The Forrest City times., 1898-01-28

~ oiipPery ADner, that be-
ing the name the supernaturally clever
Dear had come to be known by. No
matter VINO else might happen TO be
'he fortunate man to capture the great
prlZe' ms success would be reioiced in.
but If Samson Juff should hannen IN
be the man there would be universal
disgust and grinding of teeth, and such
curslng as might stop the run of sap in
every tree along the Sinnemahone.
samson Jutf had a cabin two
or three miles from where Rem
ben Pettibone put up his camp that
winter. Reuben became acquainted
right away with a number of ether
hunters. and when they learned who he
was their chins fell.
Reuben Petitioner nv remarL.,b,a
father frequently overheard then. saw
to one another. Slippery Abner's sands
o life is runnin' their last grains ont
now, boys! We mowt as well p,l, mn
an quitp
But they didn't, and they told nv
remarkable father something more
about the bear and the quest for him
There was etiquette among the hunt
ers in regard to Slippery Abner.
Eager rs they all were to bring him
Gown, if one hunter got on the trail of
the bear, no other hunter inter.
fered with him. or joined in the chase
unless requested to by the original dis
coverer of the trail. the idea being that
tho one who started first should have all
the honor and profit of bagging Slim
perry Abner if he could This was n
well understood and sacred rule with
the hunters of the Sinnemahone head
waters, and none of them would have
thought of breaking it any sooner than
he would have thought of burning =
fellow hunters cabin.
"'Unless it mowt be Samson Juff,'
the hunter told Reuben Pettibone.
Samson d do it in a minute!'
We'll, my remarkable father invited
all the hunters to go with him after
Slippery Abner, and gladder set of
men never sluggeG deer.
They were happy, Praxiteles.' my
remarkable father used TO say. and
that made me happy. "The hunters
won't be chagrined after all to see me
gather that bear in," l thought to my
self. "It'll really make them happy to
have the privilege"
so one day my remarkable father
and some of the hunters went out. Reu-
ben Pettibone looked the lay of the
land all over. and then said:
Come this way, boys. Wen strike
Slippery Abner's track beyond that
clump of trees yonder.'
There was a four-inch fall 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 bear. the
immense size of which left no doubt in
any mind that it was the footprints of
Slippery Abner. They followed the
trail TWO miles, and just as it led into a
thicket one of the party looked back
and saw Samson Juff come out of the
thicket not so yards away. He hadn't
seen the bear nor its trail.
"'Hullo!' he shouted. What have
you struck
Slippery Abner!' one of the hunt
ers shouted. And we've got the lead
on it tool
samson grumbled out something
and disappeared in the woods. My re-
makable father led the chase an hour OF
more. but they never got as much as a
sight of the bear. The track kept on
going, and by and by it led into open
country toward Samson Jutf's cabin.
even Reuben Pettibone had misgivings
that he might be foiled. 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 ii flew
about as if in the face of gale, and
they howled and cursed and swore ven
geance against Samson Juff. 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 Juff has
gobbled Slippery Abner!' the hunters
howled. He went an cut back to his
cdDlu alter seem us. an tne pear nap
penin' to come along this way, he's
pinged it, an him an his brother Joe
is luggin' him into the settlement! We
mowt jest as well quit!'
And every man of 'em swore he'd
shoot that miserable cur SAMSON Juff
the minute he set eyes on him. They
were still vowing loud and bloody ven
geance, whep who should come on the
scene bu: Samson himself. Instantly
half g dozen guns were covering him.
and if my remarkable father hadn't
Been there that would have been the
end of Samson Jutf.
Hold cried Reuben Pettibone.
Let the man speakn
but they wouldn't give him chance
TO speak.
"'You can't fool us, Samson Juff!
thev shouted. You've killed our bear
an it'll be the last one you'll ever xiii on
the Sinnemahone.
"All this time Samson had been eN-