St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-07-02

- think that perhaps poverty w.
really prsssing. and with all my heart
urged him TO take half Of what had
found mp to this time. am satisfied
that I did It chcerfully and cordially
and he must have seen that meant
what I said He seemed to grow in 4
better humor then and protested thai
he needed nothing and would not con
sent to . division He expected 70
strike Il rich himself some Of these
days, he said. Il was about three days
after that made another find Il WA
one that almost frightened me when 7
looked at It 6rst, it seemed so impos,
sible, 50 unreal I am satisfied il was
the largest nugget that has ever bee6
found ] could not believe tho evi
dcnce OF my own senses, and stood
there. holding II up and looking 1t II il
. dased sort of way, until Jasper called
out:
"'Hello! But that's something wortI
whiler
II was pleased with my good fortune.
but after all ] didn't think Of IL and 81
crazy over it rs some men would. 1
had never slept soundsr in my life thao
] did that night. with ny treasure undes,
my head But at laAt even in mk
sound sleep. camo an uneasy drea,a
that something was crawling under M
pillow, and after awhile I walked witS
. start to find some ono bending over
me and hand under my pillow,
stealthily feeling for my hardwood
treasures. With . cry for Jasyer ]
sprang up and grappled with the
robber. With IN oath he pusl.eA
pistol against my breast AMI
fred. Dy the fash ! saw that It was
Jasper himself, and then all was darl-
ness and knew nothing. How long j
lay there unconscious I never knew.
When woke was lying in . pool ok
blood that had flowed till il could 1ow
no more, and had coagulated and final-
" dried Twas utterly unable to stir.
The wound was giving me agony. and
was suffering the most intolerabl3
thirst saw nothing before me but u,
lie there and die by inches, for I was
sure that Jasper had fed and was al
alone in this solitude. Il was daylight.
broad daylight had been there
twelve hours at least-perhaps twenty
four. And now, boys. began one if
the most horrible experiences Of my
life. have never been able to loo1x
back on it without . shudder. There
come times to some of us, you know,
when we grow old IN = little while.
That was ono of the times.
II was lying there, half dead and
wishing could die the other hall.
when heard step. I thought at first
perhaps il was Jasper, and felt sure
he would finish killing me and thSt
would be . good thing. Then il
idly, IL it were some Of tho
boys who had wandered from the camp
below. And then, al ut once, became
conscious that il was not . mans step
Mt all. but the step of some animal
Around and around the house il went
Whenever it passed the wall near
which ] was lying it stopped ard
shifted at the cracks Everything was
% deathly still that I could hear les
heavy breathing. And lay still while
that horrible, unseen creature went
around and around tho cabin. /;
'But, after all. didn't have to wait 10
long. II merely seemed long because
there was such IN agony Of waiting.
The door of the cabin was made Of
small poles, riveted together with
wooden pins. Il had been drawn shut
but not fastened. Slowly it began 20
move. Something was pushing against
L from the outside. Directly itgave WY
md came open with . jerk. and in tho
doorway appeared the head and shoVl-
lcrs Of . grizzly bear. ! had made up
my mind TO die, but not in that horrible
fashion. The mere thought Of it IL
most made me swoon; but ! did not
swoon. Ilsy there instead, while the
hear, the largest one ] have ever 0eGn,
slowly drew itself into the cabin ard
walked about the floor, emitting here
md there - il went, and mounting
npon its launches to drag down . piece
II meat from . shelf and quietly devour
h.
1T seemed an age before il noticed
ne; an age during which ] endured
more tortures than ever went into .
similar length of time before. But ut
ast it turned and came toward me, and
closed my eyes. I can scarcely till
ron about it. Ny heart almost steps
,cating when think Of il. That huge
nuxzle, nosing over my face and meek,
hat hot breath on my cheek, the WHOLE |
poudcrous form stepping over me siHd
and nosing from the other
l. L.
He grasped my arm and was
INST starting to drag me to the door.
when there arose the sound of voices .
little way OF. Never in all my life had
heard such blessed sound& Tho
.rizzly dropped his prey and rushed $ut
It the door. Twenty shots were hted
nto his body, and he fell in full sight
4 where lay.
The next moment they came pouring
q, the boys from the camp. and t!sey
vere al about me. and was crying
ike . baby and could not say word
{ al came out then. Jasper had gone
lown to the old camp with both tho
and had told them that the |
ndications were fairly good up our
vay, but that had taken the fever end
lied, and he couldn't bear to stay. /
When he went on. saying that he was
q for Denver. the boys packed mp md
tarted for our camp. just in time. II
hey had come ten minutes later
Be here to-day. ] had hard
,ork pulling through - II was.
"Jasper? oh. he was killed BY