The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-19
HE JUST LET NATURE WORK
EOHo OF REMA RKA BLEsHoT OYER
BINNEATA HONING Wax

Bears. q Panther ana n Deer for HIs Use.
ROULETTE, Pa, June 49," Dwelling as ho
did In his carly days almost in the primal
Wilderness" said the man from over SHINE
mahoninR way, my remarkable father. Reu-
bon Pettibone, depended rs much for his in
come Spon what he could harvest OF tho prod
ucts ~ tho woods and wilds rs he did upon the
yield OF his cultivated acres. Yes, yes | More
too The later crop was liable to rot. woovils
would got into tho wheat. Drought played
hob with the corn. Frost nipped the carly
garden sass. But tho boar crop was ever
sure. The weovil never was made that
bored holes in tho panther and chewed his
vitals. The deer laughed at drought and
ki ksd up It's heels at frost. Yes, yesl Unjust
acknowledge 1t. Speeding the dog in the dim
1T Lisles of the forest knocked the everlasting
spots of Of speeding the plough in the sun
kissed and fertile soil, SO to speak, in tho days
whom Reuben Pottibone made choice to enrich
the Sinnemahoning country with his presence,
and 30 sometimes the ploughsharo rusted while
the gun barrel shone. But 1t was all for the best,
my remarkable father was wont to say.
"'It 10 better far to get 800 worth OF bear than
S13 worth of ~'taters,' said he. to say nothing
about the exercise IL gives the dog
Thoughtful! man. Reuben Pettibone wNsi
Remarkably sol Note 1t in his consideration for
a moro dog. DeprivinR himself Of the exhilara-
ton Of hoeing out the 'tater patch that q poor,
dumb brute might have healthful exercise
bounding with joyful cry on the warm trail Of
tho bearl Rare, unsel6sh Reuben Pettibonei
And yet the weevil scooped his wheat and the
frost nipped his tomato plants just as quick as
they would yours, Mackinaw! How could they
have done iti How could they ever have had
tho heart to do it, Mackinawf'
The contemptuous silence of the man In the
rAl rraa, h1,,n DolNN- ntnG and rNtrr1A AHanR.
inaw jacket was eloquence itself. To any one
but the man from over Slnnemahoning way
this would have been more cutting than tho
frost that nipped the early garden sass Of Reu-
ben Pettibone, and the narrative would have
tailored. But tho man from over
ing way went blithely on.
"one day said he, my remarkable father,
moved by his peculiar theory of domestic
economy and consideration for the dog.
remarked to his wife that he guessed he would
go to the woods and garner bear or something
and give the dog some exercise.
"'You may go garner. Reuben said his wife,
who was somewhat remarkable herself, but
the dog is going to run the churning machine
to-day while 1 hill up the corn, and after he gets
through with that I've an idea he won't need
any moro exercise to-day
$50 Reuben Pettibone went to the woods
alone that day. and by patience and perspicacity
did such a days harvesting as was never done
In those woods before. and, OF course. never
since. Idon't mind telling you at the start.
Mackinaw, that Reuben Pettibone fred but one
shot that day. Only one. But he baEged a
panther. a deer and three bears. That wasn't
the shot that was heard round the world.
Mackinaw. but 1t was a shot that
woke up the Sinncmahone country to the re-
reverboratinR. so to speak, in the annals of that
Incompatible vicinaRe, II any OF you from this
side OF tho mountain might ever summon energy
sufficient to take you over there you would hear
1t, sure enough. But as you will never be able
to do that. I will let you hear it by proxy. I will
turn at least an echo of it on YOU. a shot that
was followed by the baEging Of n panther. a
deer deer and nd three ages bears has "a e e PiEht to 20 echOing
The charactoristic placidity Of oven the man
from over SinnemahoninE way was not entirely
proof against the continued contemptuons ST.
pink and purple MGckinaw Jacket, and it was
visibly ruficd: But he was trno to the memory
OF the echo OF Reqben's remarkable shot.
were as an open book to Reuben Pettibone,"
said he. and he sat Town OF the roots Of a big
der. lie fSR Knew t thS9 t some afy 20 w Pen1idie come ane pHnt
way. and he had not long to wait for its coming.
1t came up out OF a hollow in the woods, in tho
shape of a big she bear and her two cubs.
presence of my remnrkebIo father. the she bear
bushes. not ten rods from where he sat. II
Reuben Pettibonc had not been used to turning
the leaves in the grand volume of natures end
less lore. he would have at once plunked a bullet
into that bear, captured her cuDs, and gone
h0m nSc S0: iG It, b Bpt; m mr RsSSen Pettibone was
and her cubs in the thicket. never goes off
and her cubs in those bushes just TO get in oul
of the sun: There's something else about it. Ii
$50 Reuben Pettibone waited for it. 1t wal
soon in sight, A deer, broke from the thick oil
The WOODS and came bouncing along tho greer
father sat. Afcw jumps behind it came a bis
panther. hot on the deer,s trail. and clearing
from the way the panther was lessening tn,
space between himself and the deer, he would
soon have his claws on the deor. Reuben Petit
bones ~perspicacity was so bullying that he neve
raised a finger to shut tho career OF th,
courss Of the deer. which was a doe, was bring
ing her along above the bushes whore the bea
and her two CUBS were lying low. He also saw
bushes. that she either saw or smelt the hoars ii
their hiding place. The panther was close be
remarkable father. student of nature that h
wasi And SEQ how he looked ahead and hoy
anything a panther. dotted on more than ia
young bear cubs. and that there was the dead
liest enmity between bears and panthers Just O.
THE deer is leading that panther, all right
said he. Let nature work!
to her feet as no bounded by. The panther wa
too deeply intent on the prospects ofdeer for dir
ner either TO hear or see the bear, notwith
standing her threatening aspect.
That's all right said Reuben Petition,
Nature knows her business!
THE deer went by the bushes n few oardi
turned In her tracks like a flash, took a fyin
leap over her savage pursuer and returned o
her back track. The panther turned and 70
lowed. Again the deer led him past the busheI
and again he swept along without seeing tn
bear that stood at the edge OF the bushes read
TO show him fight. The deer bounded on an
entered The woods. but soon came flying bac
again, with the panther now dangerously clos
TO her heels. This time she was headed straiRt
for the bushes where the bear and her cut
were. AS she neared them she slackened hi
pace.
Reuben Pettibone. watching the game. with b
elbow on one, knee and his chin resting in b
hand. The deer 10 playing the bear against II
panther. Very neat I! My porspicacity, aide
somewhat by nature. will reward me with muC
loot OF tho woods this dayp
when the deer reached the bushes the pa
Their was within one easy leap of her, and !
crouched 10 nuke 1t as she paused. But |
didn't make II. Straight over the bushes boun
: cd the doe in the air, and right in front of Il
: panther out OF tho thicket rose the force. M
gigantic form OF the cnraged bear. The sudde
ness of this change in the situation seemed
49, A.