The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-03-03
04 Happy HOLLOW ,
Bear Hunt
BY Rafus 9foLain fields.
,suNprY HOLLOW was onr BAL

tennessee. and surrounded lbs spien-
dtd mountain ranges. The name
Mas most appropriately given to
that hollow. which was happy in
.act as in name, where, IN COM
many with my boy hoods boon com
panion. plato-a great ugly brin-
Iie eur dog, as true and faithful as
dumb brute ever was-l have had many
an exciting bo,ish romp and ramble
IN the days long gone.
One morning in the early fall 81 1851,
while Plato and | were out for a rab-
bit hunt in the upper end OF the Hol-
LOW. ! had an experience. which am
n 10 danger Of forgetting. until life
stsrlf is forgotten. IL was my four
t,cnih birthday. and my father had
presented me that morning with a long
coveted treasure in the form Of a shot
cln 1t was a Singlc-barrcl. muzzle-
loader concern. and would doubtless be
considered quite Anticipated by boy
5r.,na. Of this advanced age OF the
breccl-loader and the hammerless. At
ul events. ID was entirely up 10 date
then. aud | am able 10 recall few
pruuaer. happier Moments Of my lifc
imam when hat gum have ii yet
frst came into my possession. or the
morning in question | had il on my
ualder. feeling like a s,riiable Ma
ro.eon Bonaparte going forth 20 con
aaerthe world.
Iae rabbits must have heard The
re, however. for. hunt as be- would.
Cd iiAto could not start a single one
.ttffm. They Mere ordinarily p%ienti-
~ enough.
81 igih. weary with walking. ! sat
fua the very foot Of the mountain.
rf farmed an almost perpendicular
waN 4D1ve my head. just 10 the right
Wr was the dreaded Danger Line"
81 iac mountain range-a rocky bar
rtg IesOlaie stretch or belt across the
mountain. with here and there a cave
sunk in or a huge rock jutting out.
Nhtn an the rest OF the mountain-sides
were clad in the green garments Of
spring time. or the russell robes Of au-
famu. This stretch Of sterile. untim-
hered land showed. naked and glazing.
Ike an ugly frown on natures face.
= vas some unpleasant freak in the
construction Of the mountains that
5cKcr knew the reason for. but | know
THAT Danger Line was universally
avoided. by white and black alike
The latter declaring that il was liant
cd and the former that there We're
.raiilesnakcs. and even worse things. 10
be encountered there. Ny mother had
positively forbidden me ever 10 20 into
tha; part Of the mountain. and hitherto
] hsd seen II only from a distance Curl
N.
| had sat there under the shadow OF
The mountain in the sweet autumn still
ness for perhaps ten minutes. tired.
half dreaming. half wishing myself al
home. when ] was suddenly aroused 20
life and interest by a furious. excited
barking far up the cliff above me and
slightly 10 my right AT first doubted
ny ears. ! had never known Plato 20
cross into Danger Line" by 20 much
as one step before. and so ! was al
loss TO recount for il. And Vet hat was
Plato'S well-known voice | heard; there
could be no mistaking it. There was
something strange. romantic. about II
ALI and | was burning with desire to
see what manner Of game he could have
freed w there. | remembered my
mothers warning-and faltered. III
las been my experience that when a
boy falters iii the face of duty. dis
obedience has scored a point and trou.
Die is near al hand.
There was my new gun, as yet un-
tried. except a; a ~lifeless target. and,
after an. perhaps il was only a SPUR
rel. In short. my thirst for adventure
got The better Of me and my deter
mination to follow Plato was fixed.
The next thing 10 he decided upon was
how 10 get there. ! could tell from
his bark that Plato was a considerable
distance above me. and the height was
vcli-nigh inaccessible. But ! Wa
Young. strong and active, as mountain
! mes thought that if a l4-year-Old boy
determined 10 climb a sunbeam b,
could almost accomplish the task. The
mounfain-sidc was covered with small
underground. and with the aid Of thi'
! determined to make the ascent. Hold
ing The gun with one hand. slowll
and lahoriously ! pulled myeelf M
from bush TO bush with the other
guiding my course by the ccaseles
barking of Plato up above me. At th'
'nd IN about an hour of such toll,
reached The top OF the first bluff. WHERE
for a width Of something more thar
a hundred yards was a level ground
reaching TO the foot Of the next bluff
anu. with no climbing now 10 do. i wa
Tue work Of but a few moments TO reacl
Plato.
'oming mp to him found i'm sta
TONED al the end of huge hollow los
vrd haying with more animation tha'
had ever known him TO do before.
don't know why il was. but 5 | rcachc'
As side something stopped me. q
though a strong hand had been lai
upon my shoulder. and my mother
warning came into my mind. | turnc,
Ply face toward home, and for on
moinent my conscience ,wit:cd me q q,