The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-03
A TRAvE-IN LIAR,
And His Experience in the Smoky
n Mountains.
!, Quad in Detroit Free Press.


to;lihg over a rocky trail in the Smoky
mountains, which range of the Blue Ridge
sanarates Tennessee and North Carolina for
many miles, girl about IS years of age,
a,areiheadsd, Sbafe.footed, and having on a
Angle garment made of cheap stuff, sud-
lSenlv Jumped into the road a few feet ahead
of ne. fsll down, rolled over, lost her hold
IN a bundle of roots and barks, and was up
and OFF like a shot. She passed
me without seeming to see me, and
the - next q minute O bear came
roll;ne out of the bushes upon the spot
sba mad covered. had big revolver, and
Z had it handy, and bruin was dead before
he could suspect how my hair stood on end
away and he looked as big as a yearling
calf. and even if Ibid shoot with my eyes
sbut. he would have been ashamed of me if
had failed to kill him with six bullets. He
vas kicking his last when the girl came
back, regarded him with bulging eyes for a
moment, and then said:
"Lordyl but I thought was goner.
Who be you'uns"
"0h, happened along here. Why didn't
you scream"
Couldn't handn't wind huff"
chow far did he chase youm
"A right smart"
'Well, who are youW
Susan. Come to the house."
She picked up the last bundle and started
on ahead, and quarter of a mile above we
came to cove and the inevitable noun
taineers cabin. The cove was the same
cabin the same-surrounding thes same as a
score of others Ayel the gaunt. miserably
dressed woman stood at the door-two
children rolled on the ground, and a big dog
slouched out of the cabin and growled
fercely at the approach of a stranger
Susan led me straight to the door, and, as
we halted at the threshold, she explained {:
''Bar was chasin' me. He'un killed it
with his pepper"
As soon as the matter was understood the
three of us went back, made litter, and,
after hard tug. got the bear to the cabin
We had just arrived when the husband
came home, having been off on hunt, and
the girl braced up, got a rest for her back
against the house, and told the story as fol-
lows:
'Got my roots tied up Bar cum fur
me- Took run. Met he'un. He'un never
run tall Heard him shoot-pop! pop! popl
Went back. Bar was dead. Told he'un to
come up and see we'uns. Gin hlm yer paw,
pap
Stranger" said the man, as he came
over to me with outstretched hand, put it
thar Reckon you saved the gals life, fur
suah. Nam, give him yer paw"
'Ize thankful, shore | am she said as
we shook hands.
| wanted to go five miles further up the
trail. to uncle Joe Billings place, but there
was general protest on the instant, and
the mourtaineer exclaimed:
Stranger, do you'un think we'uns ar
heathenss Yves pore an forlorn an shuck-
less; but Yves got feelings. You've got to
stop right yere till Tomorrow
"'Deed he has," added the wife. ''No-
body as saves our Sue from bar is gwine
to walk off like that"
II thought was dun gone. when l heard
him go popl pop popi" said Susan, "an' the
bar fell down in heap"
Then there came period of silence, with
every one looking full at me. l knew what
was coming. II had come dozen times in
a fortnight The man was uneasy, while
the wife looked puzzled. By and by the
husband hesitatingly began:
Stranger, we'uns is thankful to you'un;
but--but-n
sit don't make no difference, say" ex-
eyes, her do" replied the father, as he
pulled a piece. of bark from the log.
"Stranger we'uns want to know if-if-"
He couldn't get it out.
feYou want to know what I'm doing
here" suggested.
That's it."
"Well, Pm travelling for health and to see
how you people live"
"Whar from?"
Michigan"
Then you'un is yankF
YES
And you fit in the war"
And you wallOped usl"
"And you hain't no spyp'
"Never."
Stranger, / believe you! Put it thar
Nobody who fit into the war would be mean
huff to come spyin'. Just feel right to
home. All we've got belongs to you
In the evening three or four mountainous
dropped in, one Of whom was accompanied
BY his wife. The women used their snuff
sticks, the men lighted their pipes, and as
Starter the host turned to me with:
stranger, where is that Michigan"
North of Ohio"
Many people up thar"
Plenty"
Twenty thousandW
Detroit alone has ten times that num-
ber.r
lie winlzed at each man in turn, and l
heard the visiting female exclaim to her
self:
'Oh, Lord! please forgive him fur lvin'."
''Been on a steamboat, l reckonm
queried the host, after time.
Eyes"
"MoTe'n onef'
Fifty. presume.
He wirked again, and the visiting female
sighed:
"Oh. my soul! but what dreadful iarp
"Mebbe you have seen the oceanw re-
marked one of the men, after signal to the
rest that he would draw me out.
II have"
Regular ocean,"
"Yasn
There were three whistles of astonish-
ment, and the visiting female clasped her
hands and appealed:
"Oh, Lord, don't lay it agin him this
time, fur he killed the b'arp
1t was now the turn Of the old man, who
had thus far preserved the stricteSt silence.
he cleared his throat, crossed his legs and
observed:
"And 1 reckon you have sawn the Presi-
denlr
Yes. SIR"
WHAT Yoo hevln exclaimed all in
chorus.
Certainly, and shaken hands with him. y
"Oh, Lordyl Oh, my souli but how has
he got the narvo to lie soW whispered the
women, while the others uttered a sort OF
groen over my wickedness.
There was deep silence for several min
utes, aud then the visiting female leaned
forward and said to her husband across the
room:
Joseph, ak him about balloons and tele-
pAsnes."