The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-20

sure quick with his gun. Lord! The muzzle
looked as big as one of them cannon over to
the post.
Don't you ever use that lady's name
again in such manner he says, "or old as
you be, I'll turn loose on you!' Them may
not have been just his words, for ! admit
was kind Of furried but they include his
meaning all right.
He was always a gentleman and kind
spoken but he was gentler than ever after
that. Reckon he pitied her at first. Won
dered, l s pose, how a nice girl like her
could get to liking no count chap like
him. man who's been Tilted In love Is the
darndest critter that ever walked.
He begun by being even more thoughttul
and attentive He rode the range most OF
the time, but when one of the boys came IN
on errand Barron would send something
to Minervy-a new flower some bit of min
eral he picked up in the foothills big
bunch of desert roses
One day Gngerface rode In and dropped an
Indian basket of ripe cherries in Minervy's
lap. '.He sent EN- says the greaser,5 and
a sunset wasn't patch to the girls face
She sent back her thanks to Barron by me,
and when Barron asked me If she 'peared TO
like the cherries, l put 1t on thick now,
tell you.
The next morning he started off with a bas-
ket and rode nigh twenty mile back towards
the. ranch, but not on the regular trail, where
what happened at that cherry tree but the
parties that took part in the game. Therefore
hearsay evidence will have to go.
The cherry tree grew on side hill among
a lot of bowlders. They'd have made a
powerful good cover for Injuns in the old
days. They made powerful good cover for
something quite as bad on this day I'm tell
ing you.
Barron picketed his cayuse at the foot OF
the hill and climbed up to the tree. He was
astride of limb and had about picked the
basket full when he all OF a sudden discov-
cred a grizzly, something like the size Of a
well-grown bull. meandering along after cher
ries, too.
Well, there was that cowpuncher up the
tree without even his gun-he'd slipped 1t off
when he started to climb the trunk-and a
big bear standing on his hind legs aud
stretching himself to reach the boys dangling
feet.
Soon's as the bear he couldn't claw
him out he made UP his mind to shake him
out and only that Barron shook out on the
uphill side and away from the bear did he
escape that time.
Then came a game of lodging around them
powders. Barron was light and active, but
| the bear was eager and bound to make an ex-
ample Of the first Teller he'd caught in his
| orchard. And the old devil was wise, too.
He seemed to keep between Barron and his
! gun all the time .,..
| Well, them two circled about there dozen
| times, until Barron was well nigh played to
FRAGILE. But twas run or die. and Barron
! suddenly found himself dead anxious to live.
! even if he had been throwed down by girl
| in the east.
There was a rock few rods away that
! looked high enough to make 1t a good place
| to be on, and he knew grizzlies aren't usu-
| ally much on the climb. So, getting dead sore
| on his present gyrations. Barron broke for
| the rock.
He reached it just ahead of the bear, and
| that's all.
| The trail was three goodm lies away, but
| the air is clear in these parts, and Minervy
| carried a good pair Of glasses when she rode
| out. l suppose she rode toward the range
| that day because her heart was in that direc-
| ton. Leastwise through the glasses she seen
| two black fggers on the hillside, one on top
| of the rock and one gyrating round 1t. They
| looked funny, and she rode over and saw it
| was a man and bear. Then she rode nearer
and saw who the man was.
Run for help? Guess not! Minervy was
born and bred in this country, and she had
a hair lariat slung to her saddlebow. Bar
! ron tried to keep her away from danger, but
| she rode right UP to within proper distance,
| dropped the loop over that bears head as
| pretty as a picture and then set her pony
| down the hill at canter
Before Barron could get his gun and run
| up 10 the grizzly the Dfute was cnOReQ pluMO
| dead. And reckon right then and there Bar
ron decided that a girl who knew what to do
| for man besieged by a grizzly would wear
| dern sight better in this country than a
girl who looked pretty behind tea table.
Leastwise, he and Minervy filled the basket
with cherries again and rode back to the
ranch to tell Goshens, and two months later,
| when the parson come through rounding
up" the couples, as he done once year,
| fhn,, rinH md 7 i'm haar
that Barron was sorry he went after them
| cherries.