The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
The BEAR DID NOT CONF BACK
STEER sLOCUM DECEIVED BY
FIRST APPEARANCES.
Three Encounters With . Bear st Corn
Shocking Time Beyond Berrylot
Hill Barren Seeming Persistence OF
the Rear Explained Completely.

ohAR Nh'An 4et ~ 49, "'O
ever "a thunk that a bear would "a come
back so tremendous quick as that un did,
arter the dose o. buckshot that | socked
into hlmi- said Sizer slocum, who with
his twin brother Charles lives on a little
clearing beyond 3errylot Hill Barren.
near the head waters Of the creek.
who'd ever a thunk itf' repeated Sizer,
who had come In with n load Of baskets.
Il don't know, Size,' said Sim Bowers.
the storekeeper who buys the Slocum
baskets. what was there about iti'
'Tutl' exclaimed Sizer. "Hain't II got
dow here yit, about that bear2'
'Guess not, Size.' replied Bowers.
'well, y jocksl" said the basket maker.
That's tremendous queer. Why, It was
way back in corn shockin' time when IL
come TO pass about that bear, Simeon.
ME an Charles had Jest cut that field
o. corn an shocked it up. ag'in gettin' at It
arter a while an huskin' Of 1t out. Next
day arter we got that corn shocked up, l
says to Charles:
''Charles,' / says. our apple crop amt
prophesyn' a very cheerin' winter I says.
No, it amt says Charles. 1t won't
squeeze out more'n two barls O. cider.
II II does that says he.
AN you know yourself, Simeon, that
only two bar'L o. cider TO winter over on
amt no checrin' prospect.
but, anyhow, Charles I says, I'll go
down to the orchard an get the crop to-
gether for squeezin'. An you better go
up in the swale,' / says, an chop out some
saddles for splintin' baskets
AN / went to the orchard an Charles
went TO the swale. l hadn't been gatherin'
apples more'n a little while when along
comes Dan'l Swart, that lives at the foot
o. Berrylot,
S'Hullo, Sise,' he says. 'Good-mornin.'
! see you've got your corn cut an shocked.
you an Charles he says.
Yes says.
Well says he, you didn't hire no
bear TO unshock 1t an husk it for you, did
your says he.
Well scarcely ! says.
Didn't your says Danl. Well, there's
a bear in your field a-doin' Of It. as busy as
bees. A tremendous big one, tool says he.
Then Dan1 clucked to his boss an rid
on. ! run to the house, got the gun, an
started for tho cornfield TO shoot at the
bear.
sWhen I got in that field. Simeon, an sec
| that bear a-cavortin' 'mongst the corn
shocks I'd % give 50 fer a Government
cannon. an I'd a-planted it there an raked
him fore an aft. ! was so contaminated
| HNQ tlHt Il just TusIltu dk III hllu WIN Il
yoop an a yell an fred the old gun at him,
jest as if he was only a groun' hog.
The bear quit his foolin' an looked over
his shoulder az me. He seen | was tearin'
mad, an away he went into the woods.
/ skited as fast ! as could up to the Swaie
where Charles was chopin out staddiss.
Charles ! says, "A bear has ben I'M
shockin' our corn, an snatchin' OF the
ears an scatterin' Of EN- like chaf ! says.
TN take US two days 10 gether elm up
ag'inu ! says.
Not a bear, sizerv says Charles. You
don't tell me IL was a bear".
"A bear / says, as big an sassy, "
jocks, as ever that un was that come down
tuten the wilderness an snatched the boys
baldheaded fer sassin' old Father Iijah!
j says.
Charles leaned on his axe a minute, an
-'Sizer,' he says that bear amt through
yet. We can't work in that cornfeld with
no weapon but that old gum, he says We
must borry a rifle
S me and Charles went up to Joe Gould's
an borTied his rifle an q han'ful o buck
shot fer our old gun. Then we went back
to the cornficld to begin getherin, up our
corn the pesky bear had scattered.
simeon, there no stood! The bear!
There he stood again slashin' away at a
shock o. corn, an sletherin' II around like
chips often a planin' mill!
Take that for your impudence! | hol-
| lcrS, an i turned me OF gun loose on nun
with such a belching o. buckshot as never
slid out Of any gun before nor since. Down
went the hear, an down went me-, more'n
ten foot back'ards, into a corn shock, The
kickin' o. the old gun was 70 hefty. The
bear got up before ! did. an went limpin'
an howlin' away, follered by a bullet from
Charles's borrercd rifle.
IT the front end o thiso old gun was as
all-pervading as its hind end, Charles
1 says, rubin my shoulder, that bear
won't he alive more'n a few minutes TO
be uncomfortable in | says.
Looks to me as If YOU mowt be right.
Sizer.' says Charles, an ] consider that
we kin stack our arms, now, an 90 getherin'
up the corn says he. That bear has
got his dose, an he won't bother US no
more says Charles.
The bear had gone on into the woods an
out o. sight. Charles, he took his gun an
walked over amongs the corn shocks TO
look the ground over, an ] got up an sot
on a pile O. corn investigator my shoulder.
Il guess II was mobbe ten minutes fore
! looked up, an when ! looked up | come
rs nigh to faintin' as could be an not do it.
As soon as / got my wind and tongue, l
begun to yell to Charles.
-'Charles" | boilers. Come here with
your gunl The bear is backl He's back
worse than everp
.'Cause there he stood. not twenty foot
away. leerin' at me round a shock o. corni
| Charles started IA soon "a he heerd me
holler, ] rz up TO try an load my old gun
an when the bear heerd Charles comm
amongst the shocks, he got skeert, an
he made a dash TO get away.
AS Charles was comm up in the rear o.
the bear, the bear thought it'd be safer
to come my way than TO go t'other way,
an he run right on to mo, BOWED me over
as II ! was n tenpin an he was a ball, an
walked right over me from one end o. me
to t'other, an put in his best ticks for the
woods. Just then Charles came in sight
Of him.
Law still, Sizer' he boilers. '1av
still. an III bore him like tappin' a maple
treel Lay stillr Charles hollers.
Il laid still, Simeon, an j couldn't "a
tone nothin' else if I'd "a wanted TO, the
bear had stomped me 50 deem down In the
dust. So ] laid still. an Charles was as
good as his word.
"He banged awav an bored the bear
from end to end, an tho bear didn't take
more than a dozen steps further. He fell
lead among the shocks.
But, great Hickory Jackson, Charles'
says I. Who'd a ru1k that beard "a
come back 80 quick srter that dose O. buck
shot | give him2' saws /.