The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-27

He was arter that honey, and he hadn't
no time to waste. One hive wasn't 'nuff
fur him, and he knocked both over as
soon as he got within reach and then
made ready fur a feast. When he found
them hives hard packed with straw he
knowed it was joke, and he sot up and
looked so sheepish and mean over II
that laughed fur half an hour. That bar
went away feelin' hurt in his feelin's,
but / was suah he'd come back ag'in
some other night and try to pay me off.
Il had jest penned up likely pig. and
that bar was bound to hey pig meat If
he couldn't hev honey. He was suah 10
be back the next night, and so | spent
two hours greasin' the roof of the pen
with soft soap. When l was through
it was so slippery that even claws
wouldn't take hold. On the second night,
bout II o'clock. the bar showed I'D ae'in.
He had bin thinkin' of fresh pork all the
afternoon and had got hungry over il,
and arter one look around he climbed
upon the roof of the pen. 1t had a steep
pitch TO it, and it dropped off into a
gully, and that bar had skassly got up
before he was slidin' down like a log of
wood. He shot off the roof into the gully
like big bail. and me and the old woman
laughed till the tears came Three times
the bar tried it. and three times he was
dumped. 1 yelled at him and called him
names. and his feelins was hurt agin.
He was so 'shamed boz: things that he
wouldn't even fight the dog.
81 knowed the varmint wouldn't gin up
that way, but would keep comm back
till he got sunthin'. 1t struck me that
he'd go fur the chickens next, and so /
had trap all ready fur him. He was too
cute TO step into II, and arter roamin'
around fur awhile he went off. laughed
at him and called him mighty pore bar,
and he appeared so lonesome over il that
almost pitied him. He didn't come back
the next night or the next, but on the
third night ne showed up ag'in. and had
another 5&zIe ready fur him. had head
ed the old dawg up in a stout bar'l and
then wrapped the bar'l around with
barbed wire. / used up 200 feet of wire
around that bar'l and the barbs stuck
out like quills of porcupine. As soon as
the bar appeared the old dawg begun TO
bark and raise a fuss. I don't reckon
that varnint had ever heard of a dawg
in bar'l befo'. an I'm suah he hadn't
never met with no barbed wire He Jest
walked around TO make sartin of things
and then jumped in.
"Lemme tell yo' that thar was mo- fun
in the next ten minits than most bars
and dawgs and folks hev In a hull var.
Bruin started in 10 bust that bar'l by
huggin', but he soon gin II up. Then he
rolled il bout, but every time he struck
il he got a prick. Sometimes he'd chase
II. and sometimes he'd run away from il.
and he did hate to gin up beat. II wasn't
10 use in him igEtin' that bar'l
though, and he finally let it go and sorter
cried over ii. He went OFF with his head
down and a homes.ck shambie, and the
old woman turns 10 me and asks:
. Zeb, what'H that b'arskin be wuth
when snow fiies?'
- Bout Sl0,' says l.
bar amt gwine to furgive yo' fur hurtin'
his feelin's as yo' hev.'
" But what kin he dor
A" Dunno. but yo' jest remember what /
say
the old woman was right" continued
Zeh THAT bar never showed up no mo-
around my place. Long bout the fust of
November / started out with my gun and
dawG to gather him In, and / was reck-
onn' on the value OF his hide to git boots
and shoes fur the winter. / reused him
out arter long tramp, and what dye
think ne did? Findin that he must die
he headed fur Sam Harper's place, three
miles away, and he actually went right up
TO the doah and laid down and seemed 10
beg Sam 10 come out and shoot him. He
was dead and bcin' skinned when / got
thar, and all / got was a piece of the
fresh meat. had had a heap of fun but
that bar had beat me out OF my winter
boots TO pay fur II.