River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-09-09

This story Was a bear story. PraXitelss,
and Nose told il to me exactly as he
told il 50 years before, showing me
with one hand by the throat and choked
Il until il fell in heap. while he kicked
the life oUt OF the ether two hat had
piled themselves on him-iust as re
had shown rae 50 years before, with
variation that impressed me-
You see that when Nose first be
gan telling ne that story. along about
the close Of the war, he showed me
how he grabbed one Of the bears by the
throat with his right hand and kicked
the othsr two . death with his left
foot al the same time. After he lost
MS right arm 10 the bear trap, when he
would come TO that interesting point in
his story he'd step and say: You'll
have TO excuse me, Reuben, for you
must remember that il was with my
right hand | choked the bear-this
way-but now I've got to show you
with my left hand how ! done il. Sc
pretend this was my right hand" and
then he'd 60 on and finish the story.
And it happened that the leg Nose shot
of was the left one. and so when he
told me the story the times | went TO
see him after that. and CO me to where
he kicked the bears. h would say to
me, as cool and collected as could be:
"Reuben, | kicked the everlasting
brea, n out Of them two bears with my
left leg. so you'll have 10 excuse me for
asking you to let me show you with
my right oae how / done it, being as
my left one is planted up yonder or the
-idge."
And this unsettled me more and
more. and I've been saying to myself
ever since that il Nose was lying he
wouldn't be 50 uncommon conscientious
rs to excuse himself for having to use
his left arm to choke that bear with,
because he didn't have any right arm.
and for calling his right leg into service
iE kicking the other TWO TO death be-
cause his left one was gone-would he ?
Then. again, there's uuregenerate cuss-
cdness. There's lot of il in the Com
fort family. Has Nose got il. or is tina.
story true?
i'm in uncertainty aud doubt. IL doesn'.
seem 10 me that I'll be able TO take any
pleasure at all in hearing Old Jordan
roll IL I have TO pass away with my
mind unsettled about Nose and his
story. I want you TO go with me and
see Nose. He'll tell the story. and you
can judge at once as to whether it is
true or whether il isn't. l don't care,
NOW. whether il is or whether it isn't.
I want 10 know something sure about IT.
one way or the other, or IN pass away
with load ou my mind
Glad that might De able to make
nay remarkable fathers conf end one
of peace and Joy, went " "A him to see
Nose Comfort We found him in bed,
his sole remaining arm in sling and
his solitary leg bound up in splinters.
why, Nose said my father, after
recovering from his surprise. What's
happened?'
81 was IS years old last Tuesday,
Reuben. said Nose, and ! took walk
out. Ny old crutch slowed from under
me, and dropped. Broke that leg that
lost the partner TO. and unioir:cJ this
lrre lonesome left arm . mine. Kind
o iays me up.
" 'Scventy-eight years DID, heard
my remarkable father mutter; only
one leg and only one arm; t'other leg
broke, and t'other arm unjointed! Now
Iii know whether its truth or unre-
generate cussedness,'
I'VE sympathized with Nose and sa'
there talking for more than two hours
without his once even limiting at the
sicry that was worrying my parent.