, 1900-12-05

seen anywhere in the neighDorhoOd Id
start out on the war-path an capture
the Critter an i bride along with IT OF
perish nobly in the attempt.
Well. time is no respecter Of per
sons an don't seem to give a ding
whether a Teller is eujoyin' life or not.
An 1t kept rOllin' right along at the
usual gait of twenty-fOUr hours a day
an seven days a week fer IA hull year
an "A half, an larry Il bear, nor ever II
bear track, had | seen or heard of any
where around the hull township. an l
don't mind sayin' | was gittin' jest a
little mite discouraged.
Time kept mOggln along. as before
remarked. an one frosty March day
when the snow was packed down hard
and had a crust on II that would hold
up a nan | tramped up into my wood
lot on the hill back of higgins place,
with a ak on my shoulder, an begun
slashin' down trees IN chopin EN- up
into COrdwOOd. As | worked away |
keep glancin' ever an anon Town
to'ards the cottage where Matilda lived,
which was right in plain sight below
me. an woudcriu' if Fu would ever
send a bear along At noon | sot down
on a log an was busy eatin' the lunch
| had brought along. when | heard the
twigs snappin' behind me, an jumpin
to my feet | looked around al there
was the very critter Id beer wishin'
fer so Tonga big black bear, eyein'
me from behind a clump of bushes
My gun was hangIu' over the door at
home, an the bear was between me an
the AK. which | had left stickin' in a
stump when | quit wOrkin' to eat, so
was caught nappin' all round. an ye
kin bet | felt purity cheap fer about a
minute. But | didn't run. l was bound
to stand my ground, no matter what
happened. The bear came on toward
me. shakin' his head an growlin. an
stood there with no weppin 'cept my
dinner pail, waitin' fer him. \ sudden
idee had come into my head, an II |
could carry it out ! was safe. The tin
pail had in my hands was an unuS-
ualIy deep one, holding probably eight
quarts or more, an as soon as the
bear WAS close enough jumped Tor
ward an clapped the pail over MS
nose. same as a dogs muzzle or d
baIl-catCher's mask, an then TANNED
the bail over back of his ears so he
couldn't shake 1t OFF an had him Jest
where | wanted him.
The top of the pail come up far
enough to cover his eyes, SO altogether
the zeal was about as harmless jest
then as if he had been born without
any eyes or mouth. Procurin' my AK
fer use in case OF emergency. took a
half-hitch on that critters nigh ear
with my right hand, an fifteen minutes
later | was standin with him in Mig
gins front door yard. 1t was down
hill and a hare crust Oh the snow all
the way, an it didn't do him any good
to act balky or hold back.
There's yer bear | said, when old
mar higgins come to the door, an
now Jest trot out Matilda an we'll
make a trade
"Where'd ye git inn" asked Mig
gins. with eyes like two peeled onions.
Up in my wood lot. SEE |. Thought
II would be too much trouble to drag
the carcass way down here, so | cap
tured him alive an made him walk"
The dickens We did" SEE he.
Bet yer boots SEE |. an here's
him to prove it. An 10Y the question
is, do | get Matilda"
Reckon we do" SEE he. 1T takes
as much pluck to capture a bear alive
as It does to kill one, so | guess I'll
halter give in. Wait till ! put a ball
through that bear. an then ye kin
come In an talk over the matter with
Matilda"
Three days later Matilda an | COM
menced h~ousekeepin' on our own aC-
count-thought We might as we'll
hurry things along while her father
was Whitman about a week after
that he dropped in on us fer a call one
day an said:
Il thought l was gittin' a purity wiry
an courageous son-in-law, but I've
changed my mind"
What's the trouble now dad" SEE |.
why. about that bear We captured"
what about it,"
why. I've been told the plaguey
Dear was at least forty years old, an
crippled an half blind. An Eyetalian
was exhibitin' it down at The Corners
only the day before ye made out We
captured it, an they say he was brag-
gin afterwards hOw he swindled some
one by sellin' EN- the peal fer ten
dollars. Thought We were mighty
smart when We bought thai bear,
didn't ye? Nice trick to play on yer
prospective fath"r-in-law, | must say"
But he didn't do it, father" spoke
up Matilda, with a beComin' blush.
Joe didn't know "A thing about it till
this very minute. | bought the zeal of
the Eyetalian myself an had him turn
1t loose in the woodlot where Joe was
workin'."
An I'm mighty glad ye did," SEE l.,
THROWN both arms around her an
givin her a regular bear hug.
Huh huh" SEE Matilda's father,
lookln' sorter cut-up like. We'll, that
beats me. | hain't got nothin' further
to say. guess twas bound to come
anyhow"