The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-29
THEY WERE HIeHFLlERs.
How a Man and n Bear Went Sailing
Through Space,

How a Man and n Bear Went Sailing
Through Space.
II Ed Mott is a true chronlcler, Uncle Jim
Hatton, an old time woodsman Of Pennsyl-
vania, not only had many unique and thrill
tngexperiences, but had remarkable facul-
~ for describing his adventures 10 the cir
Gle Of gaping admirers who always sur
rounded him. He and Jabez Sinner were
invariable and inseparable comrades In all
the hunts he used 60 tell about, and al
though Il was we'll known that Jabez Sinner
was Of the same degree Of tangible existence
as Sairy Camps friend, Mrs. Harris that
fact made no difference 90 Uncle Jim. Here
is one of his favorite stories;
II hadn't been 'quainted with Jabez long
fore he says TO me one day Couldn't mo
an you slip out an fetch ia bear or two To-
dayF
"'Well, / says, such things has been
done An so me and him went out
1T Was along late Ia the fall, but the sea
son had been warm, an we knowd that
bears hadn't holed up yet. As IL had turned
blame cold that day, we calculated that the
chances was that wei r--n ag'in a drove o.
bear mebbe on their way for winterin
places. Consistently, il bein a likely part
o. the deestric 70 suit a congregation o that
kind, we struck into piece o timber where
there had been windfall durin the sum-
mer We got onto the down timber, an
stopped to look at the good sized hick'ry
saplin that'd been hit by the top of a big
tree "a Il was fallin, an which had bent
the saplin over to the ground as slick as
could be an held it there.
III that young hick'ry ever gifts loose
says Jabez, 4 wuldn't want TO be standin
over it, he says, not unless wanted to be
hoisted over into the next township he
says.
al guess you're right Jabez,' says 1.
That hck'ry wouldn't think nothin o.
aweepin the clouds with Teller II il should
spring up sudden an ketch him. says /.
las we stood there talkin what should
pop out o the top OF tree that was layin
of to the right Of us but two fair sized
bears-big enough TO make lively tussle
IL they had a hankerin that way Well, it
happened that they did have hankerin
that way, as we soon found out. l blazed
away at one OF 'em, an Jabez he blazed
away at t'other one, but neither blaze
didn't seem to do nothin but put vim into
the bears, an the next minute was waltzin
round 'mongst the down tree tops with one
bear. while Jabez was sashayin an ala
mandin left an cuttin pigeon wings with
t'other bear fer a pardner. We cavorted
an gallavanted an cut an slashed an
pounded an choked them bears, but they
only seemed to think we was playin with
'em. begun TO git discouraged, an hol-
Tered to Jabez 'twixt tugs an hugs an cuts
an twistins:
"'Jabez.' says /. this bears going to
down me sure as flintP
"Jabez hollers back, putin an BLOWN an
bleeding.
There's nothin short Of a stroke o.
lightnin on this bears conk that kin save
me- he hollers, an il wants TO strike quick
at THAR
but we KEEP on a-tusselin, an jst as Ja-
bez had hollered goodby TO me, kind o.
gaspy an weaklike. an l had hollered
back the same 10 Jabez. 'whuz-z-zr went
somethin, an felt me an my bear, Rugged
closed together, raise up in the air an go
asailin up the side o. the ridge like hurri-
cane. As / started up l turned to give
farewell look at Jabez, an see him ASCOT
in straight upward, p'inted toward the top
o. n big dead oak tree, with his bear a-fol-