
stranger, we'uns is thankful t
! ! you'uns, but but
"It don't make no difference,
say p exclaimed Susan.
eyes her do" replied the father, a
; he pulled a piece of bark from tn
,, log.
"Stranger we'uns want to know
if
He couldn't get it out.
"You want to know what | ar
doing here" suggested.
7 'That's it.
! "Well, I'm travelling for health an
: 10 see how you people live"
i "Whar from?'
5 "Michigan,"
: s'Then you'un is 1ank."
EYES,"
e aAnd you ftinto the war;"
], "Yes.''
: "And you walloped us?''
f Eyes"
e "And you hain't no spy?"
4 Never"
s stranger, believe you! Put
: thar! Nobody who fit into the We
e would be mean 'nuff to come spyin
# Jist feel righ. to home All we'y
: got belongs to you.
/ DOUBTED THE CENSUS FIGURES.
!. In the evening three or four moul
taineers dropped in, one of whom W.
q accompanied by his wife. The wome
used their snuff sticks and the me
lighted their pipes, and as starter Il
Ie host turned to me with
n Stranger, whar is that Michigan
,e North of Ohio"
{ MANY people up thar?'
Plenty