Gilpin observer., 1901-02-07

1--WE LOOKED AT EACH OTEER."
had marked 'em down and would be
back some night arter honey. 1t wasn't
an hour befo' l moved them hives out
of his reach and replaced 'em with two
hives filed with straw. | shet the old
dog up in the house that night. and
long bout midnight he begun to whine
and growl. l jest got to the winder
when the bar showed up. 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 feast. When he
found them hives hard packed with
straw. he knowed it was a joke. and
he sot up and looked so sheepish and
mean over it that laughed fur half
an hour. That bar went away feelin
hurt in his feelin's, but l was suah
he'd come back ag'in some other night
and try to pay me off.
II had jest penned up likely pig.
and that bar was bound to hev pig
meat IL he couldn't hev honey. He
was suah to be back the next night.
and so l spent two hours greasin the
roof of the pen with soft soap. When
was through. it was so slippery that
even claws wouldn't take hold. On
the second night. bout II o'clock. the
bar showed up ag'in. He had bin
thinkin of fresh pork all the afternoon
and had got hungry over it. and artcr
one look around he climbed upon the
roof of the pen. 1t had steep pitch to
1t, and it dropped Off into gully. and
that bar had skassly got up before he
was slidin down like n log of wood.
He Shot OF the roof into the gully like
n big ball. and me and the cid woman
laughed till the tears came. Three
times the bar tried it. and three times
he was dumped. yelled Mt him and
called him names, and his ceelln's was
hurt ag'ln. He was so 'shamcd bout
things that lie wouldn't even fight the
dog.
II knowed the varmint wouldn't gin
up that way. but would keep comm
back till he got sunthin. 1t struc!; me
that he'd 20 fur the chickens next. and
so | had II trap all ready fur him. He
was too cute TO step into It, and artcr
roamln around fur awhile he went Off.
l laughed ut him and called him
mighty pore bar. and he appeared so
lonesome over 1t that | almost pitled
him. He didn't come back the next
night or the next, but on the third
night he showed up ag'!n. and had
another Joke ready fur him. | had
headed the old dawg up In n stout bari
and then wrapped the bar'l around
with barbcd wire. used up 200 feet
of wire around that bnr'l, and the
barbS stuck out Ike quilts of porcu-
pine. AS soon as the bar appeared the
old dawg begun to bark and raise
fuss. | don't reckon that varmlnt had
ever heard of n dawg In a bar'l bcfo'.
and I'm suah he hadn't never met with
no barbcd wire. He jest walked around
to make sartin of things and then
jumped in.
"Lcmme tell yo' that thar was mo-
fun In the next ten mlnlts than most
bars and dawgs and folks hev In hull
var. Bruln started In to bust that
bar'l by huggln, but he soon gin 1t up.
Then he rolled It bout, but every time
he struck II he got n prick. Sometimes
he'd chase 1t. and sometimes he'd run
away from 1t, and he did hate to gin
up beat. 1t wasn't no use in him fight.
In that bar'l. though. and he finally let
It 90 and sorter cried over 1t. He went
Off with his head down and homcsick
shamblc, md the old woman turns to
me and asks:
"'Zeb. what'll that b'arskln be wuth
when snow nies!
"'Bout Si0.' snysI.
.".ihen go air $40 out Of pocket