The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-04-01
Bear Wasn't the Point.
The Point Was Gun. and the Result
Proved the Truth of II.


aid the Knob country man, and | told
Tom so when he started out with it
,hat night. Tom ! says, that gun'il
Kick YOU worse'n a mule if you fire il {;
mind what | tell you. Cause il was an
old army musket that Tom had lugged
al through the war. and when he come
back home he hung it up on a couple
a. pegs on the settin'-room wall, and il
seemed to me that il hadn't never been
took down sence. 'Tom,' | says, that
gun1l kick you worsen a mule
"But Tom he says: But do you want
bears to pitch in and chaw NEE
IL hain't sayin' nothin' bout bears,
Isays. It's the gun Twas tall,in' bout
I wouldn't be afcard o. meetin' half a
dozen bears says, but seems to me
I'd be overpowerin skittish o that
gun
"'But here's two more O. my sheep
iurged away last night. says Tom
and by that same Internal old bear. L
know, And that makes nine sence the
fust o. the month"; says he. Ilain't
this cleariR got nothin' TO do but raise
mutton for bears?' says he.
"'rom,' | says. Il hain't raised the
question o. bears says. Stick to the
pint / says. The pint is that If you
shoe; that gun it'll kick you worse'n a
mule. That's what argue. an | stick
20 it. kicl<in' guns. not bears, is what
I'm arguin' on. It'll kick you worse'n
a mule says. Mind what tell you.
tom he says: oh, you pshaw,' and
ST he goes with the old gun and Jake
Dolph. his hired man.
Samantha | says TO Toms wife,
that gun hain't been fired for 80 year
and better. has it?' ! says.
;Sor as knows on, says Samantha
Pap took il down year or SO fore he
died. lest after Tom fetched il home
from the war she says, and put load
In il 10 kill hawk says she
That's So | says. i didn't think IL
had been took down sence Tom hung it
up says.
Yes SAYS Samantha. Pap took il
down an loaded il TO shoot a hawk.
saws she. but the hawk wouldn't be
come nigh TO. and Pap didn't shoot il:
20 he hung the gun back says she.
Yes. and it was took down ag'in, come
to think on it, says Samantha.
at was. eh?' says.
YES says she. Along mcbbe "A
couple or three year after Pap died
Toms brother Sim took il down and
loaded il TO kill fox. but the fox got
away and Sim didn't fire IT," says She
Your pap loaded it and didn't fire
it9' says.
"'Yes,' saws Samantha.
"'And Toms brother Sim loaded il
after that and didn't fire it?' | says
YES says Samantha.
Ibid Tom load il for usin' this even
in'9' I says.
"'Yes. SAYS Samantha.
Samantha SAYS. when they fetch
Tom home tonight consider BILE on
i'inted.' says. and mebbe peeled like
a spudded hemloclI. send fer me and
I'll explain things says.
why. Abel says Samantha. skcery-
Ike. you don't think the hear'll chaw
him and mummix him as bad rs that,
d. you?'
"'Eears amt the pint says. i
hain't said n durn thing about bears'
SAYS. Gun is what I'm arguin' on.
II Tom fires that gun it'll kick him
wcrse'n a mule. Worse'n a mule, Siz-
lin Socrates, Worse'n drove O.
mules" says. and away | starts for
home. aggravated like Sam Hill cause
they KEEP THROWN mp bears at me when
want arguin' bears. but was maxim
that gun the all pervadin' pint.
"Yit. when | come To think on IL,
hadn't orto blamed Tom and Samantha
50 much for it. after all. for bear had
been thinnin' out their sheep tremen
dous. and though hunters had sot up
nights watchin' for the thievin' bruin
and tried to run him down with dogs
daytimes. he give 'em all the slip. and
then when they'd go home to rest and
gii little sleep he'd sneak in and lug
of another sheep, till he had Toms
Iastur' pretty we'll thnned down. and
Tom he made up his mind he'd go out
with the old musket and see what he
could do himself. Consequently. meb
be hadn't orto blamed him so much
for aEguin' bear when was maxim gun
the pint.
y hadn't got fur on my way home
when ! says TO myself that better go
ind Tom where he mowt be layin low
n the pastur' lot and argue with him
ng'in. thinkin' mcbbe that mowt be
able to rpake more Of pint by fetchin'
IN the arguments about Samantha's dad
hayin' rammed load in the gun and
LETT IL there. and Toms brother Sim
havin' rammed load in the gun on top
Samantha's dads and left il there.
and the load that Tom himself had
rammed in on top o Samantha's dads
and Sims with the idec o. not leavin' ii
there.
III them arguments amt enough to
show Tom that the pint is gun more
Than bear ! says. then he don't know
nothin' about logic. and II Samantha is
Ieft wilder and the coroner gifts fee
says. "twon't be because didn't ar
que on proper p'ints.'
50 | turned and follored the road
70 rds Toms back pastur' lot. where he
was more'n likely settin' on the brink
a.