Arizona silver belt., 1890-05-03
THE BOY KNEES A BEAR.
BUT HIS FATHER MODESTLY AP-
 PROPERTIES THE CREDIT.

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 he mingles il with lumber, agriculture and general country store. His only recreation is chasing the deer in the wildwood and hunting coons. He has a son Uriah. Uriah is rising 1G, and is a stub-and-twist specimen of the true backwoods boy.
 "Riah," said Abner Grimes the other day, ''from the way the weather looks l believe there's deer over back of the mountain. Seems to me as if it was a buck, too."
 "Well, pop" said 'Riah, ''lets take the dog and go fetch the deer in."
 "Why, that's so!'' exclaimed Abner, as if the suggestion was sudden revelation to him. "We can do that, can't we?''
 So he took down his gun, called the dog, and he and Uriah started for the faountaEn, 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 the ridge at a runway and put lead in the deer when it came bounding by him. But Uriah had big hunting knife in sheath at his side. i "Start a buck, 'Riah, or a big doe," said Abner. Don't waste time on any lawns"
 'Riah went off with the dog, and he hadn't gone more than a hundred yards when the dog struck trail and away he went. 'Riah followed, and in less than ten rods came up with the dog. It might have been a deer track the dog had struck, but if it was it had led plump up against six foot bear, and the six foot bear had his back against rock and his eyes on the dog. The latter, emboldened by the presence of his master, pitched into the bear.
 The bear welcomed the dog to his en- brace, gave him couple of squeezes, and tossed him of 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-yr' said 'Riah, speaking to the bear in tone of remonstrance. "By Jiml That was pops best dog, and, tell you, he'll be madder'n thunder!"
 Just then Abner's voice, mellowed by distance, but very distinct withal, came down through the woods from the run way up on the ridge, It said:
 Hay, 'Riahl 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 he's mistaken! But won't he be madder'n thunderi"
 All this time the bear stood with his back to the rock, his eyes snapping, and his jaws dropping foam. 'Riah looked at the unjointed body of the dog, and then surveyed the proportions of its un- 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 impatience in it. "Why don't you come up with that internal dog?''
 ''I 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 one fore paw. 'Riah lunged forward and socked the long blade of his knife in bruins neck. Bruin countered on '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, 'Riah!" 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 ali he could do to get to his feet before the bear climbed on him | The boy and the bear had lively tussle, | but it was Q 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 tree to get his | wind. Then he heard his father coming | down off of the ridge, crashing through | the brush like wild steer.
 "He's-mad!' panted 'Riah.
 "Hay, 'Riahr' Abner shouted as he came down the hill. What in thunder's | the matter? Where's that dog? Why don't you come up with him? A buck bigger than heifer went by me, and | here hain't got any dog? It'll be wuth twenty votes for me if 1 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 few yards the other side.
 "What in the name of Nimrod is the matter with you!" he gasped.
 'Rah pointed to the bear.
 "Holy smoke!" yelled Abner, and he made for the nearest tree.
 "He's-he's-dead, panted 'Riah. ''So is-the dog. That's the-reason-I didn't -come up-with him."
 Then Abner looked the bear over and mourned for the dog.
 We wasn't hunting bear, 'Riah, said he, deprecatingly. 'Deer was what we started out to get. Still, we'll take home our game. But you should have come up with that dog, 'Riah, and, great Caesar! what buck we'd have got; wuth twenty votes to me-"
 Abner and 'Riah toted the bear home, and then Abner went out among his