River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-03-13


pet, or affected it with paresis?'
"a moment later, when Tom looked
for the nitroglycerin he found it all
gone. Then he remembered that the
glycerin has sweetish taste. He re-
allied that the snake had eaten it.
He was too overjoyed to think he had
not given the MISREPRESENTATION
snake a 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.
""Take a day off, he said to the
snake in his blandest tones. L won't
need you IN the tavern to-day. Enjoy
yourself In the fields and meadows I'm
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 a 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 was fate.
anyhow, that evening the deacon
happened to feel thirsty. There was
nothing unusual in this, but the
worthy old man, being tired, decided
to send the bear down to Tom Will
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 E1s
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 a drink. The good bear loved
booze Of course, it was his duty to
90 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 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.
SIN Ehe 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 bear that
would have won blue ribbons at tenn
perance meeting.
Gas 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 a man
ner 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 a place
where steep, rocky bank sloped down
from the side of the road, the snake
turned off. He gave another wagy,
Reckoning motion of his head. Then
he darted off.
1.-THE bear, trusting in the wicked,
treacherous 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 best of bears cannot run after
drinking a 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.
For the next few seconds it rained
good bear. The snake, too, was only
few feet from the bear when he ex-
ploded and he had to enjoy his re-
venge in small fragments.
Deacon Todgers waited thirstily all