The morning call., 1892-03-06
AN ARKANSAS BEAR-FIGHHER
0pie Read Tells How lie Finally Came to
Grief.
TWAS Case In Which Sharp Practice Pre-
vailed Ag ainst a Han Who Was Really
Able in Els Line.
Special 20 THE SUNDAY CALL

ever lived in the Misunderstanding COM
munity of Hot Strings, Ark, was old
Stephen Rutherford No one knew the
place of bis original abode. the starting
ground of his quaint and dispensable career,
and indeed no one seemed to care, ,but every
one that came within his range was I'M
pressed with his odd personality BE was
tall and gaunt and grizzled. His eyes were
afflicted with watery sleepiness. but sud
denly became eager at the sight of dollar
He kept sort of roadhouse, which he des-
igpated as Bear Park, near the town OF Hot
Springs, and made his living by administer
ing to the thirst and catering TO the amuSe-
ment of the wayfaring man, who. even
though fool, often erred therein; erred. l
saw. for the man who drank the sour beer
drawn by old Steve could not have stopped
short of SHINING against self. The amuse
ment consisted of a black bear, DID, lazy and
fieabitten. This animal, advertised as of
most furious disposition, was kept chained
to tree in back lot, and at evening, when
the accommodating dusk threw a hiding
shade over the bears most striking faults
l. e. laziness and flea bites-old Steve would
announce TO his guests that he was now
about TO engage IN the dangerous feat OF
wrestling with the ferocious monster from
the Mississippi swamps. Those who knew
the trick drank their beer in unconcern, but
into the back lot TO see the desperate en-
counter
one afternoon when old Steve was sitting
on bis veranda man from the mountains
came along. driving red mule and white
steer htch ed To shaky and creakng wagon.
In the wagon there were a few small cab
bageS and black bear.
SAY" SAID the mountain man, stopping
his team, don't you want to buy the finest
bar YOU ever seen ??
mo" Steve replied; ''got all the bar [
want"
"But you amt got no sech bar as this
mo. and don't want no sich kitten of
thing as that
Now look here. mister. that amt no way
TO Go-insult a mans bar. have travelled
seveniy-five miles with this bar and you air
the fust man that has offered him a Insult.
That Amt obseryn' the common courtesies
that is due bar that amt never done you
no harm. But putin all that to one side,
let me ask YOU seriously If you want to buy
b'ar?"
81 told you that I've got all the bar
want" ola Steve sharply replied.
The mountain man gathered up his hick-
DRY fall as if he would drive on, but then,
with the appearance of having changed his
mind, stretched his long neck toward old
Steve and said:
when you say you've got all the bar
you want, l reckon you mean that mouse
gnawed and bug-eat inyilid out yonder in
the back lot"
Steve got up, and through the force of
custom acquired in earlier life, busted the
seat of his trousers The mountain man
again had gathered his hickory for a decisive
blow at his mule, but a hoarse command
from old SleVe-a command unintelligible as
TO words but full of meaning, nevertheless
compelled his attention. Steve, mastering
his anger, and attempting 10 speak in
quiet way, said: 90 | have been living here
good while. and have Parned how TO be
smooth IN my manners, but when man
that | amt never DesteTed in no way comes
along here aud willfully insults member Of
my family, why It's time Tor me TO act
i" don't know nOthin' about yO' family
and wouldn't ther'fu' insult a member OF
1t, the mountain man replied. 1ou said
that this here bar Is kitten Of thing,
end then | said that the b. ar over yander in
the lot is bug-taI; and I'm willing to leave
1t to any jury that Can be raked up in this
town that Im right l know what IL Is to
'be bug-eat and don't blame the bar, for
l don't reckon he could help 1t. / had
and as gentlemanly dog as you ever
seen-aDd l didn't hold him responsible.
Say. now. without any mo- foolishuess,
don't you want to buy barr"
Steve placed his hand on post TO steady
himself He looked at the mountain man
with all the contempt he could throw into
his watery eyes, and then, still under so
strong a restraint that the baggy knees of
his trousers ouvered. thus delivered him.
self
al am tryin' to make an honest livIn' and
you don't 60 Ay from here III hurt You.
and III make it pint of hurtin' you
mighty bad. Do you hear?"
"Oh, yes, i hear, and ruther than have
any ffikilty, I'll harken, but do hope that
befo' you Join the church and before the
day Is over, for that matter, you may change
y0' mind about this bar. Get up, boy"
He swung his hickory. and dealt the mule a
decisive blow.
Business was dull and Steve nodded and
dreamed as he sat on the veranda. He was
aroused by a noise and looking up he saw
that the mountain man had again stopped at
the gate.
Luck here" Steve yelled. now under
very little restraint, thought told you to
60 on away from here"
You did tell me, and did go away. but
that didn't keep me from comm back again.
have been to nearly every place In this
town, and nobody don't seem to want a
bar, and the fact has begun to crawl into
my mind that the bar market down here
is pretty dull. Down yonder jest now the
thought strurk me that arter all you mout
want real bar. and as am willin' to help
you out with yo' wants. l will let you have
this here one for So"
Steve went out to the gate. he put his
elbows on wheel OF the wagon and looking
hard at the mountain man said:
Il have been very kind 10 you"
II haven't made that diskvery, but il you
have been kind to me Fan much obleeged. !"
81 have been kind to you. and now wa t
to tell you what I'm goin' to do; Pm goin'
to maui YOU.
And he did maui him. He snatched the
mountain man out of the wagon aud wal
lowed him In the road. And during the per-
Torrance the bear sat in the wagon and
looked on with an Indifference complete in
every detail. The mountain man climbed
back to his seat as soon as Steve granted
him that privilege, and, gathering up his
hickory. said: after all, l reckon you
know yo' own mind best-don't reckon you
really do want to buy bar. Good-by. sahi'
Evening came and strangers who had
hfard that a desperate man would wresule
with ferocious bear gathered at the place
of encounter.
Now. gentlemen" said Steve, ''the time
has come Tor me TO show you what a white
man can do. All my folks were b'ar-6ght-
ers, and so far as heard from not one oil
them was ever whipped. Some hunters have
just brought in monstrous bar from down
IN the bottoms. and all that want to see me
fight him just pay % cents and come ahead. "
number of men paid their money and
followed him into the back lot. Those who
were acquainted with the INDECENT habits OF
the bear said nothing. partly through fear
of mourning the enmity of old Steve. but
mainly to foster laugh at the expense OF
gullble "tenderfeet"
Steve conducted the spectators to the tree
where the bear was chained. The brown OF
evening, making a mystery of the huge
black mass OF animal life and hiding the
patches on bis coat, proclaimed him a saw.
age monster.
Gentlemen" said Steve, 'befo' go into
this here fight want to tell you that dou't
deserve no sympathy. for / have brought il
OIL myself Here goes
Tie made lunge at the bear. The mon
ster threw himself in an upright position
against the tree and caught Steve In hi
arms For moment there was silence and
then loud yell split the stiffness of Tn,
deepening twilight. The bear boxed Steve
he Rugged him time and again. and then an
u "a hifIn.t