Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1900-11-08

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swer. an begins TO get kinder mad.
was jest startin' to look over the fence
an see what was the matter when !
heard growl behind me an turned
round quick. Lands o. rattlesnakes,
boys. what sight met my eyesl Thar
was big, ugly-Iookin' 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 quills. They want no
use feelin' for gun, cause knowed |
didn't have any, not even a jackknife or
weapon of no kind. It was leetle hot
ter proposition than | wanted to tackle
jest then, so bade Mr.. Bruin hasty
farewell an made for the fence.
"But now, boys. come the trouble in
earnest. 1t was an easy enough matter
TO get over that fence, but when ii come
TO gettin back, why that was diff
ferent thing. l seen 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
riz up onto his hind feet an stood thar
movin' his head about in threatenin'
manner an motionin' at me with his
big, ugly paws. The moon was shinin'
out bright an clear above MS. an as he
stood thar between me an il he was one
of the most skeery-lookin' sights ever
seen. He didn't appear to be nnrvous
or discontented in the least, an made
I ,,.,,,1Irf. L..
either. So. lookin' straight into his face
an reckonjn' 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 jest took it across that
o'chard AS II the devil was at my heels.
Lordy, how my feet did welt the
ground At last | seen a hole in the
fence whar board was gone. and at II
] went; reached II all right. an was
jest about half way through when
heard a shufflin' an pantin' behind me
at made my blood freeze up in knotty
leetle Jumps. Boys. did you ever know
n bar could bunt? Well. have had the
fact drilled into me in purity forcible
way; for what knocked me through the
fence at such lively gait that night
was nothin' more nor less than that
bars head. was knocked into heap
on the outside Of the fence, an thar |
laiA huggin' the ground an shiverin'
an expectin' every second to find Bruin
on top of me.
''Wall, | was purity sore when ! got
back to the camp, but didn't saynoth-
in bout that an the gals put up "A 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. took in everything they
said, an the next night when they asst
me il ! wanted to go long down with
'em an explore the old mine, was jest
ticl;led to death to get the chance. We
took an old minin' lamp with us, an
VIXEN we got thar started in ahead
carryin' the light. The old drift hadn't
been worked for years, an dirty wafer
was drippin' from the roof an coverin'
my best coat MS | Froped my way in
never doubtin' at the gals would fol-
Ter. / had orly got dozen feet or so,
an was jest turnin' round to see if the
damsels was gettin' on all right when
! stumbled over somethin' an went
sprawlin'. The light went out in the
furry an the fust thing Enowed they
was a deep growl at echoed through
the mine an somethin' had hold of me
by the bootleg.
at was pitch dark in the hole, but
food of moonlight TO one side told me
whar the openin' was. With an awful
effort ] ierked my leg free an scram-
bled to my feet with the intention of
maxim a dash towards that food of
moonlight. Wal, had only Jest nicely
got onto my feet an turned around
when | felt somethin' shoot between
my legs an tip me back. l clutched
wildly in front Of me an got my both
hands imbedded in the shaggy hair of
! knowed right well by this
time what it was The bar shot cut
OF that drift at an almighty rapid gait,
an | didn't dare drop off for fear Of
buttin' my brains out against the sides,
so / jest laid fiat an hugged tight,
for good chance TO make a
leap.
wal, / kin sit here now an laugh
with the rest of you when look back
Mt it; but you kin bet they want no
'un in it fer me jest then.
NRipbt gttt ciJp b., mouth 1Ft bo Irift |
was little decline. an at the bottom
Of it was pool of water that was made |
by the leetle stream flowin' out Of the !
mine. l was all ready, an as soon ns I |
seen at was out in the open air again |
jest slid Off, easy as you please from
the bars back an struck right in that
pool Of water, Wow! But l did get
nice duckin' an no mistake.
"rhe first thing done was to cuss
myself for bein' such blamed fool rs |
to drop in that water, an then pulled |
myself up onto my feet an proceeded |
10 look myself over. Never lettin' up |
IN my cusSin' for n minute, I mean
iered back 10 the camp an Jest sneaked
IN an went TO bed without suyin' moth
m to nobody. 1t was little late when
got around the next mornin', an ledge
ny surprise, fellers, when ! went be-
hind the fence an seen one of them
gals feedin' an old bar outen
4 tin pant
81 seen how the whole thing was in
,econd. Them gals had been maxim
game OF me an the time, an the bar at
lad been maxim me so much trouble
vas noth'n' au' tame one at wouldn't
lurt nobody 'ust had notion to 70
n an get my shooter an put an end to
he 'tarnal thing for spite but | con-
'luded il was best TO curb my temper
IN let 1t 90. The fellcrs had all gone
o work, an knowed il | waited until
hey got back lhcy'd be onto the thing
IN have ON awful leg on me- so lest
rot INV fruN fNuatlat. "a II. 4 -. |