The St. Johns herald., 1900-10-27
fest then so T bade MT. Brufn a hasty

jest then, so I bade MT. Bruin hasty
 farewell an made for the fence.
 But now, boys, come the trouble in : earnest. It was an easy enough matter
 to get over that fence, but when it come
 to gettin' back, why that was diff
 ferent thing. I seen I couldn't do it
 nohow, an so jest stood an turned my
 back to the fence an waited. Bruin
 was within three feet of me then, an he
 rig up onto his hind feet an stood thar
 movin' his head about in a threatenin'
 manner an motionin' at me with his
 big, ugly paws. The moon was shinin'
 out bright an clear above us. an as he
 stood thar between me an it he was one
 of the most skeery-lookin' sights ever
 seen. He didn't appear to be narvous
 or discontented in the least. an made
 up my mind wouldn't be narvous
 either. So. lookin' straight into his face
 an reckcnin' the distance. picked out
 a spot on the big feller's under jaw an
 give him such kick with my big cow
 hide boot at he yelled with pain.
 "You can bet didn't wait to see the
 result. but I jest took it across that o'chard as if the devil was at my heels.
 Lordy, how my feet did welt the ground! At last I seen hole in the
 fence whar board was gone, and at ii
 I went; I reached it all right, an was
 jest about half way through when heard shuff1in' an pantin' behind me
 at made my blood freeze up in knotty leetle Jumps. Boys, did you ever know
 bar could bunt? We'll. l have had the fact drilled into me in purity forclble way; for what knocked me through the fence at such lively gait that night was nothin' more nor less than that bars head. I was knocked into heap on the outside of the fence, an thar Iaid huggin' the ground an shiverin'
 an expectin' every second to find Bruin on top of me.
 ''Wall, I was purity sore when 1 got
 back to the camp. but didn't say noth- in bout that an the gals put up nice leetle story, tellin' me how when they saw the bar they was so skeert they couldn't say nothin' an jest ran back to the house. I took in everything they said, an the next night when they ast me if I wanted to go long down with 'em an explore the old mine, was jest tickled to death to get the chance. We took an old minin' lamp with us, an when we got thar I started in ahead. carryin' the light. The old drift hadn't been worked for years, an dirty water was drippin' from the roof an coverin' my best coat as groped my way in, never doubtin' 'at the gals would fol- Ter. I had only got a dozen feet or so, an was jest turnin' round to see if the damsels was gettin' on all right when I stumbled over somethin' an went sprawlin'. The light went out in the furry an the fust thing l knowed they was a deep growl at echoed through the mine an somethin' had hold of me by the bootleg.
 "It was pitch dark in the hole, but a flood of moonlight 10 one side told me whar the openin' was. With an awful effort I jerked my leg free an scram- bled to my feet with the intention of maxim a dash towards that flood of moonlight. Wal, had only jest nicely got onto my feet an turned around when I felt somethin' shoot between my legs an tip me back. I clutched wildly in front of me an got my both hands imbedded in the shaggy hair of Bruin-for I knowed right we'll by this time what it was The bar shot out of that drift at an almighty rapid gait, an I didn't dare drop off for fear of buttin' my brains out against the sides, I,.I Aof i~h watchin' for good chance to make leap.
 "Wal, I kin sit here now an laugh with the rest of you, when look back at it; but you kin bet they want no fun in it fer me jest then.
 "Rirh- outside the mouth of the dri4 was little decline, an'sat the bottom of it was pool of water that was made by the leetle stream fowin' out of the mine. was all ready, an as soon as I seen at was out in the open air again I jest slid off, easy as you please, from the bars back an struck right in that pool of water. Wow! But I did get a nice duclIip' an no mistake.
 'The first thing done was to cuss myself for bein' such blamed fool as to drop in that water, an then pulled myself up onto my feet an proceeded to look myself over. Never lettin' up on my cussin' for a minute, I mean- dered back to the camp an jest sneaked in an went to bed without savin' noth- in to nobody. It was little late when I got around the next morrin an iedge my su'prise. fellers. when 1 went be- hind the fence an seen one of them blamed gals feedin' an old bar outen a tin pan!
 'I seen how the whole thing was in a second. Them gals had been maxim game of me all the time, an the bar at had been makin' me so much trouble was nothin' but a tame one 'at wouldn't hurt nobody. Fust had notion f 0 go in an get my shooter an put an @nd to fhe 'tarnal thing for spite, but con- cluded it was best to curb my temper an let it go. The fellers had all gone to work an knowed if waited until they got back they'd be onto the thing an have an awful leg on me, so jest got my togs together an scratched out as quietly as I could.
 "Yes. this is Lonesome, pesky hole, an no mistake, but. they ain't no dudes here nor gals to play hide-an' -go-seek with feller's heart an he payin'. Pm durn glad of it."