The Van Buren press., 1895-08-31
her eyes. She saw me and came almost

|
70 my feet, where she crouched down
and turned her eyes up at me with an
appealing look that almost made me
Sob. soon knew what was the mat
ter with 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 cid
bear trembled and moaned, and the
baby bears cried painfully human-like.
grasped the situation at once. There
was nothing IN the woods that panthers
dotted on as they did on fat, iuicy
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 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.
Il 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 glaring panther
and that trembling, wailing family of
bears had my AK with me. The
bears crouched at my heels and moaned
and whined. The panther lashed his
tail and glared. He knew what l 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 ak.
The ak 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 the
way that ak had slid through him,
from his nose clear to the very tip OF
his tail. One-hnlf 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.
l 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 see her.
That's all right l 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
$50 went home and thought no
more about it, tT
1.-THE field We were planting to TIA.
ters had three acres in it.
If get it all planted to-day can
go fishing myself, all next week, can
Il? | said to myself after father had
gone. It'll take two men two days to
plant this field, SO guess l won't &c
fishing next week.
"Wonderful head for business my fa.
ther had! Wonderful! | 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. 1t
scooped out hole in the ground with
its 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
through him, l 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 'taters in my hand and some
OF it dropped out and fell in the hole.
| 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 'tater seed had
dropped in the hole. ! 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:
"'Ho, ho! | seel 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 lift
in my 'tater planting, to show theil
gratitude"
"And l went to dropping 'taters IL
the hole the one bear dug. and the
other came along after me ano
covered Il as slick and proper as
would have done 1t with a hoel There
wasn't word said. / followed the
hole-digging bear right on his heels
and dropped taters, and the other bea'
followed close on my heels and covered
'em, and the combination worked sc
amazing vellthat by three o'clock in the
afternoon thatwhole field was planted
and planted better than it had evel
been planted before When the last
hole was dug and the last 'tater dropped
and covered, the two bears trottsd
back to the woods, and don't know
that ever saw them again. l hadn't
been home long when father came in
from fishing. His luck had been pool
and he felt little testy.
"'Never mind, father said l. I'm
going fishing for week, and I'll fetcf
in some
Fishing for week' said father.
eyes said l. I finished planting
the three acre 'tater field to-day.
Father looked SO scared that | told
him the whole story. After he heard i
he said:
'Praxiteles, they may tie the ole
Sinnemahone one of these days, bu
they'll never beat herP
"And SO l say, honestly, that fee
sorry for this side Of the mountain
every time l come over from Sinnema
honing way! l do, really | do, in
deedl'
"Sinnemahoncl" said the man In th'
red, blue, green, pink, purple and vel
low Mackinaw jacket, "if you felt hal
as sorry as this side O the mountain
does you'd go and shed tears with more
| -. l.; ,o,, th,, there is in a barl O