The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-08-15
her eyes. She saw me and came almost


 ter with her, for out of the brush sprang tremendous big panther. He stopped when he saw me, and plared at me and the bear family. The old bear trembled and moaned, and the baby bears cried painfully human-like. l grasped the situation at once. There was nothing in the woods that partners dotted on as they did on fat, juicy spring bear cubs, and they never hesi- tated to snatch em right out of their mothers arms, if they couldn't get 'em any other way This panther had got on the train of this particular bear mother and her little ones, and had made up his mind to have meal or two on the cubs She had fled from him, and seeing mo, had thrown her self and family on my mercy, and was there appealing to me to save her chil. dren, just as plain as plain could be.
 II don't suppose it is necessary for me to tell you that she brought her cubs to the right market for safety. l stepped between that glaring panther and that trembling, wailing family of bears. I had my ax with me. The bears crouched at my heels and moaned and whined. The panther lashed his tail and glared. He knew what was there for, and made up his mind to show me how little he thought knew about it. He lifted up his voice and yelled. Then he lifted up himself and leaped straight at me. swung my ax. The ax and the panther met in midair. The panther's blood flew around and mussed me up considerably, but l couldn't help but feel pleased over tho way that ax had slid through him, from his nose clear to the very tip of his tail. 0ne-half of the panther fell on one side of me and the other half on the opposite side. A butcher with his knife and cleaver couldn't have carved him in two any prettier. Twas pleased. was, indeed. And the old bear tried to lick my hands and feet, she was so grateful; but stood her away, and she took herself off with her young ones, her eyes beaming with gratitude as far as could sec her.
 That's all right said to myself I've saved them cubs, now, but they'll grow up. I'll have some fun with 'em one O these days.
 "So I went home and thought no more about it.
 "The field we were planting to 'ta. ters had three acres in it.
 If get it all planted to-day can go fishing myself, all next week, can l.? l said to myself after father had gone. It'll take two men two days to plant this field, so guess I won't go | fishing next week.
 "Wonderful head for business my fa- ther had! Wonderful! I went to dropping and covering 'taters and had planted about half of one row, when a bear about as big as a shepherd dog appeared suddenly before me. It scooped out hole in the ground with it's paws, then went on three feet and | scooped out another one, straight ahead, and right in the 'tater row. | While was wondering yet what the sassy young cub was trying to get l through him, I felt myself pushed | from behind. The push sent me pretty near stumbling to the ground and past the first hole the cub had dug. l had some seed 'tatcrs in my hand and some of it dropped out and fell in the hole. pushing me, and there l saw another bear, the same size of the first one. | This one had come forward and was covering dlrt over the 'tater seed l had dropped in the hole. l looked ahead at the other bear, and he was working away, digging holes, regular and straight along that row. We'll, ] wasn't quite fool, and so said:
 'Ho, ho! see! These are the two cubs saved from the panther when | they were babes in arms, so to speak. And they have come to give me a lift in my 'tater planting, to show their | gratitude"
 And l went to dropping 'taters in the hole the one bear dug, and the covered 'em as slick and proper as would have done it with hoe! There wasn't a word said. l followed the | hole-digging bear right on his heels and dropped 'taters, and the other bear followed close on my heels and covered 'em, and the combination worked SC amazing wellthat by three o'clock in the afternoon that whole field was planted and planted better than it had ever been planted before! When the last hole was dug and the last 'tatcr dropped and covered, the two bears trottad back to the woods, and l dLn't know that ever saw them again. l hadn't been home long when father came in from fishing. His luck had been poor and he felt little testy.
 "'Never mind, father,' said I. I'm going fishing for week, and I'll fetch in some.'
 Fishing for weekr said father.
 "'Yes,' said I. I finished planting the three-acre 'tater field to-day Father looked so scared that told him the whole story After he heard it he said:
 'Praxiteles, they may tie the old Sinncmahone one of these days, but they'll never beat herr
 And so l say, honestly, that fee.