The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1900-08-24
A MAN RIDES A BEAR.
RED ANTS DROVE A HUNTSMAN Tt
MOUNT "OLD, CLUBFOOT

" Did you ever ride bear" asked
Bill Ellis one night as we sat down AT
the campfire after hunting all day.
"No. l suppose not" he continued
without waiting for me to reply.
" Lots of folks haven't. IN fact I'm
the only fcller l ever heard Of that
ever did. All the ridin' is generally
the other way. Bear seldom carry
outside passengers. But Old Clubfoot
packed me one day in great shape
That old sarpent used TO range three
hills. and if there was anything he
liked it was lead. He was regular
travelin' lead mine He was so dan
gerous | never lmnkcrcd after his pclt,
but one day ! nearly run over him.
and he came for me, so that there was
nothin to do but shoot. fed him
some lead right in the gizzard, and all
he done was to gulp as if it was good.
and come right on with his mouth
WIDE open for some more. | accom-
modated him right in the mouth. too
but one of his big white teeth flew
into splinters that whizzed up into
the air | had il Sh;lrp's rifle and just
as | went TO load it again the cart
ridge stuck in the chamber and |
couldn't shut it. Disappointment
seemed to make the old cuss only the
madder. and on he came, bent for Il
full breakfast.
Il suppose you have perspired. AS
they say in polite talk. | Ididn't have
time to get pore open, for luck was
on my side, and l was onlyarew yards
from IA live oak. | was young and
pretty quick, and swung myself in il
jiffy onto big limb. | felt rip in
my pants as | whirled over. and. after
pettin' well out of reach. felt there
and there was three or four Sits six
inches long where his claws had just
missed my casin' You may laugh all
you please about folks that work with
the seat of thcirp pants. hut if it hadn't
been for the drygoods boxes down at
the country store you wouldn't he en-
tainin' me with your ear tonight.
~ crawled along the trunk Of the
tree and began to wonder how was
to get the rifle up. Old CluhfoOt was
there with his big paws clawin' down
bark only two feet from.my toes and
tryin' to get up. His breath felt like
the steam of a locomotive, and his
eyes would almost have done for
headlight, he was somad. had seen
mad bears before, when they had Il
foot caught in trap, but | never saw
such ragln' fury as that old scamp had
when he found | was beyond his reach
and the trunk of that tree too straight
and smooth for him to climb.
"Just as | began to think Of Sun
day.sch0Ol hymn suitable for IA sayeo
sinner, | felt bite. Then there was
another and another and sOmethin
crawlin' up my sleeve and on my necl
and on my ankles and more bites b,
the second. with the smell of ant.
gettin' mighty powerful. Then yol
bet did perspire IN no time. Dit
you ever try an ant bite? How man!
bites from one Of the big red or blacI
ants do you suppose it would take Il
kill a man? And how long do yol
suppose it would take? A horse stun,
by enough bees is dead before an.
pisen can possibly reach his vitals
: A man dropped in bilin' water woult
be dead before any heat could eve
reach his innards. It's the shock t.
the nerves what does the business, ant
before the fifth bite was well In, m.
.. nerves was gettin' terrible shook up
, Then | saw the tree was full OF 'cn
and lines OF hundreds Of big red ant
: runnin' up the trunk No use T.
!. mash 'em, for a hundred'll come to TIL
!, funeral OF every one you mash !
: : wasn't half . minute before some still
small voice inside whispered that