The Virginia enterprise., 1895-03-08
Rruin,s 13oxinr Match

4 couple of us were splitting slabs in
the Madawaska woods along. in the fall,
isswhen, all OF sudden, the head of the
maui flew off. as this ere one did. Bill,
the fellow with me.wasn't 50 lucky rs
you We're in getting out Of the
way. The maui struck a tree,
glanced, and took Bill on the
side of the knee. 1t kceled him over
SO, he couldn't do any more work that
day, and l had to help him back to the
camp. Before we left, l took a bit of cod
eye of the maui, and strung the maui up
to Il branch so it would be easier to find
when / wanted it. =
"It was maybe Il week before went for
that maul-a little more than a week, I
should say; and then, it being. of a Sat-
urday afternoon, when there was no work
to do, and Bills leg being. 50 much better
that he could hobble8 alone, he and
thought we'd stroll over to where we'd
been splitting, and bring the maui in to
when we got pretty near the place,
and could see through the trees the maui
hanging there where we had left it, Bill
all of a sudden grabbed me sharp by tire
"'What is it? said l, Under lily breath,
looking all around: ... ,'4.' >
Use your eyes if you've got any
said he; and / stared through the branch
es III the direction he was looking. But
there was trunk in the way. As soon
as moved my head a bit, / saw what he
was watching. There was a fine, young
bear sitting bnck on his launches, and
what to make Of it. Probably that bear
grown suspicious. That there maui
hanging from the limb: of a tree: was
something different from anything he'd
sever seen before. Wondering what he
was going to do, we crept little nearer,
without kin any noise, and crouched
down behind spruce bush. : o.: S:;y !.
The bear was maybe Q couple of yards
from the maui, and watching it as il he
thought it might get down any moment
and come at him. A little gust of wind
came through the trees and set the maui
swinging bit. He didn't like this, and
backed off still further: and rs soon as
it was quite still again, he sidled around
it at prudent distance and investi-
gated it from the other*side of the tree:
The blame fool is scared of it, Whis-
pered Bill, scornfully; let's fling rock
at himv
NO. said I, knowing bears pretty
we'll; lets wait and see what he's going
to do
< -.sWell, when the maui had been pretty
stillsfor minute or two, the bear ap-
peared to make up. his mind it didn't
close, up to it as bold as you like, and
paved it kind of inquiringly. The maui
swung away, and, being hung short, it
came back quick and took. the bear a
smart rap on the nose. .<a tg.v
bill and both snickered, but the bear
didn't hear us. He was mad right off,
and with a snort he hit the maui pretty
good cuff; back it came like creased light
ming, and took him again square on the
snout with a whack that must have made
himSjust see stars. ..,,
Bill and could hardly hold ourselves;
but even if we had laughed right out l
don't believe that bear would have no.
ticed us, he was so mad. You know
bears snout is mighty tender. Well,
he grunted and snorted and rooted around
in the leaves a bit, and then went back at
the maui as if he was going to knock it
into the other side of tomorrow. He stood
up to it, and he did hit it so hard that it
seemed to disappear for half second. It
swung right over the limb, and, while he
was looking for it, it came down on the
top of his read. Great Scott!5 how he
roared! And then, scratching his head
the other. and hit it just the same way
he'd hit before. tell you, Bill and I
pretty near burst as we saw that maui fly
over the limb again and come, down OH
the top OF his head just like the first time.
You'd have thought it would have
cracked his skull; but a bears head is
as hard rs they make them.
''This time the bear, after rubbing his
head and his snout, and roofing Some
more in the leaves, sat back and seemed
to consider. In second OF two he went
up to the maui and tried to take hold of it
with one paw: of course it slipped right
away, and you'd have thought it was alive
to see the sharp way it lodged back and
caught him again on the nose. 1t wasn't
much of a whack this time, but that nose
got desperate. He grabbed for the maui
with both paws; and that way of course,
he got it. With one pull he snapped the
cod-line and victory was his.-Charles g.
D. Roberts in February st. Nicholas.