The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-05-06
JACKS TRUE YARNS.
THE OLD NORTH WOODS GUIDE TELLS
TWO GOOD STORIES.

How He Captured Hear with No Weapon
but His Boot Toes-He Was Once Saved
From Freezing by n Bottle of Kerosene
and Some Matches.
Jack Ormiston is still alive to tell
some Of the most wonderful tales that
are heard in the Adirondacks Jack has
been guide for some 80 years, ever
since ho has been big enough to carry
pack basket. He is tall and loose joint
ed, and his muscles are as hard as hick-
ory knots. His black grizzled beard COW
ers nearly all of his broad face. A pair
of small, blinking black eye, do most of
his talking for him, but when he is
properly aroused he can spin tale at
the camp fire that will startle the
screech owls and frighten tho waiting
looms down on the lake shore.
"Yer've heerd some of the fellers say,
hain't yer, how kotched that old bear
last fall?" asked Jack.
We assured him that we never had,
and it was strictly true, because he had
told us dozen or more times himself.
"Waal, yer must know where Tully
pond is" continued Jack. BLESSED if
don't kotch bear mighty queer there
last fall. Jim Hodge give me lift on
the job, l must say, but that amt the
point. Fact is, the great point wuz the
toe end of these boots. Iwuz comm
down this way along ther trail when l
heerd rustling overhead in tall pine
Golly, when looked up, kinder quick,
sideways, fer / fecrd somethin wuz goin
ter drop, l see mighty big bear comm
along one Of the limbs toward the trunk.
J He started ter como down the trunk
back end first, winkin at me. My gun
wuz over at camp. l didn't have thing
with me, and Jim wuz half mile back
on the trail. That bear could sec had
a mighty fine hide that would bring me
somethin like $50, with the bounty. /
didn't care ter have him run away, nor
did l want ter shake hands with him
aud pass the time of day with him till
Jim come along and put him asleep
with bullet l didn't mako mp my
mind none too soon. The bear waru't
half way down tho tree when rushed
at him, not KNOWN what would do ter
own that hide and capture the bounty.
looked around fer club, but none
come in sight, so when / got ter the
foot of the tree there warn't nothin but
one thing ter do. just hauled off and
kicked that bear.
"It wuz the first experimental of tho
II 90 al Ixv.
beat anything ever see. The bear claw
ed hard inter the bark and snapped at
me. He was easin up bit with his
nails when I swung him another and
another. yelled for Jim and swung
again. yelled six times, kickin be-
tween every yell. Then Jim answered.
and I kept up yellin and kickin. first
with one boot and then tho other. The
bear didn't drop an inch. just as he
eased up little bit swung again.
Gosh 1t seemed as IL Jim wuz takin
his time comm along that trail. Just as
! swung the forty-ninth kick Jim come
in sight. I dropped fiat ON my hack.
Jim popped one inter the bear, and it
Topped over on ter me. Jim wuz the
most surprised man yer ever see. 1t wuz
two hours before could prove ter him
that l wuz tellin the truth about that
bear
Then Jack piled another log ON the
fire and started in on new tale.
"This spring l come near bein done
fer" he said. kerosene kept me in
pickle long enough ter get near fire.
and then wuz all right again.
We wanted to know IL kerosene oil
wasn't a new beverage for him.
mo, I didn't drink uone," he con-
tinued. "Istarted ter cross Brandy brook
on log. wanted ter cut or q three
mile walk around by the trail. The wa
ter wuz high, and there wuz q strong
current running out inter the lake. This
log wuz about foot and half through.
rolled 1t of with the stream. tucked
my breeches in my boots and straddled
the Log. ! hadn't kicked. dozen strokes