The sun., 1895-01-09
JOE SHIPLEY, BEARKILLER.
HE rs INTERESTING, PRoVIDED HIS
TdIkER rs KEPT CREASED.

Belt for many year, and IL was not until yea
ago that met him. stopped for the night a
the little backwoods tavern where hunters ant
iumbermen habitualy congregate and among
half dozen SO Of these unique natives
Ioticed an old. rcd-fnced. thin but wiry man
wearing big fur cap we'll down ON his nose
Approaching the landlord. | asked him II tn,
aid man wasn't Uncle Joe Shipley.
"That's him." said the landlord.
Iwent over to where he was sitting.
" Is your name Shipley2 =" I asked.
"wull, yass!" said lie with drawl.
There was silence in the dingy room then
The others had quit talking. and some of them
were grinning. broke the silence.
Joe Shipley. tho bear killer ?" asked.
"wull. yass! replied the picturesque woods
nan in exactly the same tone, and looking at
he without moving muscle. Then the grin OF
The others became audible mirth, and heard
bne OF them say to another:
"lf he wants to git nything Outen oil Joe he'll
hef to grease his talker. I'm thinkin'."
thought might know what greasing man g
talker was, and found that did.
"will you take something. Mr.. Shipley 2"
laid 1.
Instantly the big fur cap was pushed back on
She hunters head, and an expression of pleasure
pame over his face.
"wull. yass!" he drawled as he walked to the
iHocCbs
Ephraim was the landlord. After greasing his
jAlker with the rum and molasses Joe Shipley
besumed his seat, and began to put some fric-
lion on his talker.
"Wull, yass," said he, IT s'pose I'm the bar
Killer. fer there amt no doubt but what I've
killed q few of em. I'm way by seventy-fve
ear old, and I've tramped the woods from the
Sissykehanner to the Allegany for bettern
axty year. 1 haint afeerd to say It, II you
eain't afeerd to believe 1t. that I've put lead
inter more'n a thousand bar. big an little.
sn' making no difference to sex. There
hsed to be game in these here woods.
there did. I gathered in ton bar an
painter fore l was ten year old. an I've
killed as high as fifty bar In one year. An
aeeri I've know'd twelve deer to be hung up In
. single day, an there wun't one of 'em knocked
over furder away than two miled from where
We're settin' this minute. But there hain't moth
n round here no more. Not to speak of. Do
ay best, I've only lugged in nine bar this season
10 fur. But forty year ago an less! Them was
ihe daysl There was music in the woods then,
Sbate you! Wull, yass!"
His drawls and tho many long pauses he made
IN talking occupied great deal moro time in
that recital than its apparent length would seem
b justify. and the old hunters fur cap had
worked itself well down on his nose again. He
semained SILENT and after waiting several min
ntes for him to resume during which the grin
IN the faces of some Of the others in the room
began to broaden again, l concluded that old
Joe's talker needed greasing once more. but 1
thought would try to start him without lubri-
eating 1t just yet.
"You must have had many thrilling adven-
lures during your long life in the woods. Mr.
Shipley ~ said.
"wull, yassl" he replied. and shut up again
7 ifeda faw min ha grin
becoming audible
won't you take something. Mr.. Shipley ?"
said l. Again the huge cap was showed back on
his head, and the smile appeared on his face.
"Wull, yass!" he replied, walking to the bar.
sSome rum an "asses, Ephraim!"
Tho lubricating done. Joe returned to his seat,
Nad the talker resumed operations.
"Wall, yass!" said old Joe. II spose I've had
some tolable tough times in my day. Fifty
year ago there wasn't no end TO painters, catty-
mounts. and VOLTS in these deestrics. an guess
J done my part toards cleanin' Of EN- out. l
killed the last painter that was ever seen in
these here woods, an that oil chap Civ me the
closest call ever had. carry a little memmy-
sander o. that skrimmidge right with me-"
Tho bear killer pulled his woollen hunting
bhirt open at the throat and exposed his chest.
4 red seam that one could almost bury his fin
ter In extended diagonally from his collar bone
20 his lower rib on the right side.
"That's a painters signatoor, as IL were,"
oontinued old joe. i've carried it thirty five
year. had some bar traps sot in swamp
down around the foot OF Elk Mountain; an
That was the terriblest place fer bar. that
pwamp was. l ever run ag'in. One winter
drove thirteen big uns outen the laurels there,
IN got ev'ry one on 'em, tool But there hain't
6nough bar In there now to make q lap robe.
Ho an my does-them dogs was two o. the best
dogs that ever tackled a Bar or got chawed up
think o. how they was used. There want
no bar that ever made a track as could
tackled the OF she bar am The cattymount %
A-hghtin over yender on 'Tater Run. II Ii hadn't
coon skin. sure as steel traps. i come onto The
cAttymount an the bar IN little holler In the
woods. an they was 1ist more'n settin 1t to one
another on count o. some sort of grudge they
bad, an, was onpolito enough to take u hand
IA. killed the cattymount easy enough, but
where hadn't no business. an she went fer me
fore was ready, an the fust thing know'd she
been settin' down inJoyin' the fun, but now they
see that 1t was time for ,em TO chip in an give |
IL the rear. an the sassy oil huseer dropped me ne
like q hot 'tater an turned on the dogs When |
S0Es
ned: " I tell ys! them was bully days. Wuil,
The big cap had reached its old position on the
hunters nose Old Joe ceased, and lost himself |
In reverie. l was anxious for him to find himself
again, SO by and by said
"Wn you take something. Mr.. Shipley?"
The cap was instantly pushed back on its
"wull, .yass!" said he. Some rum an lasses. |
Ephraimw
Once more In his seat the old woodsman, In |
his deliberate way. resumed his narrative
" Tho time killed that last painter me an
them dogs was goin over TO the swamp to empty |
the traps an hey little tusse or two with some |
Bar that was liable 10 be list more tnan mad on |
year ago. Thirty-hve! Why. dern it, mol |
Twas forty year ago! Twas the same winter |
drug them four wolves outen the cave back o. |
Big inJin, and that was forty year ago Wull. |
yass! Sec here, sonny Did you ever run aRin a |
Teller named Putnam, in your travelsf :"
never had.
"Wull, II there Is setch a man I'D like TO run
ag'in him. My darter's got youngster goin' TO |
school, and he come home t'other day with a
yarn that he said he see In one O. the books
bout fellow named Putnam, | think he said
the name was, goin' inter q cave an pulln' a |
live wolf outen it., Now, I'd like TO meet that
fellor. AS II stands now. | don't believe he ever
done It, an I'D like To ast HIM few questions
bout II. guess he never hunts In the Sinne-
country"