The Dickinson press., 1890-01-25
THE BOY KNIFES A BEAR.

THE BOY KNIFES A BEAR.
BUT HIS FATHER MopEsTLY APP
~PROPRlATES THE CREDIT.
A Tale Which Involves the Loss of a Fine
Buck, the Death of a Good Dog and the
Anger of Abner Grimcs-Its a True Story,
and That's Its Chief Trait.
Abner Grimes is the politician of the
ridge. He has been constable, postmas-
ter, town clerk and Justice of the peace.
He has his eye now on the legislature.
Statecraft is his hobby, but lie mingles it
with lumber, agriculture and a general
country store. His only recreation is
chasing the deer in the wildwood and
hunting coons. He has a son Uriah.
Uriah is rising 16, and is a stub-and-twist
specimen of the true backwoods boy.
"Riah," said Abner Grimes the other
day, tsfrom the way the weather looks l
believe there's a deer over back of the
mountain. Seems to me as if it was a
buck, too"
"Well, pop" said 'Riah, "let's take the
dog and go fetch the deer in"
"Why, that's sol" exclaimed Abner, as
ifthe suggestion was sudden revelation
to him. 1--WE can do that, can't WEI"
So he took down his gun, called the
dog, and he and Uriah started for the
mountain, three miles away. 'Riah car
ried no gun, it being his duty to handle
the dog and drive for deer, while his
father stood on tho ridge ut a unway
and put lead in the deer when it came
bounding by him. But Uriah had a big
hunting knife in a sheath at his side.
"Start a buck, 'Riah, or a big doc,"
said Abner. "Don't waste time on any
fawns."
'Riah went off with the dog, and he
hadn't gone more than n hundred yards
when the dog struck a trail and away he
went. 'Riah followed, and in less than
ten rods came up with the dog. 1t might
have been a deer track the dog had
struck, but if it was it had led plump up
against a six foot bear, and the six foot
bear had his back against a rock and his
eyes on the dog. The latter, emboldened
by the presence of his master, pitched
into the bear.
The bear welcomed tho dog to his en-
brace, gave him a couple of squcczcs,
and tossed him off with such vim and
precision that his limp and almost des-
sicated carcass just missed 'Riah's head.
The dog was extremely dead.
"S-a-a-a-y!" said 'Riah, speaking to the
bear in n tone of remonstrance. SPY
Jim! That was pops best dog, and, l
tell you, he'll be maddcr'n thunder!"
Just then Abner's voice, mellowcd by
distance, but very distinct withal, came
down through the woods from the run
way up on tho ridge. 1t said:
ebay, Riah! Come up here with that
dog, quick!'
"Well," said 'Riah, still speaking to
the bear, eff he 'spects me to carry that
dog up this ridge hos mistaken! But
won't he be madder'n thunder!"
All this time tho bear stood with his
back to the rock, his eyes swapping, and
his jaws dropping foam. 'Riah looked
at the unjointed body of the dog, and
then surveyed the proportions Of its I'M
terrified unjointer. The latter got tired
of waiting, and moved forward to clear
the woods of 'Riah. 'Riah unsheathed
his hunting knife and braced himself.
"Hay, 'Riah!" came the voice of Abner
down from the ridge again, and this
time there was impotence in it. "Why
don't you come up with that Internal
dog?"
II hain't got time to explain that to
pop just now" said 'Riah, in a confiden-
tial tone to the bear, "and I hain't goin'
to scare you by hollerin' back at him."
The bear didn't seem to care whether
'Riah had time for explanation or not,
and evidently was a good way from any
intention of being scared. He reached
out for 'Riah with M fore paw. 'Riah
lunged forward and sockcd the long
blade of his knife in bruins neck. Bruin
countered Oh 'Riah's chest and sent him
sprawling on the ground.
The blood spurted from the hole the
knife had bored in the bears neck. As
'Riah fell the voice of the hunter was
again heard on the hill.
"Hay, 'Riahl" it said. "Why in thun.
der don't you come up with that dog?"
'Riah was too busy to answer just
then, for he had all he could do to get to
his feet before the bear climbed on him.
The boy and the bear had a lively tussle,
but it was a short one. The first stab
the bear received was fatal, and two
other thrusts, equally good, let out still
more blood, but when the bear fell in its
death struggle 'Riah was tired out.
He leaned up against a tree to get his
wind. Then he heard his father coming
down off of the ridge, crashing through
the brush like a wild steer.
"He's-mad!" painted 'Riah.
"Hay, 'Riah!" Abner shouted as he
came down the hill. "VVhat in thunder's
the matter? Where's that dog? Why
don't you come up with him? A buck
bigger than a heifer went by me, and
here I hain't got any dog? It'll be with
twenty votes for me if I get that buck
Why don't you come up with that dog?
When Abner hove in sight he discov.
cred 'Riah leaning against the tree
sobbing for wind He didn't see the
bear that lay a few yards the other side
"What in the name of Nimrod is the
matter with yout" he gasped.
'Rah pointed to the bear.
"Holy smoke" yelled Abner, and hi
made for the nearest tree.
"He's-he's-dead, painted 'Riah. "St
is-the dog. That's the-reason-I didu'
come up-with him."
Then Abner looked the bear over ant
mourned for the dog.
"We wasn't hunting bear, 'Riah," sait
he, d~eprecatingly. "Deer was what W,
started out to get. Still, we'lltake HON,
u game. But you should have com,
up withthat dog, 'Riah, and, great Caesar
what a buck we'd have got; with twent,
votes to me-"
Abner and 'Riah toted the bear home
and then Abner went out among hi