The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-13

q takin'i from the way | said It that l had an
idee the bar hadn't give up the ghost spite O.
~ didn't say nothin' Jest then. but l took q
run over that bar trail clean to the swamp. |
they started from Jake's. and the stren'th Of
'em when they went out o sight IN the swamp.
vino ! Il hs sssrted 1 from tne B Sas and on the way
It sploshed the snow on the edge o the swamp.
Addin, 1t all up an, th!nkin. over the answer 10
Jake" says /. THAT bar Is the daddy of
": jacob says ss sssf f. -" I4 mean n isHH was"
"."what'., says Jake. With two bullets In
":'"The D sane" says /. That bar Amt no
higher dead than he was whom he started In to
DO you. hog;k,IiIn' for EHI;" sass l. IN" .nea may ,SS
repairs says l.. but old Jake is on the taps
yet, and one o these days he'll bus. out again
some,rs. maybe bigger and impudenter than
lake Bensley didn't like that. not a bit. and
me and him hain't ben over-tnick tence then.
But | said 50 then. and I've said 30 ever sence,
and say so now; And why shouldn't ! say so
half b six. right before my eyes. atn,t 1t? May
DO wen have TO foller that track clean TO
even II we do. III show Jake Bensley that Old
Jake's bones amt been layin' back there in that
don't know Where he's been ali these years.
and ! don't care. He's piSin' night on ahead of
Us now. anyhow. and from the looks Of the way
hes wnddlin' in the snow Jest now. I've an idee
he'll lay by for n rest some'rs. he amt doin'
Of Il already. Hope SO. anyhow
We followed the trail seven miles, and then
II entered u big laurel patch and was lost In tho
depths of 1t. Red took the two dogs. and lenv-
Ing mo oil the side OF the swamp where the bear
went in. started to make n circuit OF the patch
or whether it had laid by in the swamp. The
laurel path was a mile In circumference.
III amt back here IN three, quarters Of an
hour sn said Red, ,toilef II my Ut. ,rAi h,n .u,,,v min.
1.-THE old chap has gone out on t'other side
said he. must a heerd us or winded us, for
his tracks is so fresh that they're warm VT
up nMS soek an SR a aha .ty'' Of E" IN, lns S 9oss s sTow the
The dogs belonged to George Mcmillan, a
mighty hunter from the head waters of tho
MILAN was. Just tiien in that part OF Pike
county. but hunted only on Saturdays. He was
s IssG q s ssso Fl, only SSf5 d ss o H. k tsI Brake n nad
the use OF his dogs.
Sorry George Amt along said Red. He'd
US, but he Mn put a big swsth betwiIt US and
g;intsd foE M Shades o Death. Maybe tho
1.-Two miles further on tho trail disappeared
into another swamp. II WAS a small, one. and
W. soon found ina, the sh osHr had passed through
high hills beyond the swamp: 1t led US I. the
base OF the ridge, when II turned abruptly to
the left, aud followed for half q mile along the
foot Of the hill. There the hear had stopped
and stripped from root to The fret branches tho
bark from II big birch. tree. and gnawed and
slashed the wood until the trunk OF the tree
bristled with splinters.
"'Old Jake is gittin' his mad up said Red
Drake, rs he noted these palpable traces of the
bears fury. He's n shOwin' what he kin do.
and warnin' us that we better quit and go home.
Bars has a way OF dom that, only Old Jake's
way seems to he considerable more so than h'ars
gener'iy. And soc what the old slasher is dom!
To show us that he's willin' to vi, o us y chance
70 git home and save our. hides. he's p'intin US
tho way back there ag'in!
sure. enough the bear, after slashing the
tree. had turned his head almost directly east,
MS tran showing u gradual hearing northward.
q pause until We found IL leading toward u big
laurel and tanarack swamp.
He's goih' into that swamp said ked. and
II ne STAYS there We won't have to haul his car
cass more'n y mile N a half to git II home
Wo had followed the bear now nearly
twenty miles, counting the twistings and turn
ings OF the t:ail, and II was late IN the after
bear ma led US holneward instead OF insisting
on Shnues o. Death swamp made me heartily
Elhd, Tor otherwise should have fallen in
glprinnsly Ny me way, 1t Is enought To say that
to stay there.
"''He,s, jlst as mad now as no kin git said
Ned, My, !dee Is from tie way he's been work
in. that when he comes ont ~ the swamp he'll
either come nut p'Inted back to'ard the shades
o. Death ngin, or else headed for the Rocky
HIN country. You stay here and cut him on IL
he pints for the Shades. and IN 90 round tother
SIDE 2 atop MIN II no breaks for Rocky Hill
inc dogs were sent into the swamp. and /