The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-09-21

AeH eyes. one saw me ana cS1Ae III mt 81
to my feet, where she e*ta.:.et. d3seA
and turned her eyes up Mt r.c with IN
appealing look that almost made ma
sol. soon knew what was the mat.
ter with her, for ont Of tha brush
sprana q tremendous big panther: lie
stopped when he saw me; and glarcd
at me aud the bear family. The Old
benz t:emb1ed and moancd, and the
baby bears cried painfully human-lil<c:
I grasped the situation Al once fhcrd
'~as nothing in the woods that panthcrl
dotted on as they did on fat, juicy
spring bear cubs, and they never hest;
tatcd TO s.att!i chi right out of their
mothers arms, if they couldn't get 'eul
amy other way: This panther had got
on the train IF th.n particular bear
mother and her little ones, and had
made up his mind TO have (. meal or
two on the cubs She had Hst1 from
hinl; and seeing ilie, had thrown her
SELF and family on M mercy, and was
there appealing rs me to save her chill
drcn; Just i,s plain: as plain could be.
-! don't suppose it is necessary for
me to tell you that She brought her
cubs to the right market for safety.
stepped between that islaring pau ther
and That trembling. ~:,iliii;t family OF
bears. l had my Ak with me- The
bears cro,:chcl Il t my heels and ploa ned
and Hhinad. THO Farther dashed his
tail and s5iaIt..l. He lenc;: what was
there for. and made up i.is MIND to
show NC bow little he thought knew
about it. He lifted up hi, voice and
yelled. Then he lifted up himself and
lea ped straight at me. l swung my Az.
The ny AMI Tbs, panther met In rnidair.
The Panthcr's Hoo: flew around and
hlussed me up considerably, bit ]
couldn't help bat feel pleased over the
way that AK had slid through him,
q Df
his tail. Onc-half of the panther fell
on one side of me and the other half On
tho opposite side. A hatcher with his
knife and cleavcr couldn't have carved
him in t::o any prcttic1. was pleased.
I was, indeed. And tho old bear tried
to lick my hands AMI feet, she was So
grateful; but I stood her away, and she
took herself OF with her young ones,
her eyes bcaE,in,c with gratitude as far
us ] could sec her.
That's all right said to myself.
I've saved them cubs. now. but they'll
grow up. III have some fun with 'cm
one O these days.
$50 l went homo and thought no
moro about it.
Tho field VIC were Plantis,- to ia
tiers had three acres i'll it.
- If get it all planted to-day car
go fishing myself, all next week, ca.
l.? ! said TO myself after father has
I
plant this fell, so l guess l won't &C.
fishing next week.
''WOndcrful head for business 1n;- IA :.
thcr had! Wonderful! went II
dropping and covering Eaters and h.. !
planted about half OF one row, when =.
bear about as big shepherd dog
appeared suddenly before me. /.
scoopcd out hole in the ground with
its paws, then went on three feet and
scoopcl out another one. straight
ahead, and right in the later row.
While l was wondering yet what tho
sassy young cub was trying to get
through him, 1 felt myself pushed
from behind. The push sent me pretty
near STUN bling to the ground and pas,
tho first hole the cub had dug. hat
some seed 'tatcrs in my hand and some
Of it dropped out and fell in. the hole
L looked behind me to sec who wa.
pushing me, c3d there l saw anothes
bear, the same size of the first one.
This one had come forward and was
covering dirt over the later seed had
dropped IN the hole. I looked ahead
at the other bear, and he was working
away, digging holes, regular and
straight along that row. Well, !
wasn't quite Il fool, and SO 1 said:
- 'Ho, no: 1 see: These M. the two
cubs saved from the panther when
they were babes in arms, so to speak.
in my later planting, to show their
Gratitudc.''
And l went to dropping 'taters in
the hole the ono bear dug, and the
other h:>~r came along after INC and
covered IN as slick and proper as
would have done it with a hoe! There
wasn't a word said. l followed tho
holc-digging bear right on his heels
and dropped 'taters, and the other bear
followed close on my heels and covered
'cIn, and the combination worked 50
amazing ,vcllthat by three o'clock in tn @
and planted better than it had ever
hole was dug and the last later dropped
and covered, the two bears trotto-:
back to the woods, and J. don't know
been home long when father came in
from fishing. His luck had been poor
and he felt little tcSty.
Never mind, father said l. I'm
going fishing for a week, and III fetch
in some
Fishing for q week. said father.
EYES, said 1. Il finished planting
the three-acrc later field to-day
him the whole story. After he heard it
he said:
"'Praxitelcs, they may tie the old
Sinnemahonc one of these days, but
they'll never beat hcr!'
sorry for this side of the mountain
honing way! I do, really! 1 do, in