Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-08-17


and turned her eyes up at me with an
appealing look that almost made me
sob: 1 soon knew what was the mat
terVwith her, for out of the brush
sprang tremendous big panther. He
stopped when he saw me, and glared
at me and the bear family. The old
bear trembled and moaned, and the
baby bears cried painfully human-lile.
l grasped the situation at once. There
was nothing in the woods that panthers
dotted on as they did on fat, juicy
spring bear cubs, and they never hesi-
tated to snatch EN- 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 a meal or
two on the cubs. She had fed from
him, and seeing me, had thrown her
self and family on my mercy, and was
there appealing to me to save her chill
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. /
stepped between that glazing panther
and that trembling, wailing family of
bears. 1 had my ak with me. The
bears crouched at my heels and moaned
and whined. The panther dashed his
tail and glared. He knew what was
there for, and made up his mind to
show me how little he thought I knew
about it. He lifted up his voice and
yelled. Then he lifted up himself and
leaped straight at me. l swung my ak.
The ak and the panther met in midair.
The panther's blood flew around and
mussed me up considerably, but /
couldn't help but feel pleased over the
way that ak had slid through him,
from his nose clear to the very tip of
his tail. One-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. was pleased.
1 was, indeed. And the old bear tried
to lick my hands and feet, she was so
grateful; but l stood her away, and she
took herself off with her young ones,
her eyes beaming with gratitude as far
as l could see her.
That's all right I said to myself.
I've saved them cubs, now, but they'll
grow up. Ill have some fun with 'em
one O. these days
$50 / went home and thought no
more about it.
'The field we were planting to TIA
ters had three acres in it.
IF get it all planted to-day I can
go fishing myself, all next week, can
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 nv IA
ther hadI Wonderful! l went to
dropping and covering 'taters and had
planted about half Of one row, when
bear about as big as shepherd dog
appeared suddenly before me- 1t
scooped out a hole in the ground with
it's paws, then went on three feet and
scooped out another one, straight
ahead, and right in the later row.
While / was wondering yet what the
sassy young cub was trying to get
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. / had
some seed Eaters in my hand and some
of it dropped out and fell in the hole
l looked behind me to see who was
pushing me, and there saw another
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 fool, and so [ said:
hot ~
cubs saved from the panther when
they were babes in arms, so to speak.
And they have come to give me lift
in my later planting, to show their
gratitude.
"And went to dropping Eaters in
the hole the one bear dug, and the
other bear came along after me and
covered 'em as slick and proper as /
would have done it with hoe! There
wasn't a word said. / 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 so
| 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
| mole was dug and the last later dropped
and covered, the two bears trottod
back to the woods, and I don't know
that 1 ever saw them again. I hadn't
been home long when father came in
| from fishing. His luck had been poor
and he felt a little testy.
"'Never mind, father, said ]. I'm
going fishing for week, and I'll fetch
in some
Fishing for week. said father
YES said l. i finished planting
the three-acre later field to-day
Father looked so scared that told
him the whole story. After he heard il
| he said:
"'Praxiteles, they may tie the old
Sinnemahone one of these days, but
they'll never beat herT
And SO l say, honestly, that I feei
4 Il