Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-04-11
d new nower or some bit Of mineral be
picked up in the foothills or big
bunch Of desert roses.

y new mower or some DIT or mlneral ne
picked up IN the foothills or a big
bunch Of desert roses.
One day Gingerface rode in and drop
ped an Indian basket of ripe cherries in
Minervy's lap. HE sent EN-" says
the greaser, and q sunset wasn't a
patch to the girls face.
She sent back her thanks to Barron
by me, and when Barron asked me II
she 'peared to like the cherries put 1t
on thick, now, tell you.
The next morning he started of with
q basket and rode nigh twenty mile
back towards the ranch, but not on the
regular TRAIL where he'd found the
cherry tree. Nobody saw just 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 a side hill
among a lot Of powders. They'd have
made a powerful good cover for Injuns
in the old days. They made powerful
good cover for something quite az bad
on this day I'm telling you Of.
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 q sudden discovered grizzly,
something like the size of we'll grown
bull. meandering along after cherries
too.
Well, there was that cowpuncher up
the tree without even his gun--hs'd
slipped 1t of when he started to climb
the trunk-and big bear standing on
his hind legs and stretching himself
to reach the boys dangling feet.
Soon's the bear saw 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 come a game Of lodging around
them powders. Barron was light and
active, but the bear was eager and
bound to make an example Of the first
Teller he'd caught In his orchard. And
the old devil was wise too. He seem
ed to keep between Barron and his gun
all the time.
Well, them two circled about there
a dozen times until Barron was we'll
nigh played to q FRAGILE. But twas
run or die, and Barron suddenly found
himself dead anxious to live even II
he had been throwed down by n 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 grix-
giles aren't usually much on the climb.
So, getting dead. sore on his present gy-
rations, Barron broke for the rock.
He reached II just ahead Of the bear,
and that's all.
The trail was three good miles 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 direction. Leastwise
through the glasses she seen two black
tigers on the hillside, one on top OF
the rock and one gyrating round 1t.
They looked funny, and she rode over
and saw 1t was q man and a 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 hair lariat slung to her sad
dlebow. Barron tried to keep her away
from danger, but she rode right up
within proper distance, dropped the
loop over that bears head as pretty as
q picture and then set her pony down
the hill at canter.
Before Barron could get his gun and
run up to the grizzly the brute was
choked plumb dead. And reckon
right then and there Barron decided
that girl who knew what to do for a
man besieged by a grizzly would wear
a dern sight better in this country than
a girl who looked pretty behind tea
table.
: Leastwise, he and Minervy filed the
basket with cherries again and rode
back to the ranch to tell the Goshens,
and two months later. when the par
son come through rounding up" the
couples, as he done once q year, they
were married, and l amt never heard
that Barron was sorry he went after
fhar11 ohoV-x-fo0