The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-06

Capt. wesls,s starsIinE Erpertenee On Elis Dec
GRAFTON nay Outing.

il n veteran OF the late whr, and, Monday being
Decoration Day. he decided to celebrate II. Up
here in the Adirondacks there are no soldiers
graves, or Grand Army posts, or a chance to
mako speeches or parade, so the Captain deoid.
ed to go fshine.
1t is a common report hercabouts that Wells
hasn't handled a gun since he got in the way of
the volley that knocked him over in the trenches;
anyway, no one had ever seen him carry one.
But on Decoration Day, when he started out on
his fishing trip up the Grass River, he car
ried besides his flshrod and a fat whiskey flask
an old muzzleloading rife which he had Dor
rowed from Silas Cook, whose father was n vet
eran OF tho war OF 1912, and left his gun behind
him. Cook told the Captain that he wanted to
DO careful Of that gun! II hadn't been fired of
since the battle Of New Orleans, and he had
heard his father say that It was a kicker.
Soon after sunrise on tho 31st Wells put his
dufle into tho skiff he had borrowed and pulled
up tho river. lie never had been much OF a
fisherman, but ono OF the guides had given him
some points on the most likely spring holes, and
he reckoncd he could bring back something that
would show he had not been wasting his time.
About five miles from his starting point he
struck q creek which looked promising and
pulled in shore. II would be an easy matter to
fish up the creek for two or three miles, cat his
lunch in the woods, and get back to the boat in
Time 10 reach nome before dark. BcIOTe btart-
ing on his tramp he loaded the gun, thinking
that he might get a chance to have a shot at
something. Perhaps It was because 1t was too
sunny, but for some reason or other the fish
did not bite, and pretty soon the Captain be-
gan to grow tired Of dangling his hook in the
water only to have the sunfsh and sinners
nibblc of the bait. He had fished for a couple
of hours when he came to u big ledge Of rocks
shaded by tall pines, which looked promising
for n resting place. What was better, how
ever. there were some fair-sized trout in the
dark pool at the base Of the rocks, and for
half an hour the Captain had great sport in
| pulling them out. When he had caught n
dozen he laid down the rod. lighted his pipe,
and took a pull at the whiskey flask. Then
he began to feel hungry. He had spread his
lunch out on the rock and was poking around
in the hope Of finding a spring, when he heard
a noise in the underground a little way back
in the woods. His army experience had made
him cautious, so he slid behind a tree and
waited to zee what would turn up. To coun-
teract the mosquito bites that began to APP
pear on the exposed portions Of his person he
took another long pull at the flask.
The noise in the bushes continued, and be
fore the Captain had quite made up his mind
whether to yell or to lie low. out walked a black
bear that looked as big as a COW. There are
very few bears in the Adirondacks nowadays,
anyway; he hadn't gone out to look for game,
and in the spring, when a bear is apt to have 9
cub hanging n Sons about nhor her heelf; she wCaldn IT
make matters worse, the 1912 gun was lying
on the rock beside the lunch, and the Captain
key. flask to beat of an attack. He watched
the, bear for half a minute, saw that she had evil.
getting up a small birch tree that grew a few
feet away.
spot by the smell OF the lunch. and she did not
pay. much attention to the noise the Captain
made when he Skinned up the Tt tree, except Keep to
tied the business. The Captain worked him
self into a convenient crotch. and although his
flask and took another drink. Meanwhile the
bear, after nosing around, turned her attention
to the lunch and made short work of it. Then
she tackled the fsh, and the Captain saw the
whole outfit go down her throat. She had had
u good meal, the place was comfortable. and she
wasn't pressed for time, so she sat down on her
launches and took things easy. Not so the
Captain. His seat in the tree kept getting harder
first thing he knew it would be getting dark.
and an. x then he T would va have az to- t. sgf ;Icom The night tb In
Enats and mosquitoes were eating him up. He
Poked his head out from among the leaves and
way, and that, her hunger being satisfied. she
"Shoo!' said he, shaking the boughs above
rection from which the noise had come.
nshoo, get outi' cried the Captain.
EN1Utntly me Dear IlDuEEt the noise came
growl, and hit It a, clip with her paw. Tho
Captain wondered what would have happened
minutes. Then he his courage again.
Hi! Shoe there he yelled. breaking OF a
branch and throwing it at the bear. Get OUT"
direction Of the tree - The he Captain drew his
legs up, and the movement forced the half
crash crash % 9n to the he ro ,hs, much u. to The fs ss ! sdsl,
The loss of his whiskey and the cramps made
Look here" he yelled, why don't you get
put Of here and go about your businessi II l
Perhaps hears understand what's said to
them. Old Pop Warner, who was an authori-
" on, bears, always said so. Anyway. the
realized that the gun would be dangerous IL
over to the clumsy weapon, and turned it over
and poked 1t along the rock for a couple OF feet.
The hammer got tangled up in a vine, but the
bear didn't know it, and kept on. The Cap.
the trunk Of the tree.
When the bear found that the gun was
times, and then lifted up her paw and sent in a
clip that would have done credit to FitZsim-
mons. The blow loosened the vine that had
know exactly What happened next. There was
n big report, a lot OF smoke, and in the excite
ment he lost his balance and lighted in a sit
ting posture at the foot OF the tree. lie was
too much, stunned TO move for a minute, and
II would have been an easy matter for the bear
TO make n mouthful OF him, but she had other
business, When the smoke cleared away she
was nowhere in sight, and there was blood upon
the rock: The Captain got up painfully.
'Bgosh!' said, he. in telling the story, that
darned old gun had gone and busted the min.
know is, where | would have been II / had fired
the blamed thing Off,