Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-05-05

81
rHE OTHER MANS BEAR.
mighty bad. DO you hears"
"Oh, yes, hear. and ruther than have
any diffikilty I'll harken, but do hope
that befo' you join the church and befo'
the day is over. for that matter, ron may
change yo' mind about this bar Get ep,
boyp He swung his hickory and dealt the
mule decisive blow
Business was dull, and Steve needed and
dreamed as he sat on the verauda. He was
aroused by noise, and looking mp he saw
that the mountain man had again stopped
Mt the gate.
Look here" Steve yelled, now under
very little restraint. Thought told you to
go on away from here"
"You did tell me, and did 70 away. but
that didn't keepme 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 Ia
pretty dull. Down yander Jest now the
thought struck me that arter all ron mout
want a real bar, and rs am willin to help
you out with yo' wants ! will let you have
this here one for tio."
Steve went cut to the gate Hs put bis
elbows on wheel Of the wagon, and look
II have been very kind to you"
II haven't made that diskiycry, but II you
have been kind to me I'm much obleeged.D
Il have been kind To you, and now want
TO tell you what Pm goin TO do. Pm goin
TO maui you"
And he did maui him. He snatched tho
mountain man out Of the wagon and wal
lowed him In the road. And during the
performance 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. Ireckon you know
yo' own mind best Don't reckon you real
~ do want 60 buy bar. Good day, sahr'
Evening came, and strangers who had
heard that desperate man would wrestle
with n ferocious bear gathered ut the place
of encounter.
Now, gentlemen" said Steve, "the time
has come for me to show you what q white
man can do. All my folks were bar fight
ers, and so far as heard from not one OF
them was ever whipped. Some hunters
have just brought In amonstrous bar from
down In the bottoms, and all that want TO
see me fight him just pay 2s cents and come
ahead"
A number of men paid their money and
followed him into the back lot. Steve con
Quoted 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 his
| coat, proclaimed him n savage monster
"Geatlemen." said Steve, "befo go into
this here fight want TO tell you that |
don't deserve no sympathy, for l have
| brought 1t ON myself. Here goes"
He made q lunge at the bear. The mon.
ster threw himself In an upright position
against the tree 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 awayi He's killing mer' the
gladiator cried Two men seized Steve's
legs and drew him beyond the bears reach,
and the monster-and indeed he was ons
now-stretched his chain In the effort 70 re
new the engagement. Steve was taken into
the house. He was covered with blood, and
IL was evident that number OF his ribs
were broken.
| "Haye you anything TO sayi" some one
asked. 1T may be probable that you cant
talk after awhile.
"All I've got 10 say Is this" Steve 9roan
ed wish hadn't got 30 hibernate with
that blamed b'ur.,s-iu-
Several men went out with lantern q
look at the victor. They found nothing but
q chain under the tree, but down farther, In
fence corner. they found worn and fea
bitten bear asleep. Had they continued
their search. however. they might have
found, down the road. a mountain man
helping his bear into wagon, and they
might possibly have learned that the noun
tain man, for purposes peculiarly his own
had liberated the lazy bruin and had tenn
porarily chained his own bear TO the tree.