The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-27

powders beneath. An elephant might
walk that log and not break it nor shake
it or make the least bit of noise so broad
and strong was the log and so deep and
soft and ilken the green-brown MOSES.
Maple boughs, broad and strong and
long, re ached as in benedlction from
above; pine trees, redwood, fir, tamarack
and cedar shot their shapely cones in glori-
Gus rivalry toward the purple heavens,
and Mount Shasta, white as faith, looked
lovingly down in the colonels rosv face
as he leaned his head IN reposeful, half
sitting posture against the soft moss of
the little cross log. HIS great bear gun
side by the obliging boys, cigar was in
his teeth.
but will not the approaching bears
smell the smoke and be apprehensive of
my presence?"
The colonel felt that he should be a little
stiff with these queer, glggllng, staggering
boys, they were just little bit too un-
salted, and so he assumed the tone and
language of his law office.
Bears be dogoned bears like tobacco.
You know lot about bears, you dop
"Why, some bears chew" added the
other boy, as he nudged his brother at his
elbow, walking back down the great log to
the leafy bank.
eyes, some bears chew and smoke, too |"
cried the other over his shoulder as the
two disappeared III the brush up toward
the house.
"Glad never married-don't like boys,
nohow-girls better. And If L ever should
marry-if the widow-if it could be so ar
ranged in case should marry her-and
girls-all girls
The half-fnished cigar settled down
from the half-opened lips, slid down,
down, rolled to the log, down-siz! siz !!
| and the colonel dreamed of the widow and
ofgirls all girls; not single boy in all
his happy family.
been hot one, and hard one the night
all too brief and bright for an old bachelor
to recoup his wasted energy, and the great
hunter from San Francisco slept on; Slept
and dreamed, dreamed and slept.
Suddenly he saw-no, he felt-felt bear
even as he slept, and sprang bolt upright,
| gun in hand. And not a second too soon.
| A huge black bear was on the log not ten
steps away, and coming right along. Her
nose was down to the log. She was SMELL
ing along with all the composure and ugly
assume of an engine, And he lying, or Sit
ting, there right in the monsters track.
| He ierked the gun to his shoulder and,
| bangl No, not bang, only snapl and then
snap! And then the bear, smelling in the
other end of the gun as the colonel rolled
off, taking, be it told to his credit, the gun
with him, and wading hastily to the near
est bank.
He got around to the back porch, and as
he sat there wringing out his socks he saw
the two boys, bent nearly double with
laughter, leading their old pet bear back to
her cubs in the cage. And that was all.
My companion got no bear and he got no
pretty widow, although what he might
have done without gun as l had advised
was plain to see before he went out LOADED
for bear" Pardon all this interlude. But
L repeat, the place of these perfumed
affairs is "holy ground" and we must take
off our shoes and be silent there. 1t is an
impertinence next to profanity to attem pit
to break this golden silence with words,
words, words. Think what may be housed
in the coming centuries for California
when we shall learn to care for our thou
sand precious perfumes as the Persians
and Arabs care for theirs
| JOAQUIN MILLER