The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-11
BOOKS AG'IN BEAR NATURs.
JAYBOLT,S TWO-DOLLIR BET AND
nov HE LOST 1T

Tho bet Was whether Bears Would Chase .
Man-Jnyholt Left II to the Bears ma
when lie Got of with His Life He Paid 2
tho bet Like the Honest Man that He Was.
MuroED. Pa. Sept. 10.-'The very next day.
long lords night" said the mnn from the
Knob country. "Jaybolt came In. lookin' cons
sider'blc het up, and he says!
81 left 1t to EN-. Dan1.' he says. Where's
Peter
Il hollercd Pete up and Jaybolt says to him.
&c left II to en- he says. Give Danl the
money. He's right. l left it TO 'em and
found out that they'll do it. Fact is he says.
I've made up my mind that there's times
when they won't do nothin' else. DanTs
right he says. Give him the money
Il was tellin' Jaybolt. only the day before.
TINT they'd do it and that I'd bet him 50 they
would. and he took tn c bet
" L hate to do It. though he says. cause
it's jist like Robin you of your money. Why.
consarn IL. Danl,' says he, tho record lie all
ag'in you. The books says so. Turn to the
books. nan'l.' says he, and see II they don't
e" I don't care nothin' about the books I
says. 'Natur' was natur' before tho first book
was writ. and she hnin't changed jist cause
folks has took TO writin' books and tellin' her
what her c%reatur's will do and what they
won't do. The bet goes l says.
'Jayholt he shook his head and says:
why. DAHL he says, the books knowR
all about everything. from the tiger in the
jungle to the cricket on the HEARTH he says.
" Tigers in the jungle and crickets on the
hearth. / says. amt in this here argument
" 'Dan'l.' he says. it's like Robin you OF
your money. You kin draw out II you want to-
nc says.
" Don't you worry about me- I says. I
tell you they'll do It and I'll bet two dollars
they will! And the bet goes! 1 says.
80 we put up the money in Pete's hands.
and Jaybolt, he went over on Pocono. where
the railroad was buildin'. he bein' one O. the
fellers that was dom the buildin'. and n con-
sarned nice sort o chap he was. too. After
he'd gone a while Pete says to me:
"'Dan'l,' he says. what be / goln' to do with
this here money!
Hold it, l says. 'Jist hold 1t till the bet
Is decided. and then hand it over to me-
But what's the bet?' says Pete.
1.-Two dollars 1 says.
No says Pete. What's the bet on7'
why 1 says. 'Javbolt. he says they won't
and I say they will, and l bet him two dollars
on it. l says.
,Jaybolt says what won't2' says Pete.
Bears l says.
He says bears won't what? says Pete.
why. chase a man. l says.
" 'Ohl' says Pete. I list asked cause I
thought maybe 1 ought to know what the bet
was on. that's ALL he says. ''Tain't cause I
was curious and nosin' in. But how are you
goin' to prove it. Danl2' says he.
Prove itl' 1 says. Why. don't 1 know 10
already?'
MAYBE says Pete. But Jaybolt don't.
Somebody ought to be the judge says he.
" That's SOP says I. And Jaybolt. comm
round agin that night. 1 says to him:
"Jaybolt.' 1 says. who are we goin' to leave
it to. SOS we kin prove it?' | says,
how il Sam Hill | was goin' to work it to git
no books lay, down rules for them to. go by.
gle and the cricket on the hearth: and ! was
c%onJurin, my head over It yt when Jayb93ls
~ left it to EN-. Give, Dan'l the money; He,,S
do Il. Give DanI the money !"
J, ,Bsts f he h tSISnsS HT %oa tai %1SGRI @yy;si an snG TR Naa
How did you come to leave it to 'em2" I
Nigh is6iG as f | Gould IL ee eaSsi fr omey what Ras JTa ayte
gave out. the fellers at the railroad camp had
some buckwReat cakes and honey. They had
he got etH i in his head that he could knock over
a deer eg,i and doR he ds went hut out xS tS DE- d1d K Ss f Hs d bSE !
bee tree loaded with honey. Next afternoon
he went out with an axe and d. 2 tTTelye-quart
Ft% Hsl f 81 Tst al g oGR fhef r. m s6at Si hre ndofR or ybfu sae
wheat cakes and honey for supper. The tree
was three miles from the camp. Jaybolt he GoS
camp feelin' the best kind over the prospects.
!hS EhfiffS s Sidas't f haHe no{SRiRi'lb BUT f5? 2os9sts I %na
a twelve-quart pail to gether the honey in, and
Rpekwheat cakes 5, to eat # on Judas preachin'I
'Jaybolt said he was on the pint O. hip.
hip, and hoorayin' he was so uncommon tickled
Tniy a T fittie w shSsi ahe sS9P Of mi him ib but a a9 sls EP9nifn'
big bear. and ,Jaybolt didn't hip. hip. He
stopped. and %follerln' right on the heels Of the
quite so big. And there them bears stood stocE
still. but not no stiller than Jaybolt:
turn and ,sEite; fer cover on the double quick.
$ Jayb2lt he stepped ahead a little lie and
there. soas They'd. get ,skeert of him and tumble
oyer themselfs gittin' ,aMway: but them bears
books. The big bear come forward as il, he
was there list fer to meet Jaybolt. and tother
two. % f2IIsred sa aIsng ja HttsS him These here bears
amt actin r~eg'!ari, They must be blind or
d ,i@b, or tnS era 2ySE or t else &c t lEsar can't mtsf smell Infa co ny
Il mile frum here by this time says he.
but them bears didn't stop. and they KEEP
q bearin' down on Jaybolt so fast that he be-
gun 70 back away from 'em, with the axe on his
shoulder and the pail o honey in his hand.
Singular enough, the bears didn't discover
thatthey was actin in such an unnatural sort o.
way and turn and tear away from Jaybolt, but
kep' on faster and. faster I'll Jaybolt see there
,em. aud he list turned heels 10 and legged II.
The faster he legged II, the faster the bears
legged It.. and it was all he could do to keep
out % their reach.
"'Dan'l is right says Jaybolt. beginnin' to
PUT md sweat and !pkd 2 glance p h at b the beSrS
Dani is right. It's ag'in the rules. but the
moneys Dan'ls. -'Tain't likely he'll ever know
is smith, ut my heels. unless | stop and chop
'cm down with this here axe says. he.
80 Jaybolt stopped and turned face to the
bears. They come right on. and Jaybolt
thought the chopin, Job mowt be more than
he could Kit along with, 50 he dropped his axe
and ledth h procession agin. But he hung on 70