The Western news., 1903-07-29
A TOLERABLY|
SMART BEAR q

psTIL said he was mighty, glad he
VI didn't have any gun, or he'd
3elt all his life as if the mark of Cain
was branded onto his brow. So he told
me-" said the man from the 1.nob
country to New York Sun man. "The
way it came about, Gil had been talkin'
considerable for quite a spell, and up
and says, after while:
"'Gil,' says, 'ain't there quite pas
sill O. lyin' done about bears up your
way?' says.
"'Cause Gil lives nigh the headwa
tiers, and us folks don't git to go that
part O. the Knob country very often.
Consequence is that the things we hear
from there every now and then, per-
tick'ly when Gil comes down and drops
in on us over to the Eddy pears to me
runs pretty nigh to bein' amazin'. So
] says to Gil:
"'Ain't there quite paseil O lyin'
done about bears up your way" says.
"I guess mebbe you'd think so,'
says Gil, If you'd ever hear Jehiel or old
about 'em some fine day says Gil.
'Lyin'! l should say so! And it's a
shame, too! There amt no sort o.
need o. lynn about bears says he.
"'Bears is toler'ble smart some
times, though, up your way, amt
they" says I.
GA trifle,' says Gil. sort O. careless
like. Jest trifle, I take it, says he.
"Then l didn't say no more, but
%,,rr 4 ~ pouho,, a nd = %bo% +hiprc
was a leetle backward this spring,
wasn't they? just as if didn't care
anything more about Gil or his head
waters bears, and was goin' to argue
things more substantial. KNOWN that
Gil wasn't never goin' to let me off that
way. though, jest as well as knowed
he was settin' there on the shoe box
.chawin' borried tobacco.
"Reuben was gittin' all ready to say
somethin' about things bein' back
warder this spring than he had knowed
'em to be in 40 year, and then mention
few springs that come toler'ble nigh
bein' as backward as this un, when Gil
he shoves his hat to the back of his
head and says:
"'Smart!' he says. 'Headwaters
bears smart? Why!' he says, don't
you mind that un that played 1t so
smart on me last spring? Don't you
mind that un, Dan'l!' says he.
"Reuben wiggled so over bein' sot
back in his backward springin' that
thought at first that he was amin to
take Gil by the neck and shet him and
his bear off right on the start, but he
didn't. He only jest snarled little,
and settled back onto his cheer and tilt
ed it agin the counter.
Don't you mind that un, Dan'l?'
says Gil.
81 thunk minute, and then asked
Gil if it was the one that had stole the
nine cords O. bark from him and run
it over and piled it up onto Gideon's
slideway.
"'Was that un the one, Clip says
and, by eats, Gil never winked or
blinked or looked surprised.
"'No.' he says, as unmitigated as
could be. NO, Dan'l. that un amt the
one.' he SAYS. 4 Isarcumvented that un
don't you mind, and made him run the
hull nine cord o. bark back and put il
where he found it, says Gil; and Reu
ben then did everlasin'ly snort, and
thought sure he was boun' to choke
Gil and his bear right off hand, but he
didn't.
"'Last spring. says Gil, not waitin
to ask or to be asked any more ques
tions, 4 rolled barI O. pork into my
cabin. up along the headwaters, git
tin ready for bark-peelin' The bar
was chuck full o. nice hunks O. pork
clear to the chimes, and when opened
1t to git out some o. the pork, weel
or so afterward, dingbusted if as mucl
as quarter of it wasn't gone.
"'Some consarned thief or other ha,
sneaked into the cabin, opened tn
barI, took out the pork and lugged i
away, after headin' the bar'l up ag'i,
as tight and snug as it was when
rolled it in. DanI, I was 70 'tarna
mad that the way: ripped and More
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