The St. Johns herald., 1900-07-14
jest then. so I bade Mir. Bruin hasty

"But now, boys, come the trouble II
 earnest. It was an easy enough matter
 to get over that fence, but when 1t come
 to gettin' back, why that was dif
 ferent thing. seen I couldn't do I
 nohow. an so jest stood an turned mJ
 back to the fence an waited. BrulI
 was within three feet of me then, an n' rig up onto his hind feet an stood thai
 movin' his head about in a threatenin
 manner an motionin' at me with hi big. ugly paws. The moon was shinin out bright an clear above us. an as he stoodtha between me an 1t he was one
 of the most skeery-lookin' sights ever seen. He didn't appear to be narvou'
 or discontented 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 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 if the devil was at my heels. Lordy, how my feet did welt the i ground. At last seen hole in the fence whar board was gone. and at it l went; l reached it 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 bar could hunt? We'll. have had the 1 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 l bars head. was knocked into heap 1 on the outside of the fence. an thar l lai6 huggin' the ground an shiverin' an expectin' every second to find Bruin on top of me.
 Wall. I was purity sore when I 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 took in everything they said. an the next night when they ast me if wanted to go Tong down with 'em an explore the old mine, was jest tickled to death 10 get the chance. We took an old minin' lamp with us. an when we got thar l started in ahead, carrvin' 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' lat the gals would fol- Ter. I had only got dozen feet or so.
 n f damsels was gettin' on all right when l stumbled over somethin' an went sprawlin'. The light went out in the furry an the fust thing 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 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 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. clutched
  hands imbedded in the shaggy hair of Bruin-for knowed right we'll by this time what it was. The bar shot out 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 l jest laid flat an' hugged tight. watchin' for a good chance to make 3 lean.
 Wal, 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.
 Right outside the mouth of the drift was little decline. an at the bottom of it was pool of water that was made by the, leetle stream fiowin' out of the mine. I was all ready. an as soon as 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 did get 8 nice duckin' an no mistake. "The first thing I done was to cuss myself for bein' such blamed fool as 10 drop in that water, an then pulled l myself up onto my feet an proceeded 1 to look myself over. Never lettin' up | on my cussin' for a minute, mean dered back 10 the camp an jest sneaked | in an went to bed without sayin' noth- in to nobody. It was little late when got around the next mornin'. an jedge my surprise. fellers, when I 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 second. Them gals had been maxim game of me all the time. an the bar at had been maxim me so much trouble was nothin' but tame one 'at wouldn't hurt nobody. Fust I had a notion to go in an get my shooter an put an end to the '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.
 ayes. this is lonesome. pesky hole. an no mistake. but they ain't no dudes here nor gals to play hide-an' -po-seek with f0"or's heart an he payin'. I'm durn glad of it."
 - I
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