The Forrest City times., 1893-06-02

| serious mater, ana we waited Tor some expression of the Squire's opinion on the subject, but the Squire did not seem in clined to give any, unless one remark he made had some bearing upon 1t. l live alluz heerd," said he. "that if tany body were lookin' fer agur an ] idjfts, he allul p'inted straight for Sugar Swamp. Tha's jist ez much agur there ez tha ever were, but tha's one less idjit. An he hain't dead, nuther"
 The old Settler pondered over this re- mark of the Squire's for some time, evi- dently trying to think who it might be that the Squire had in his mind But he apparently could not recall him, and would not humor the Squire by asking whom he meant, for he dropped the subject and went back to Simeon Puter- bow and his bear.
 Isa" 'Simeon,' says my ancister, plug that bar full O lead to wunst, says he, 'or tha'll come time wen you'll set down with sorrer, says he, 'pervidin' ye kin set down at all, says he. the chances bein' ag'in' it.. says he. That bar were ketched asleep an it won't 1 fergit it, says he. It's stuffed fuller O revenge than a groun' hog is O clover, says he. an ye want to knock that re- venge out of it with a dose O lead says he.
 But Simeon only sniffed an says: 'Poof" an my ancister went off sor- rerin'.
 l ''Simeon Puterbow want p'tic'lar poplar round the deestric', but he l L Al. IA hmnest Still. he had ways. an folks Int lxeer much fer him. Jist about the time he ketched this bar asleep he were gittin' ready to marry the Widder Sluppy. The widder had consid'able land, an were big ketch, an folks didn't think much of her choosin' Si- neon, but she were doin' of it only outen spite, cause Sol Beasley an her had little tiff, an Sol throwed up the ingagement betwixt 'em, thinkin' meb- be that the widder would coax him back. But the widder didn't, an took Simeon Puterbow inste'd. An she'd a married him, too, an Simeon d ben right in clover, if he hadn't poofed at I my ancister, and had plugged his bar full O lead.
 simeon kep' the bar tied to pole, an one mornin' he got up an found that the bar had slipped the rope offen | his neck, an were roamin' round the premises. But he didn't seem to want to go way, an didn't make no objec- tion to bein' tied up agin. This nice an peaceful way Q the bar made Si- neon larf more an more at wat my an cister said
 Why says he, that bar wouldn't t ez much ez scratch dog, let alone clutch me-
 '' I didn't say he'd clutch ye. says my ancister. But bewar', Simeonr says he That bar mebbe won't eat ye, but wuss" says he.
 Long about then some one took to stealth sheep from the clearin's an get tin away with em. Two or three chaps ez lived in the deestric' was suspicioned, but tha couldn't nothin' be found az in 'em. Nothin' were talked about but the sheep stealin,' an one day my an cister were to Simeon's an he says to Simeon:
 " It'll go hard with that sheep-steal- in cuss wen we ketch him. says he. It'll be states prison fer him from the word go,' says he, if it's fer twenty year, says he.
 My ancister recommembered arter- w'ds that the bar wer lyin' down ez if he were snoozin' but when my ancis- ter said them words the bar opened his eyes an looked up student and queer. Then he rig up booty soon, an took to thinkin' like, now an then turnin' his eyes to'ards Simeon.
 ' 'Simeon,' says my pop, 'bewar' O that b'ar.' says he.
 "'Poofr says Simeon, an my ancister went away. The nex' day he started fer trip down the river with raft, an he were gone three weeks. The day arter that Job Sawyer, ez lived nex' to Simeon, got up at daylight and went out to his sheep pastur', an, b'gosh, three O his sheep was gone. He foun' the trail O the thief an follered it till it stopped.
 "'Great spoolzsr says he, who'd a thunk it?'
 s.So Job goes right back an wakes up Squire Colduff an says he wanted a war mt, ez he had diskivered the sheep thief. The squire asst him who, an wen Job told him the squire most fell offen his cheer. But he give Job the warnt, an Job went an woke up Si Salter, the constable, an they started to git the sheep thief. They went straight to Simeon Puterbow's. Fore they woke Simeon up they stopped at his milk house. There hung Jobs three ] .I- l.