The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-09-29
TO SPITE CUB CONNERS,
Why Abel Chased Bruin-The Dis
couraging Result.

SOu 1e0ElxC
The bear would never have been
chased so long nor so far, at that time
OF year. when its fur was worthless
and its meat not yet in condition fit
even for hungry campers to eat, if it
hadn't been that old Woodsman Abel
Fuller, of Kettle Creek, was deter
mined that it shouldn't fall into the
hands of Cub Corners.
Its 'tarDal shame to cut that
bars campaign Short" old Abel had
said, "him just a-startin' in fer the
summer, an prolnisin' to swell out
three or four hundred pound O. the best
kind o. hide, meat and taller, long
about Thanksgivin' time; but Cub Con-
ners IL get him. sure as powder, if we
don't, SO it'll be dom the bar a mercy
an spitin' Cub at the same time fer us
to pitch in an Save him by KILN of
him Ourselfs."
This was down on Barley run, on the
edge of the big hemlock woods. Abel
had returned to the cabin on the creek
after days trout fishing just in time
I" see the bear walking out of the
shanty with piece of pork and disap-
pear in the laurels. There was only
one gun in camp. The gun was Abels.
Wherever the old woodsman goes he
takes his gun with him, and it is al
ways loaded for bear. So Abel, when
he saw the bear walking away with the
pork, had stood still in his tracks for a
moment, and then said:
THAT bar hain't good fer nothin',
but we'll have to git him. If we don t
Cub Corners III gether him in an l
wouldn't have that happen fer a hull
menagerie full of bar. SO I'll 90 over
to jim Souser's an git another gun, an
tell jim TO com" over here 'arly to-mor-
row mornin' hisself, n fetch his dog.
Keep your eye peeled fer the bar,
sonny, while I'm gone, an if he comes
out o that laurel patch an goes to
crossin' the creek, with his head p'intin'
north. give him both O. them bar'ls O.
my gun an tumble him, fer if he gifts
acrosst that creek an p'ints fer north
hell be goin' straight fer Cub Corners,
an Cub IL git him, an it's to perfect
the bar from Cub Corners that we're
gOin' to kill him ourselfs.'
Then Abel started for Jim Souser's
shanty. which was down on Fair Run,
two miles distant, through the woods.
fpb Corners. was dweller in that will
derness that none of the hunters liked.
lie lived by himself in the center of one
of the best hunting and fishing regions
and had Il cheerful way of shooting the
dogs OF other hunters who went into
woods. of burning down their shanties,
of even taking sly shot at hunters
themselves once in awhile, it was said,
and of making himself as offensive
and da m aging to them as he could find
ways and means of doing. Conse-
Quently he was hated and feared of all
other woodsmen, and they lost no op-
portunity of checkmating him in the
way of getting game, even if they had
to put themselves to no end of trouble,
or remove deer out of season or run
down bear under July sun. ltwas
to prevent the possibility of this camp
looting bear that Abel had discovered
from falling into the hands of this
despised Cub Corners that the old
woodsman was going to SO much trouble
TO run it down himself. right in the
height of the best trout fishing.
1t was long after dark when Abel
got back from Jim Souser's. Three
men with guns were with him and two
dogs.
The bar hain't p'inted fer Cub Con-
ners', has he?" asked Abel.
No; the bear hadn't
''rhen he won't pint there tonight,
an we'll save him from the disgrace O.
dom OF 1t Tomorrow said Abel. Jim
Souser want to home, an I'm dunn
sorry, fer don't know any body as
could keep that bar out of Cubs hands
as well as Jim could. But we've got his
dogs, an here's some fellers as has
come to help us save the bar, though
they hain't never experienced bar yit.
But they're - spilin' to git whack
at one.'
"That's jist what we be-" exclaimed
one of the three. "We'd like to git at
him to-night!''
You kin see him jist as we'll by day
light" said Abel. $50 we'll wait till
mornin'."
Early next morning the old woods
man sent the dogs into the laurel patch.
having stationed us in various positions
around the big thicket. The dogs
worked about in the swamp for nearly
an hour before they routed up the
bear. Then there was sudden burst
Of yelps and growls and loud swapping
Of savage jaws The laurels crashed
and swayed. The bear had been
started, and, contrary to the expecta-
ton of old Abel, his head was p'inted
north. Crash! crash! Snap! snarl! yelp!
growl! Away toward the edge of the
laurels dogs and bear tumbled and
fought. Abel himself was on one side
OF the patch, a long distance from
where the bear was making break to
escape from the tangle of laurels. He
ran toward the spot as fast as he could.
He had stationed there two of the
ardent ''fellers'' he had brought from
Jim Souser's camp, but he wanted to
be there himself. When he reached
the spot all was quiet. One of the
hunters was leaning against tree. He
was as white as sheet He was Dan
Space. the hunter who had wanted to
start right in after the bear without
waiting for morning.
"Where's the b'ar?" exclaimed Abel.
Didn't see no bari" replied Dan, his
teeth chattering.
The bear had come out not twenty
feet from him, crossed the creek and
gone on north.
That bar most run over you, by
Juniper!' cried Abel, IAN you've stood
by an made present of it to Cub Con-
ners, Std o. film it will, leadn,