The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-31


Down yander jest new the thought
rc,.4 bar, and as l 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:
II have been very kind to you"
Il haven't made this diskivery, but
If you have been kind to me I'm much
obleeged.'
g have been kind to you, and now
want to tell you what am goin to do.
I'm goin to maui you"
And he did maui him. He snatched
the mountain man out of the wagon and
walloped him in tho road. And during
the performance the bear sat in the
wagon and looked on with an indiffer-
ence complete i'll every detail. The
mountain man climbed back to his seat
as soon as Steve granted him that priv
ilege, and gathering up his hickory said:
After all, reckon you know yo'
own mind best-don't reckon you real
ly do want to buy bar. Goodby,
sah.''
Evening came, and strangers who had
heard that desperate man would wres-
tie with ferocious bear gathered at the
place of encounter.
Now, gentlemen" said Steve, "the
time has come for inc to show you what
white man can do. All my folks were
bar fighters, and SO far as heard from
not ono of them was ever whipped.
Some hunters have just brought in a
monstrous bar from down in the bot
toms, and all that want to SEQ mo fight
him just pay 20 cents and come ahead.
A number of men paid their money
and followed him into the back lot
Those who were acquainted with the
1ndolent habits of tho bear said moth
ing, partly through fear of mourning
the enmity of old Steve, but mainly to
foster laugh at the expense of the gull
lible tenderfeet."
Steve conducted the spectators to the
tree where tho bear was chained. The
brown of evening, making IL mystery of
the huge black mass Of animal life and
hiding tho patches on his coat, pro-
claimed him II savage monster.
Gentlemen" said Steve, "befo
go into this here fight l want to tell YOU
that don't deserve no sympathy, for
I've brought it on myself. Here goes!'
He made lunge at the bear. The
monster threw himself in an upright
position against tho treo and caught
Steve in his arms. For moment there
was silence, and then loud yell split
the stiffness of the deepening twilight.
The bear boxed Steve, he Rugged him
time and time again and then appeared
to be biting him.
Take him away! He's killing me!'
Stoves legs and drew him beyond the
bear s reach, and the monstcr-and in
deed he was one now-stretched his
chain in the effort to renew the engage
ment. Steve was taken into tho house.
He was covered with blood, and it was
evident that number of his ribs were
broken.
"Have you anything to say2" some
one asked. 1T may DO probable that
you can't talk after awhile
"All I've got to say is this" Steve
groaned. II wish l hadn't got SO in
termate with that blamed bar"
Several men went out with q lantern
to look at tho victor. They found moth
ing but chain under the tree, but
down farther, in fence corner, they
found Il rorn and flea bitten bear asleep.
Had they continued their search, how
ever, they might have found down the
road mountain n;an helping his bear
into wagon, and they might possibly
have learned that the mountain man,
for purposes peculiarly his own, had
liberated the lazy bruin and had TEN
porarily chained his own bear to the
tree.-Exchange.