Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-08-27

4 Musical Rear
New York Tribune: I used to play
bass drum in a little brass band down
in the village six miles from here, said
a Sullivan county mounmineer, and
one afternoon In the blackberry season
I put my drum I'm the wagon and start
ed FOR the village to play at a political
meeting in the evening. l was going
to pick a pail of berries 70 sell in the
village, so I drove TO the head Of the
gulf ran the wagon to a shady place
few yards from the road and hung
the drum on the dead limb Of a tree, so
as 20 let the horse feed out OF the hind
end of the wagon. The berry field
was half o mile up the hill behind the
woods. and / hadn't been picking long
before | heard some one humping on
the drum I imagined that some boys
were fooliug with If. and the beating
continued So long that [ cut a switch
ANA ran down TO tle woods to make
the urehins stop I stole through the
woods as Stiu as 7 could and when I
Eot I'm sight Of She ri- I had TO stop and
laugh nc the way I'D been fooled
IA large bear was standing upright
in front 0f the drum and tapping ou ii
with mis- right plw as though he han
found q phytlu- dat pleased him im-
meusely. Z decided 20 let the amused
animal have his i'm of fun with the
drum. So long as ne wasn't doing amy
damage to ir, and I sluaJted in the
bushes and watched him. The bear
beat the drum for several seconds. ana
then he put his paws Oh it. pressed il
against the tree, poked lis nose
rhrc-s-h the strap and worked and
wriEEled Ju the strap slipped of of the
limb and slid over his head to his neck
That was something ! wasn't expect
ing, bur I Stil had a desire 10 see the
bear perform. and 50 I kept quiet in
the bushes
when the bear saw that he had the
drum am u himself. he danced around
on his hind feet ana beat both heads
with his paws, as tickled as O child
with new plaything He was the
happiest bear / ever saw till he backed
against the horse. He didn't seem TO
be thinking about anything but Tie.
drum when he came in contact with
the rear end Of the horse, and the
horse LET fly with both feet and kicked
the bear on the rump. The blow made
him staCger and brought him 20 his
senses in q hurry. he stopped beating
the drum. faced about, suorted at the
horse, and then went rubbing his back
against the trunk of R tree, All at once
he shook his head ar the horse and
started for the ravine, placing his paws
on the ends OF the drum and not my
ius 10 thump b.
IN then realized thar the hear was
going 10 ruin my DRUM ana / grabbed
club headed him of ana drove him 0u.
IL the road Instead Of daslin- across
the road the bear backed down g. kept
lis auny r1wau me and began Is play
on the drum acgiu- ran around ana
-er behind him. intending 81 cut tine
strap with my 5aeS-suita. hu- tho bear
compelled nae -0 face the music bE
wheeling about every time ha <1w me-
circle out II the road Once / came
near getting behind him. bar the baa~
turned Ike % flash. backed up the r1a3
aud played away on the dram rs
though DE knew that be was annoying
me. After ] had tried more han
dozen times 10 Get 81 slash ii the strap
rha bear danced from one side u tla
-aad % the other ana added insult 6
ins1lr by snoring ar me.
FINALLY ( found piece 8. va-ou
tire lu the ditch. ANA cushing un IS -he
t1uu7tziuE brute, hit MIN between
The eyes with it That was tile most
foolish thing ] could have done. bur
was hopping mad and L.L1.- step -
consider The bear dropped ~ Eli
seu-S with q EUn- rhs ualea- lit
him. crushed Uiv drum into shape
leSs mass under him and dashed 81
toward The ravina GraS-uE my -l-lad
drum between his legs A. rha bear
plunged forward he LET, parts - the
drum in the brush ana before / e7s-z
zat 10 him the strap h-ose and latr TIA
rest II ir. and the political meeting
down Go the village had % -a- 5au-
without 4 h1SS drum sast night Taa
nsa- looked ~a- DTS shoulder
rs went eauraril- Through A ws
ANA L vrss ra. enough ta s Ga
t cav DAYS F-a n5 ws
llr- rha story 60 4 lr is uaau-sa
men over II SIniawn ILL w1