Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-08-09

heard a growl behind me an turned
round quick. Lands o rattlesnakes,
boys, what a sight met my eyes! Thar
was a big, ugly-lookin' cinnamon bar
standin' under an apple tree an a-look-
in right at me. Wall. I'll bet those
beautiful locks of mine stood on end
like porc'pine quilts. They want no
use feelin' for a gun, cause l knowed l
didn't have any, not even q iaekknife or
weapon of no kind. 1t was a leetle hot
ter proposition than I wanted TO tackle
Jest then, so I babe Mr.. Bruin a 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
10 gettin' back, why that was a diff
ferent thing. I seen I couldn't do it
nohow. an so I Jest stood an turned my
back to the fence an waited. Bruin
| was within three feet of me then, an he
liz 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 disconnected in the least, an ! made
up my mind I wouldn't be narvous
either. So. lOokin' straight into his face
! an reckonin' the distance, ! picked out
a spot on the big feEer's under jaw an
give him such a kick with my big cow
hide boot at he yelled with pain.
"You can bet I didn't wait TO see the
result. but I Jest took IL across that
! o'cbard as IL the devil was at my heels.
Lordv. how my feet did welt the
ground, At last I seen a hole in the
fence whar a board was gone. and at il
I went. / reached if all right, an was
lest about half way through when
! heard a shuHin' an pautin' behind me
at made INV blood freeze up I'm knotty
ieetle Jumps. Boys. did You ever know
| n bar could bunt? Well, Ihave had the
fact drilled into me II a purity forcible
way. for what knocked me through the
tsrce at such a lively gait that night
was notbin' more nor less than that
! h,or,s head. I was knocked into q heap
on the outside of the fence, an thar /
| loiA buggin' the ground an shiverin'
/ an expectin' every second to find Bruin
- ,on ~ me
wall. I was purity sor when ! got
hack TO the camp. but didn't saynoth-
IN, ,bout that an the gals put up a nice
leetIe story. tellin' me how when they
saw the bar they was so skeert they
copldn't saw nothin' an Jest ran back TO
Tho bopse. took in everything they
said an the next night when they asst
me II wanted to go long down with
- - e]xnIore The Old mine. ! was jest
.icl-led "a death TO get the chance. We
80 an old mimi lamp with us, an
whoD ,vc cot h a I started in ahead,
-, m icbt The old drift hadn't
hoor worked for wears an dirty water
was drippip from the roof an coverin'
w. hest GOAT MS I groped nj way in,
49, doubtip' at the gals would fol-
Ior had only got n dozen feet or so,
on, was lest turnin' round to see II the
damsels was gettin' on an f'RnI WIZ.
snrayylin,. The light went out in the
ar nm, tbe fust thing knowed they
vas , deem prowl at echoed through
.he mine an somethin had hold Of me
T. IL
O' W.. nitsr dark in the hole. hut a
~ I"1 panIjcbt n one side told me
hooo o., -, vas With am awfuI
"har inc ~ -, Loo free an scram-
rnor. ! 80 ,. tritb the intention Of
o''G 70 ,o,r,rds hat food Of
m"hln '" VI TLad only lest nicely
mooh''kn'. Co., an. turned around
Eo' t,i, sometbip' shoot between
"hen ',,' ,fo me hack 1 cIutchcd
my ,sEs t-ort of me an got my both
W'Iu5S mta5ded IN the shaggy hair Of
nahoS '1'u' 1,nowe right Wen by this
run rr,s The bar shot out
''lnS - 80 an almighty rapid gait.
o' una 49,, 49, ,5aro 5rop off for fear Of
an i o.I~ t,rains ont against the sides
hu'tin my g., an, bpgred tight.
SO 3ts. M - cborre 10 make a
wa'e"'N II"
leap. q. bcre now an laugh
u,L ths rest Of Won. when look back
WIN '3. ,.a,, hin bet they want no
NJ III u". ''" -.