Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-01-12

! StIuck Inc pan ana SpfanE the trap.
The terrible jaws, each armed with 10
great teeth, closed together within Il
/ foot of my face and with a sound that
made me think of a surgeon saving
off legs. | had escaped, but my gun
was caught in n giants wise. | got up
and tried to call old Potts names. but
/ | was so shaken and mad that not Il
word would come. lie stood looking
at me with a puzzled and anxious cX-
! preston on his face, as if wondering
what there was to break loose about
and at last | grabbed up a club and
| jumped in on him. l believe that |
chased him fully a mile before | gave
up, but he kept out of my way. When
l finally sat down to rest he came
sncaking back to say:
Colonel. they all said We was q queer
sort of crittcr, but this last circus
beats my time. Mcbbe yell tell me
what it's all abOut?"
And maybe I'll pump 1G bullets in
to you as soon as | get hold of my ri
fe,' | gaspcd. Potts you ought to be
| killed out of hand. 1t won't be murder
to wipe you off the face of the earth"
"Bckase of that bar trap" he asked.
'GeS. of course You knew where it
was and never said word to me. If
hadn't struck the chain with my foot,
| I'd have walked right into it,
"IcS, I'd sorter forgot bout that
trap" he mused as he scratched his
ear, "but it's all right, amt it? Ye
didn't walk into it, and l can't see why
ye should kick up sich n row Lordy,
but ye seem to be n mighty pertickler
man.
1t was a bit Of job to get my rife
free of the jaws, and I then dumped
the old trap into ravine and warned
Potts that if ne showed his face in
camp I'd fusillade him. He waited
for two or three hours and then came
in with an injured expression on his
face and started up the fire for supper.
BY that time l had got over my desire
to shed his blood, but | couldn't over
look his careleSsneSS. We ate and
smoked and sat around in silence, and
next day would have seen the partner
ship dissolved for sure but for an in
cident Of the night. Soon after mid
night grizzly came skulking around
and almost stampeded our mules, and
Potts showed his gameness by blufling
the old fellow back into the thiclet
without waiting for me. This broke
the ice and made us friends again, and
it was agreed to give old Ephraim n
hard run for it next day. When morn
ing came, l had about taken old Potts
,,-i,, nd w
glad that l hadn't reached him with
my club. AS soon as breakfast was
dispatched we started out. The bear
had left tracks as big as a house and
in going away had headed along the
mountain. We could reasonably hope
to hole him up somewhere within Il
mile, provided he had satisfied his
hunger and got home in the due sea-
son. When we finally came to likely
spot, l went to the right and Potts to
the left to investigate an opening in
the rocks. | made a slow advance,
realizing that the bear might be in
ambush behind any of the big bowl
ders, and was crOuching alongside of
one, with neck stretched out, when
there was n whiz and Spat, and |
was blinded for a moment by particles
of stone flung into my eyes. Potts was
carrying a rifle that day, and as its
bark followed the spat of the bullet |
knew what had happened. While |
had my hands to my eyes l heard him
shout at the top of his voice:
"Hey, colonel, I've got him-got him
fur sure!'
Half a minute later he stood beside
me, prepared to finish off the game"
think he was really surprised and per-
haps considerably disappointed when
he found a living man instead of
dead grizzly, and he hadn't word to
say. lie sat down near me on rock,
and it was five minutes before | had
my eyes cleared enough to make him
out. Then | brought up my Winchcs-
ter and said:
"Potts, Pm going to shoot 1G holes
into your jackass carcass! Where do
you want the first one?"
$50 it was We instead of b'ar?" he
quered in reply.
at was, and you knew 1t was. You
meant to murder and rob me, you old
villain! Talk fast, now, for you haven't
got GO seconds to live!'
"LOok here, colonel" he protested,
but only mildly, 'it was mistake any
body might have made, and, bein ye
wasn't hurt, don't see why ye should
kick up Dan'. Fact is, colonel
"Go on! Go on! You have 20 sec
ords morer' | said as he halted.
"Waal, the fact of it is I'm goin to
quit. | never was out with one of ye
newspaper men before, and dang my
hide if ever want to be ag'in. The
boys said We was crank and kicker
and that I'd soon cut my job, but ye
talked smooth and give orders fur
plenty of grub, and | was willin to
take chances. HOwsumever"-
'Iowsumever what, you nearsght-
ed, squint eyed, dunderheaded pot
hunter?'
"Howsumever, colonel, the boys was
right, and, bein | can't do nuthin to
please ye. though | have tried my best,
/ guess I'll resign, and ye kin run the
circus yerself."
Next day we started the outfit for
home. Potts might have recOnSidered
his resignation, but | wouldn't give
him a chance. | couldn't stay up there
alone, but it was death to stay with
him. We made the journey of 30 miles
without a word. When we reached
home, paid him off and said:
Potts, you-you-you are an unhung