Connecticut western news., 1901-08-08
CANAAN. CONN. THURSDAY. AUGUST s,

reason ne wouldn't use a gun. ASaln, let il be written down also that the req son he was going away that warm au- tumn afternoon was that there was some work to do. These facts were clear to my kind and indulgent father. but of course We boys never thought of 1t and laid our little shoulders to the hard work of helping father lift up the long. heavy poles that were to complete the corral around our pioneer log cabin. and We really hoped and half believed that he might bring home little pet bear.
 This stout log corral had become an absolute necessity. It was high and strong and made of poles or small logs stood on end in a trench after the fash ion of a primitive one in front of the cabin door. Here it was proposed to put up a gate. We also had talked about portholes in the corners of the corral, but neither gate nor portholes were yet made. In fact, as said before. the serene and indolent man of the sen always slowly walked away down through the grass toward his untracked claim whenever there was anything said about portholes, posts or gates.
 Father and we three little boys had only got the last post set and solidly 'tamped" in the ground as the sun was going down.
 Suddenly we heard yell, then yell ing, then believing. This yelling was heard in the high grass In the CamGs valley below, and the believing of cat tie came from the woody river banks far beyond.
 Then up on the brown hills of the Or egon sierras above us came the wild answer of the wild black cattle of the hills, and a moment later. right and left. the long black lines began to widen out; then down they came. like whirlwind, toward the black and surgtng line in the grass below. We were now almost in the center of what would in a little time be a complete cir cle and cyclone of furious Spanish cat tie.
 And now here Is something curious to relate. Our own cows, poor, weary. immigrant cows of only year before. tossed their tails in the air. paved the ground beloved and fairly went wild in the splendid excitement and tumult. One touch of nature made the whole COW world kin,
 Father clambered up on a buck horse" and looked out over the stock ade, and then he shouted and shook his hat and laughed as I had never heard him laugh before. For there. breathless, eoatless. hatless, came William Cross. Esq, two small wolves and a very small black bear! They were all mak- ing good time, anywhere, any way to escape tine frantic cattle. Father used to say afterward that "it was nip and tuck between the four and hard to say which was ahead" The cattle had made quite a round up."
 They all four struggled In at the mar row little gate at about the same time. the greut big, lazy sailor in a hurry for the first time in his life.
 But think of the coolness of the man as he turned to us children with his first gasp of breath and said, "Bo-bo- boys, I've bro-bro-brought you a lit- tie bearr'
 The wolves were the little chicken thieves known as coyotes, quite harm less, as rule, so far as man Is concern ed, but the cattle hated them, and they were terrified nearly to death. The cattle stopped a few rods from the stockade We let~the coyotes go, but we kept the little bear and named him Bill Cross. Yet he was never bit cross, despite bis name.