Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-01-24

cabin had nailed 'em from the inside
and when l knocked 'em off they al
tumbled inside, of course, and / had tc
run III and drag 'em out, and burn
my hands pretty bad. The other fellei
had been standin' off. laughin' kinder
sarcastic.
Much obleeged to you for wakin
me-, says, as he started back to hi,
camp.
"Sich blamed carelessness l never
see he growls. You've got to repair
my cabin or pay for it,
Il cut few saplin's and set 'em M
agin the open end of the cabin. 1t wa.
moonlight and could see pretty wei
Then | crawled into the bunk again. /
didn't prop the door this time, but
wished | had afterward. My hands hurt
me so bad that | couldn't sleep and /
turned and twisted for an hour
"All at once heard something. NY
blood all turned to ice and my hair
bristled like shoe brush. 1t was a
soft but heavy tread and loud, hoarse
breathin' jest ouside the cabin close ia
my head. And then smelt something
like pig-sty, | knew well enough what
II was. There was only the thickness
of split clapboard between me and a
big grizzly beari
81 began to think like chain lightning.
The shotgun'-'twa'n't loaded, and II il
had been charged 80 the muzzle 'twould
only sting him and make him as mad as
hornet. | might climb upon the
cross beams. Pshawl They want
seven feet from the ground and one
scoop of his paw would bring me down
like ripe plum,
Not thinkin' of anything sensible
to do, didn't do nothin', but KEEP as
still as I ever KEEP in my life, fairly
shrunk up like withered potato.
The bear walked slowly around the
cabin. breathin' as if he had the asth-
ma. Pretty soon ! saw him through
the sap,in's, and knew he could brush
'em away like smoke. He lifted up his
big head and looked toward me. and III
take my SOLE mn oath that he was big
ger than any bull that ever paved the
earth. He stuck out his nose and
shifted with dreadful noise. tried to
think Of the LORDS Prayer.
But pretty soon he moved on and I
heard him chompin' the bacon rinds
outside. He walked around the cabin
four times and every time he stopped
and shifted clcser to the sapin's. Twas
only the smell of the fire that KEEP him
from comm in, that's sure. Then he
moved off, for didn't smell him any
more.
"All of a sudden | made one jump TO
the door, cussin' myself for n darned
coward. There I'd been thinkin' bout
myself all the time when the other fel-
Ter was sleepin' in the open, and the
bear would be sure to visit him after
finishin' with me! And he'd been kind
enough to save me from burnin up,
too. | run out hollerin' to him:
Look out, pardner, there's grizzly
aroundl'
Tell me some news, will you?' came
grouty voice, out of the air, It seemed
to me. ! looked up and saw something
dark up the oak tree, about as high as
man could well go.
you're roostin' high, says. Did
he take after youY
II seen i'm a-comin' and | didn't
stop for lunch, says he. Me blanketsis
ribbons, and he's eat everything but
the ax and fryin pam
Well. slide down and make break
for the cabin. He ain't in sight now
"'Thank ye, I'm comfortable says
he.
However, ! talked him into comm
down, and he made pretty run for the
cabin. ] couldn't have beat It myself
and | wus pretty spry in those DAYS.
We slipped in and propped the door.
and he began TO cuss fool who would
come away and forgit his ammunition.
daylight was an awful long time
a-comin', but it showed up at last. We
built fire and made some coffee. but
we didn't fry no bacon.
THE other feller seemed kinder blue.
felt sorry for him, 50 | says:
MY friend, you can have this ranch.
don't like TO interfere with anybody's
plans, and my business In town is press
In anyway. You can have my blan.
kets and what grub is left and III bid
you good-by'
No, you don't he hollered, jump.
In up. This ere ranch is yourn. wns
only jokin' last night The climate ere
don't agree wi me. must be Of
" 1 couldn't think Of IT,, saysT You
can make a nice home out Of IL. Good
luck 10 you
Il means what | says he growls
real huffy. This ere ranch Is yourn.
and don't try 20 insult me by insinivat-
ing that I'm tryin TO git It away from
you
We'll the upshot OF II was that we
had a bigger quarrel than we had the
night before"
Ezra Tucker laughed and slapped his
knee.
"But how did II come out?p asked the
deputy assessor.
"Oh, the other feller Is Rose, my part
ner. We got over our scare and we
both stayed. There's Rose comm now.
and | guess dinners ready."-St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
An AmiabIe Examiner.
Matthew ArnOld's freedom from aus