The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-02-19

even here at Elsie, when l contemplate
what an intellectual head Reynolds has
given it.
The bear story as told by DIR. p, reminds
me of a circumstance that | was knowing to
in the olden time. Many people yet living
remember when the north, and particularly
the northwestern portion Of Shiawassee
county was bowling wilderness This
unbrolxen forest, which extended for miles
| still further north was the resort OF many
wild animals, deer, bear, wolves, wildcats
and smaller game. The early settlers in
| adjoining towns used to occasionally raid
| this region for food or fun, but more often
| for meat than amusement. Some OF us had
| to hunt to keep the wolf from the door in
double sense.
Once upon time, intent on getting meat,
| and two of my boys took our double bar
relied shot guns and started for the timber.
We soon struck tracks, but on we Went ana
the further we travelled the more tracks we
found. Tracks of everything-bear, wolves,
cats, deer, ETC., and going in all directions.
We kept straight on into the forest for miles,
| until at length we came to a very large
cottonwood tree standing near the edge of
burn-down. This tree seemed to be the
center to which these tracks all lead. Here
we called halt, and looking up the tree we
found the park torn off and the body OF the
tree terribly scratched up. On further eX-
animation we saw a large hole in the tree
about forty feet from the ground where an
enormous limb had been broken off. Ha,
ha, we had found it. This tree was the
home and haunt of bears, and all we had to
do now was to get them. One boy went
back directly for axes, while the other boy
built fire. We then sat down and care
fully estimated the worth of bear, pelt,
meat and bounty-then of two bears. Be
fore we were anywhere near through fgur-
ing the boy came back with the axes, and
four more men with him, all well armed.
was sorry so many men came, because the
cuts of bear meat would have to be smaller,
but they were soon making chips fly. Be
fore che tree fell seven good guns were
aimed at that hole. Down came the tree
with q crash, the hole on the upper side,
for the space all was SILENT not ripple, not
"a ripple, not a gToan, not grOwl. The
conclusion had probably stunned or killed
the ferociouS animals. Seven guns with
deadly aim were still bearing on that hole.
With bated breath we waited another min
ute. The situation became agOnZing. That
silence was terrible. | could stand it no
longer, so making a rush for that hole j
peered it. Gredt Scott! The tree lCdS
enptU There was noise in the wilder
ness just then for a few minutes that sound
ed like the commingling of many voices,
and from the number of pious words mixed
in miscellaneOusly, person two miles away
might have imagined free Methodist camp
meeting was getting down to business. But
there was no pety in it. Two Of the men
went back TO the stump to reconrOtre.
They soon made an important discovery.
Those tracks all went away from that tree
instead of towards it, and had been leading
away from it for ten days-the family had
moved out.
One of the boys had by this time crawled
into that tree and was throwing out the fur
niture. Leaves, sticks, grass and moss came
out in abundance and then rotten wood, and
-yes--sOme shreds of red flannel, and some
cotton fabric, calico, which though torn,
soiled and matted, was evidently the rem
nants of an infants dress, and then crum-
pied towel, with the corners firmly fastened
together with crooked brass pin. The boy
continued the business. Next out came
bones, bones Of everything Hogs bones,
deer bones and oh, horrOrs the entire skele-
ton of baby. We were thunder struck!
What to do we did not know. One said
send for doctor. but the majority opposed
this as there was but one doctor in the world
that would take case as far advanced as
this, and Laingsburg was % miles away by
the nearest trail. The boy cotinued work.
In fumbling among the fragments of cloth
ing paper was found which seemed to
have been dropped there by accident. 1t
was much mussed and soied but was care
fully folded as if for filing. On this we
could distinguish the one word ''Prescrlp-
ton" We opened it eagerly and read. "FOr
Delerium Tremens. Aqua PurO, grains;
Aqua Vitae, glls; dilute with alcohol.
flavor with mint" Below this were three
cabalistic letters &c. =. p" which we all
concluded was abbreviated Latin for another
ingredient. And what drug could it mean
but cayenne pepper, probably to give some
life to the compound. And yet below all
was this ''DOse One-half tumblerful-re-
peat every half hour till the patient dies. F"
We looked at each other silently for brief
space, then broke for the openings
One evening abont week later one of Il
hunters, Scotchman, came to my cabin
much excited and said, "Ivan, the first part
of that prescription is all right. We used
to taste the like of it in Dingwall, on Moray
FIRTH, but dom that cayenne pepper" Here,
seemingly overcome by his emotion, while
a tear started from his wet eyes, he again
wandered out into the night air. "POOr
Me-" said, 1.-THE snakes are after him."
The next morning his body was found near
his shanty. The doctor who examined the
remains said simply "heart failure" while
the nelghbors said SNAKES" In his vest
pocket was found the same old prescription,
with the pepper clause thoroughly erased.
Among his luggage were some shreds of red
flannel and torn calico, and the bones of
baby, all done up in dirty towel with the
corners firmly fastened together with a