River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-05-29
HeGot a Bear
After A11~ ~
Adventures of a Young Hunter
in the Knob Country.

man from KNOB county, III ain I ike
ly that they'd "a done it to him quite
so strong, but he come amongst 'em
struttin' an bIusterin', with his
yaller leggings an yaller coat all
full o. pockets an straps an belts,
an his shiny gun.
rs these the biggest woods you've
got around here? says he, sort o
sneerin'.
''Ihey told him them woods was the
biggest they had room for, as they
took up the best part o. the county,
an we thought they sized up pretty
well, bein's as he mowt travel all day
in them parts an find nothin' much
else but woods.
''They amt much better than
picnic grove!' says he, sneering'
some more. But mebby they'll do
he says Amy bear in emp says he.
owe told him there was few bear
left in 'em.
g BE you lookin' for bear?' says we.
"That's what I'm out to git says
he. I'm glad don't care to git more
than one, though, says he, for I'd be
disappointed. 1T don't seem to me
there was room in these woods for
more than one says he. But one is
all [ want says he.
''Now, I knowed my ownself where
four old dodwollopers was layin' low,
an Sile had couple marked down
some're else an Pete an RUDE an Eli
all on 'em knowed where they could
go an lay their hands on half dozen
more. But this young chap was SO
fresh an KNOWN an ridiculous stuck
up about it that we calc'lated to let
him flicker an see how he'd come out.
HE strutted an Dragged around
most a couple o. days fore he got
ready to go out an git the bear he
was after, an he hadn't been gone
long fore Sile he sauntered out with
his gun an his dog, Tige. Sile has
got big teeth an sharp nose an a
shinin' eye, an he is a ferce-looking
chap, / tell you, but he amt no fiercer
than rabbit.
"But he looks fierce, an no mistake,
an if you'd meet him in the woods an
didn't know him you'd sort o. wish
YOU was some'rs else. Pete an Eli
an the rest on 'em was there when
Sile went out with his gun an his
dog an L could see they was grin
min.
Sometimes up says I.
"The young chap got way over
nigh the old HOLIDAY patch lookin' for
the bear he was after, but it hadn't
showed up yit, when suddenly he
come cut facin' tall, fierce-lookin'
chapwith gun on his arm an an ugly
lookin' dog at his heels. 1t was Sile
an his dog, an the dog want no
fiercer than Sile was, though he
looked terrible ugly, but the fresh
young chap he hadn't never seen Sile
nor the dog.
Hullo!' says Sile, savage like.
1.-THE young chap he shouted back,
skeert like, an said 'Hullo!' sort o.
soothin'.
Then Sile he took a couple o. dead
pheasants out from where he had 'em
inside his coat.
Killed any yit!' says he.s
No. says the young chap. I'm
after bear
you're after says Sile, gruff an growl-
in. Here's what you're gointer git!'
isle he had his gun cooked, an begun
to finger it.
These pheasants is what YOU
want says Sile. They'll be two dol
lars. Lay still, Tige! Don't take him
till tell you tot
"Tige was layin' sound asleep under
bush, an hadn't noticed consarned
thing that was goin' on.
Don't take him till [ tell YOU toi'
says Sile. The pheasants'll be two
dollars says he, am they're what
you're gointer git!' says Sile, an he
handed 'em over to the young chap,
an the young chap handed Sile two
dollars an took 'em without a word
"Then Sile he kicked his dog awake.
an away they went. The young chap
he come in from his bear hunt as soon
as he could get in.
"'There amt no bear in this here
piece o woods o. your'n, so fur as /
could diskiver,' says he, but run gin
somethin' worse than all the bears
them woods could hold! I run ag'in
the cut-throatin'est lookin' bush
whacker that's out o. jail, an with the
help of his gun an a dog as ugly as him
self he highway-robbed me!
"'He held me up with force of arms,
an mowt jest as well "a said: "Your
money or your life!" for he made me
give him two dollars for these two
birds, not either of 'em as big as
banty chicken! I been Highway
robbed says the young chap, AN 1 de-
mand possy to go an run the robber
down!'
''He produced the pheasants in proof
of his charges. Eli, bein' constable.
took a look at the birds, an Pete an
the rest on 'em was GRIMM.
"'As to your bein' highway robbed,
SAYS ELI, that's reflection on the citi-
zens o. the Knob country that won't
hardly hold, but there amt no doubt
about your havih' these here two pleas
ants in your possession, ag'in the stat
ute in stitch case made an provided
The law amt up on pheasants yet
says Eli, am you're violator an a
trespasser ag'in it for navin' these