The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-03-13
lcoyyright. 1900. BY c. 3. Lewis ]


had marked 'em down and would be
back some night arter honey. 1t twasn't
an hour befo' moved them hives out
9f his reach and replaced 'em with two
hives filled with straw. shet the old
dog up in the house that night. and
long bout midnight he begun to whine
and growl. jest got to the winder
when the bar showed up. He was
arter that honey, and he hadn't nc
time to waste. One hive wasn't 'nuf
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 1t 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 was suah
he'd come back ag'in some other night
and try to pay me OF.
81 had jest penned up likely pig.
and that bar was bound to heT pig
meat It be couldn't bey honey. He
was suah to be back the next night.
and so | spent two hours greasin the
roof of the pen with soft soap. When
I 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 srter
enc look around he climbed upon the
roof Of the pen It had steep pitch to
it. and it dropped of into gully. and
that bar had skassly got up before he
was slidin down like log Of wood.
He shot OF the roof into the gully like
big ball, and me and the old woman
laughed till the tears came. Three
times the bar tried 1t, and three times
he was dumped. yelled at him and
called him names. and his feelin's was
Shurt ag'in. He was so 'shamed bout
things that be wouldn't even fight the
dog.
81 knowed the varmint wouldn't gin
ap that way. but would keep comm
back till be got sunthin. 1t struck me
that he'd go FUR the chickens next. and
80 had trap all ready fur him He
was too cute to step into it, and arter
rQamin around fur awhile be went OF.
laughed st him and called him
mighty pore bar. and be appeared SO
lonesome over it that almost pitied
him. He didn't come back the next
night or the next. but on the third
night be showed up ag'in. and / had
another joke ready fur him. had
headed the old dawg up in stout BARI
and then wrapped the bari around
with barbed wire. used up 200 feet
Of wire around that bar'l. and the
barbs stuck out like Qullls Of porcu-
pine. AS soon as the bar appeared the
old dawg begun to bark and raise a
fuss. don't reckon that varmint had
ever heard OF q dawg in barl befo'.
and I'm suah be hadn't never met with
10 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 huh
var. Bruin started in to bust that
bar'l by huggin, but be soon gin it up.
Then be rolled it bout, but every time
ae struck il. be got q prick. Sometimes
he'd chase it. and sometimes he'd run
away from it, and he did hate to gin
up beat. 1t wasn't no use il him fight
in that bar"l. though. and he finally let
it 90 and sorter cried over it. DE went
off with his head down and homesick
shamble. and the old woman turns to
me- and asks:
..Zeb. what'll that b'arskin be wuth
when snow flies?
bout So says l.
t"' Then 20 air SO out Of pocket.
That bar amt gwine to furgive yo'
fur hurtin his feelin's IS 20 bev.