The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-01-29


c.ump Of trees yonder.'
There was a four-inch fan OF fresh
snow. My father led the rest over be-
yond the clump OF trees, and there.
fresh In the snow, leading away from
the trees, was the track Of n bear, the
immense size of which left no doubt in
any mind that IL was the footprints Of
Slippery Abner. They followed the
trail two miles. and just as it led into
thicket one Of the party looked back
and saw Samson jun come out OF the
thicket not 80 yards away. He hadn't
seen the bear nor its trail.
'Hullol he shouted. What have
you struck
slippery Abner!' one Of the hunt
ers shouted. And we've got the lead
on 1t tool
samson grumbled out something
and disappeared in the woods. My re-
makable father led the chase an hour or
more, but they never got as much as n
sight Of the bear. The track kept on
going, and by and by it led into open
country toward Samson Juff's cabin.
This made the hunters uneasy, and
even Reuben Pettibone had misgyings
that he might be foilcd, remarkable as
he was, and when the trail took them
within three feet Of Samson's door and
the bear tracks went no further, the
hunters kicked the snow until il flew
about as II in the face OF gale, and
they howled and cursed and swore ven
geancc against Samson Juif The bear
tracks went no further than the cabin,
but from the cabin the footprints Of
two men, walking side by side, led away
toward the settlement, three miles
away.
"That Internal Samson Jun has
gobhled Slippery Abner! the hunters
howled. lie went an cut back 10 his
cabin after seein' MS, an the bear hap
PENN 10 come along this way. he's
pinged il, an him an his brother joe
is luggin him into the settlement! We
mowt Jest as well quitl'
and every man Of 'em swore he'd
shoot that miserable cur Samson jun
the minute be set eyes on him. They
were still yowing loud ard bloody ven
geance, when who should come on the
sccno but Samson himself. Instantly
half dozen guns were covering him.
and IL my remarkable father hadn't
been there that would have been the
end of Samson JUN.
"'Holdi' cried Reuben Pettibone.
Let the man speak,
But they wouldn't give him a chance
TO speak
You can't fool MS, Samson JufTl
they shouted. You've killed our bear,
an it'll be the last one you'll ever XII on
the Sinncmahone.'
"All this time Samson had been eN-
aiming the tracks that led away from
his cabin, and then he suddenly made a
dash into the cabin and as suddenly
dashed out again.
Both pair Is gone, by the Great
Horn SpoonN ne yelled. An they cost
me $40"
Then he started away on the trail OF
the two men.
Foller him. shouted the hunter.
Don't let him fool us an Git awayl'
Reuben Pettibone himself thought
samson was acting a triae mysterious
and suspicious, and he led the way on
h S trail. The trail the two men had
made circled round toward big swamp
that lay over on the right about two
miles, and Samson tore along IL like
mad with Reuben Pettibone, now GER
tain OF Samson's guilt, and the hunters
dashing wildly after him. Just us the
procession reached the edge Of the
4 b., % ~tfI
IL, not far ahead, quickly followed by
another one. Then there rose the Wild
est kind Of shouts IN the swamp, and as
the hunters went on in they saw two
other hunters dancing and yelling
around the carcass Of an immense bear
that lay in the snow. The two hunters
discovered the others.
We've got himl' they shouted
We've gathered in Slippery Abner at
lastl'
"'There they bel Samson yelled.
I knowed III There they bel
with that Samson dropped down in
the snow by the side OF the bear and
made grab for one Of his feet.
Then, Reuben Pettibone used TO
say, we discovered that the bear had
a boot on each one OF his four feet!
What did il mean? Praxiteles, don't
mind telling you that Slippery Abner.
wise, sagacious, cunning brute that he
was, had discovered early in the day
that | was on his trail. lie knew that
now something out OF the ordinary had
to be done by him II he escaped that
day. and he was equal 10 the occasion.
As he passed along by Samson Jufrs
cabin he saw the door was ajar. lie
jumped inside. When he came out again
he made bear tracks no more. for he had
put on Samsons two pairs OF hunting
boots. and marching on, had left the
trails Of two hunters in the snow instead
Of his owni That threw MS clear OF
$50 that is why my remarkable father
could never have been induced TO Judge
man on circumstantial evidence.
even n he had lived hundred years.
And that Is why am shy OF circum-
stantial evidence myself. And | be-
ffapa No.1s I,t n