The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-04-15

Ju'o oh thc X iuU VI BetLln SLOnlSleQ at
her when | heard noise right in front
of me like somethin' was in a bad humor.
Lord, l will never forgit that time!
Right by me, standin' on his hind legs
an showin' every tooth he had, was a
bar nigh onto big as Il horse
"For once in my life 1 was skeered,
an skeered bad My hair walked about
over my head, twas so brissly, an
felt mighty creepy all down my back.
No wonder Cinda had run; but
what in the name of goodness
did she punch bar with
broom for? That's what got me. But
nobody knows what woman is goin'
to do; they has Gurus idees sometimes.
That they has, an you don't have to be
married long to find 'em out, neither.
That punchin' had done the work; he
was mad, bad mad, an l thought he'd
cat me sure. ] lifted up my gun an
fired, but didn't hit him. l shot again,
but was loolzin' so hard at him that |
didn't aim straight. If he was mad be-
fore he was ravin' now. He dropped
down on all fours, riz up tall an dread
full lookin, then come down an went
for me. Both barrels of my gun was
empty; there want no time to load; SO
there wasn't but one thing to do, an
that was fight like man to man for life.
went at him an hit him so hard that
my gun fell in two, an then / thought
was done for. Didn't have mint to
pick up nothin'. was just standin'
there, big.eycd as a mule, putin,
blowin', dodgin', bowin' and scrapin',
tryin' to keep out Of that fellows claws.
''He was gittin' closer an closer.
seemed to me, every mint, but 1 still
fit an fit. First thing knowed his
paw struck my pants-leg, an open it
went clear down to the bottom. Them
was close quarters, let me tell you-so
close, that took to my heels, too. I
went roun' an roun' that brier patch
till was drunk, an he after me like a
whirlwin'. Lordy, Lordy! My breath
was all gone, an l was, too. Not far
off was tree. 1t want much higher'n
me, an had limbs close to the groun';
but that want nothin. l was 'bligcd
to git somewhere where ! could rest,
for was plum wored out. / watched
my chance an made break. Up that
tree went, hand over hand an feet
over feet.
'But up como the bar just like he
was race horse. went higher, up to
little twig, an off it broke, sottin' me
fat down on the groun'. l thought
sure was in purgatory, an was just
goin' to say my prayers when l seen
| the bar couldn't see me on account of
the brush, an l cut down the road for
home. But no use to think could get
away from that fellow; he was after me
in second; and such race! There
was big ditch that had forgot about,
so down went to the very bottom, an
he on top of me. Well, sir, he fell like
he weighed seven thousand pounds,
though don't know as he did. He
nearly smothered me fore he begun to
stir 'roun'. He struck me on my head
an pulled off half my scalp, then he
chewed off these two fingers, an by the
time he had bit hole clear through
my leg / scrambled out of the ditch
with him close on behind. We was
both SO full of mud that if it hadn't
been for the stingin' of them bites I
wouldn't have known the bar from
| me.
II had good half mile to goyet, and
didn't have much idee of gettin there,
for was bout as weak as baby. /
put nv best foot front an started, an
didn't make such bad time after all. l
just got over my yard fence in time to
keep him from takin' off the other side
of nv scalp, as his havin' to climb kind
of stopped him. 1 thought my race
was over then; but Cinda had all the
doors an winders shet so tight
couldn't get in to save my soul
didn't have mint to spar, SO | few
'roun' to the back of the house, hopln
to find somethin' was open 'roun' thar
but no, everything was tight. / sure
was in fix. There was ladder no,
far from the back door, an l went fol
it. 1t was hard to climb, an fore
was four feet from the groun' the bal
caught holt of my ragged pants an
pulled me down again.
"Well, sir, 1 flew 'roun' that ladder
like kite an ye1lin' to Cinda at the
top of my voice to open the back doc,
for me. After I'd been calm an fyin
for it seems to me half day, tho
'twan't morn ten minits, Cinda openee
the door a crack an bounced in, fel
on the floor in a fit an didn't come tt
till next day.
.eTom Biers an seven other mel
managed to kill the bar that night, but
couldn't find nothin' big 'nough t.
weigh him. couldn't talk for week
couldn't walk for six an my leg Ii
shakin' yet. The whole neighborhoot
pulled up stakes an left, an now tha
place amt nothin' but pines an bars
Look here, young un, you's too fresh
Next time you git such notion you g
! fishin'. Is you bar struck yit?'
> "Nope," answered Long Jake, pull
, ing up bunch of shallots and steppinI
i. back over the fence. "Tm goin' bacl
, to work"
, ga riglar soft he is, said Nathan t
! himself. eve saf-soaped him gooe
: He's off, way off, if he thinks he's goir
! to git that bar: he's my meat. l ha
killed dozens an dozens of 'em al
! never got scratch from none OF 'en
! I'll git that un tonight, an lay Off tx
= morry, so can eat bar meat all da.
! Dinged If don't"
Nathan isriz up from the head
IL fGanlc h