Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-12-06
BOTH GOOD RUNNERS.

hut the bear oould Heat thu Boy Covering
astraiRht Course.
General Plaisted, Ex-Governor OF
Maine, tells how no once caught bear
It was OF course good many years ago,
for the General was ct that time only
fifteen years old, and his father was
clearing farm on the hillside of New
Hampshire
"You may be sure" said the General.
''that that part Of New Hampshire has
changed good deaI since those daya
At that time our farm consisted OF o
Roodly stretch OF land, q lot Of stumps
where we had been making clearings,
q log house which we built ourselves,
and q small smoke-house This was
about all there was to the farm, with
the exception OF few sheep which we
had. There were not more than half
dozen families n the ne ghborhood-
II was called down from the hill one
day by great shouting and noises OF
confusion. ARRIVED just in time TO see
q monstrous bear pulling himself to-
ward the woods and dragging along the
quarter OF q sheep He I'D gone to the
smoke-house, where the quarter hung,
had smashed the house and seized the
sheep The cries frightened him away.
81 was young then" continued the
General, with . smile, 'And more en-
thusiastic over bears than ! should 30
now. Besides, and my younger broth
ers were possessed Of good. old-fash-
toned mountain boys appetites, and,
to tell you the truth. mutton was some
thing Of Q luxury. It made me mad to
see that bear taking Of our sheep and,
seiz ng pitchfork, l started after him.
THE bear had good start on me,
and did not overtake him until he had
reached the last stump Of the clearing
on that hill. As I came painting up to
him. brandishing my pitchfork, the big
fellow turned and snarled at me.
1.-THE value Of that quarter Of sheep
diminished suddenly, you may be sure.
It did not seem worth saving, after all
I did not like that bear, but soon dis
covered that he did not like me. In
fact he stood upon no ceremony. but
started for me rs II he would like to
give me hug OF welcome. BY one OF
those strange revolutions OF circum-
stances Il was / who was now being
chased. That bear was better runner
than I, and I gave up q stra ght course.
took to the stumps. There weren't
half enough stumps to suit me. We
went around them, over them, lodged
them and played tag around them
never saw any thing like the agility OF
that bear.
while the bear and / were rivaling
the wind as travellers, horns were blow
ing at the house and every one was
shouting. Soon the settlers in the
neighborhood began to appear, armed
with axes, pitchforks, shovels, clubs
any thing that could serve as weapon.
They came running up the slope shout
ing and yelling ut the bear to brighten
him away, while the horns sounded dis
mally below But the bear was too
busy to pay any attention to them. He
seemed to be getting really interested
in the chase, and was growing and
snsrling furiously.
Il watched my chance and then made
dash for the rescuing party. Mr.. Bear
close upon my heels Occasionally I cir
cled q stump the bear following suit,
and then there was din in my ears
Pitchforks and axes went into the bear
from all sides He made good fight,
but numbers conquered him.
II had an unusually good appetite for
supper that night and those bear steaks
were delicious don't think / ever en-
joyed meal more. The steaks were 30
juicy and tender. you know. And then
as / ate / couldn't help congratulating
myself that twas who was doing the
eating. 1t came very near being differ