The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1902-03-14

! for the nitroglycerint he found 1t all
gone. Then he remembered that tho
glycerin has a sweetish taste. He re-
allied that the snake had eaten IT.
He was too overjoyed to think he had
not given the MISREPRESENTATION
snake vigorous kick in the body to
mind about the loss of the explosive.
He hurried out into the yard, where
the snake was summing himself.
stake day off, he said to tho
snake in his blandest tones. 4 won't
need you in the tavern to-day. Enjoy
yourself in the fields and meadows un-
til you have digested that last meal
of yours. Even If you wander away
quite distance I shall not scold YOU
"Tom always talked to the snake as
if it could understand him, and there's
no doubt the snake did comprehend the
substance of what Tom said. The
snake was crawling away with look
of content at getting vacation when
an idea occurred to Tom.
'Remember,' he called after the
snake, that bears have even more OF
a sweet tooth than snakes. If that
upstart bear that humbled you the
other night should happen to stumble
when he was full Of nitroglycerin and
whisky he would go in little bits to
the place provided for bad bears. And
I wouldn't wonder if this evening
when you return you could find both
the glycerin and booze in the barn.
"Tom always insists that the snake
understood all he said. Maybe it did,
and maybe it was only an accident.
Maybe, as the deacon says, it wasfate.
anyhow, that evening the deacon
happened to feel thirsty. There was
nothing unusual in this, but the
worthy old man, being tired, decided
sons tavern for a bottle of liquid joy,
instead of going himself. The bear
had made similar trips, SO there was
no reason why the deacon should
blame himself for the tragedy which
| followed.
"The bear was on his way back from
the tavern, carrying the bottle in Ills
mouth, when right in the pathway he
met the snake. At first the good bear
was going to crush the snake. Then
he noticed that in front of the snake
was big cup Of whisky.
"The snake looked at the bear in
a friendly way, as if inviting him to
have drink. The good bear loved
booze. Of course, it was his duty to
20 right home with the bottle to the
| suffering deacon. But he couldn't
withstand the temptation.
$50 he pushed the snake away and
| drank up all there was in the cup.
Then he picked up the bottle in his
teeth and was on the point of start
ing home.
"But the treacherous snake got in
front of the bear and began waving
his head and reckoning in n manner
that showed plainly enough he was
inviting the bear to come with him
and have some more. The bear hest
tated. Then he turned his back on
duty and the thirsty deacon and sham
bled after the snake into the barn.
"1n The rear of the barn, right out
on the floor, stood an open pail full OF
the bears favorite beverage. The bear
applied himself to it in his hearty,
earnest fashion.
"The bear had the capacity of four
good men, but the pailful was consid-
cradle of a contract at that. In the
end he finished it. But by that time
he was far from being a bear that
would have won blue ribbons at tenn
! perance meeting.
"As soon as the treacherous snake
saw that the bear was in a condition
of blissful inebriety, he beckoned him
| over to another corner in which stood
a small can of nitroglycerin. The bear
swayed about over the can in 4 man.
nor which made the snake far from
comfortable, but in the end the bear
lowered his head and tasted the glyc-
erin. Then he Tapped up every drop
of the sweetish stuff, the snake look
ing on in an anxious but satisfied man
ner.
"When the bear was properly loaded
the snake led the way out of the barn
to the road. The bear followed, but
wabbly. When they reached place
where steep, rocky bank sloped down
from the side of the road, the snake
turned off He gave another wavy,
reckoning motion of his head. Then
he darted of.
."rhe bear, trusting in the wicked,
treacnerous snake and filled with
blissful visions of more drinks and
sweet things, tried to break into a
run so as to keep up with the snake.
But the TEST of bears cannot run after
drinking pailful of stuff that cheers
and stimulates. The bear lost his foot
ing, fell and went with a crash to the
bottom of the rocky slope.
"Tor the next few seconds it rainej
good bear. The snake, too, was only
few feet from the bear when he ex.
Dlodcd and he had to enjoy his re-
venge in small fragments.
deacon Todgers waited thirst all
night for the return of the bear and
the bottle. In the morning he went
out to search for both. He saw the
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