Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-16
C oP YRIe HTE D d.
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FROM THE
McLURE'S MAGAZINE.
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quake. 1t scarf the bear so he drew back;
no use trying to work sneak now
| 1 jumped for the holster. numbered, and
turned the gun loose for general results.
guess every load went off, from the
noise and she flew out of my hand and
vanished behind me. Lord! The place
was full of smoke and the plumber that
was scattered around. so you could Meth
er see nor walk. and that bear was swat
ting the door in a fashion that showed
he was going to give us a call any old
how, and 1 was plumb distracted-for the
life of me l didn't know what to do.
Don't make such a noisei" growls
Aggy.
You'll get noise enough in minutes!
But he didn't pay tie least attention.
Just before the DOOR went down l
, broke for the cock-l lrt; it was the only
spot that seemed to mold the teeniest bit
of safety. | CHM VI, the wall like a hop
per-grass but haG no more than made
it when my friend vas in the house.
Twas me he wanted to see, too, appar-
emily; for he never noted anything else,
but headed straight for the loft. had
/ kind of hoped the other two would amuse
him for a while bat it wasn't to be. With
The door down, the moonlight streamed in
so it was most us light as day.
." Keep your big feet off me! says Ag,
very indignant, as the bear walked on
MINI. II 5 a great lnllS HON " hAOW WIZ
you're talking to sometimes.
well, brother bear upends himself, and
reaches for the loft. He could just nicely
hook his front toe-nails on the board, and
when / saw that would have sold myself
out hide and hair and goodwill of the
business extremely reasonable. Here's
where my esteemed friend Hydraulic
Smith gets piped out, 1 thought, and 1
tried to meet my finish like man, but
there was something about winding up as
filler for a dirty, smelly bear wrapper that
took all the poetry out of the situation.
Il saw that Aggy had got on to the state
of affairs at last; he was crawling back
ward very cautious, and had a look of
panied surprise on his face that beat any
thing I'd ever seen on the phiz of man
or beast before. For all l was so scarf
that l was sweating icicles, couldn't help
but smoker. Howsomever, at that mo-
ment brother bear threw his weight on
the board, and she snapped like tooth
pick, and my merry smile took a walk.
Lord, l was an a desperate fix! He had
only to keep on pulling down boards to
the last. one and then, of course, I'd come
down with 1t. Something had to be done.
I grabbed a sack of flour and heaved 1t
at him; the sack caught on splinter and
ripped so beyond covering him with pow
der 1t had no particular result. He did
stop and taste the -four but heavens he
in that. But as 1 reached around for an
other weapon my hand struck the can of
alcohol, and right then / had a genuine
three X inspiration. 1 pulled the plug
from the can and poured the spirits
down. The bear howled murder
as the stuff ran into his eyes. and
| plunking himself on his hunkies, he be-
gan to paw and scrape it out. There was
my chance! l fumbled through all my
pockets as fast as my hand could travel
no matchesI Then cussing and praying
like steam engine, / tried IL again; found
handful in the first pocket; dropped
most of 'em, being so nervous, but
scratched what was left and chucked 'em
on Mr.. Bear. Great Moses in the bull
rushesl Events began on that instant.
I've seen cyclone, and an earthquake
and a cloudburst, and an Injun outbreak,
and Democratic convention, but roll EN-
into one and that bear would give EN-
cards. spades, big and little casino,
stuffed deck, and the tally-board too, and
! then beat EN- without looking at his
hand.
Il simply can't begin to tell you all
the different kinds of pure, unadulterated
hell he raised with the stock of curiosi-
ties Aggy had bought in town. And the
looks of him! White with -four half
way, Spouting flames and smoke, and,
apparently three times as big as he was
when he started, He was something be-
fore the people now, / tell you! And the.
burning hair smelt scandalous, and the
way he ripped and roared made the
ground tremble
when he finally broke through the
door, was so interested that / forgot to
be afraid, and hoped down to watch him
go, and then 1 saw the last act of the
tragedy
Miguel had heard the shot and know
ing we were in trouble, he was coming
up the trail on his old buckskin, fairly
burning the earth.
''He rounded a little clump of trees,
and came plump on my bear, roaring,
foaming. blazing, smoking, ripping and.
flying! Well, sir. you can believe me or
not, but 1 want to tell you that that cay
use of Mee's jumped right out from UNI
der him, and was halfway up Wilkins
Hill before the Mexican touched the
ground. He was headed due west. and
ne must haye reached the coast the next
day, the gait he was travelling. Anyhow,
he vanished from the sight of man for
ever, as far as we know.
Nee sat froze just as he had landed,
scarf so there wasn't no more expression
on his face than punkin pie, and the
bear hoped right over the top of his
head. Then 1 reckon Nee thought his fam
lily friend had come for him. for he jump
ed ten foot in the air. and when he touch
ed ground he was in full motion. It's only
fair to say that Miguel could run when he
put his mind to it. Eel Inferno esta sueltor
he yells. Santiago! Santiago. Ten quiz
dado conmigo! Madre mail Salvamel Sal
vame pronto! Lord, / can see him now,
scuttling over the fair face of the Ter
ritory of Idaho in the bright moonlight
like a little bird-chest out; hands up;
head back; black hair swapping in the
breeze; long legs waving like the spokes
of a fywheel and yelling for Santiago
to keep an eye on him, and for his moth
er to save him quick, as long as he was
in sight. And when he passed. he passed
out He took a different direction from his
horse so 1t amt likely they met, but
neither one of 'em was seen no more
around our part Of the country.
"Still. by and by there floated back to
us a story of how a greaser had been chas-
ed by a horrible white devil that stood 20
feet high, with teeth a foot long, horns,
hoOfs, claws and a spiked tail; which
travelled at rate of speed that made a
streak of lightning seem like a way
freight, scattering red fire and birthstone
as 1T ran: which chased said greaser 40
miles over hill and dale and gulch ana
mountain top and badland district, after
polishing off his horse in one bite, and
finally sank into the ground with a re-
port like a ton of giant powder.
And I've often wondered what really
become of that bear"
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