The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-26

was agoin back day after turkey day,
n wanted to git good talk 18th tn
gal. So puts it upto TIL crowd thet
we take a lunch 18th us in tn mornin',
hunt all day, N have big dinner at
night, same's heightened folks does on
sn,e OCCASIONS .as1 n they all agreed.
Then tells old Jim private that m
onto a place where he may mebbe
might git a. bear. tho I didn't ever
hear of one anywhere nigh there m
he swallowed 1t like pie, n men him
got away FIN the crowd, IN off by
our lonesome early, him clean forgit-
tin TIL gal.
Il walked him all over tn woods,
thru all the swamps, n other bad
places could sight, N longer bout
noon l had him plum outer wind, m
hungry n cross 8 a bear 18th a sore
head. So I proposed to him to set
down N rest bit, N eat a lunch
where we was, m I'd scout about a
little. N look up a good bear place, IN
come back fer him.
Where lef him was place where
five er six big pines he'd blowed down
n lef' their roots stickin' up twenty
feet in tn air like they alters do
Wen they're blowed over, m he set
down on one of them trees 18th his
back ga1nst tn roots, m piked off'n
lef'' him.
II didn't go not ten rod fore I
walked right onto Bob Bruce'n TIL gal
snuggied up 'mong some more of them
big roots where nobody couldn't see
EN-, n they was SO busy they couIdn t
break away fore was right onto 'en.
But shucks! They knowed + was all
anyhow we heerd tn old mans gun go
off twice, N then him a hollerin' fer
help like fog horn. We started to-
'rd m. N was goin' to rum but the
gal she says: 'Hol' on! Don't you be
in no rush. she says; les see wat
dads up agin',' she says. So we got
up IN easy sight, N old Jim was up
agin' the real thing, you bet your
neck.
| He was up top Of them roots, n
them a. bendin', n a, crackin' 18th his
heft. m on the trunk of the tree was
tn durndest, biggest old he bear ever
you see. a-reachin' out after him, N
only JUS not able to claw him by bout
four inches. I could see old Jim, he'd
drapped his gun, n more too that
them dry roots wouldn't hold him up
outer the bears reach n1ore'n a few
minutes. N I upped my gun to shoot
But tn gal she clloked me off agin, IN
! whispered to me to hold OH TIL bear,
but keep out of tn old mans sight till
she spoke to him, SO men Bob we
squatted down. IN that gal stepped
daddy.
Say, pa she hollered, .what.ll
you give me to plug i'm? she says.
ANYTHING on earth, old Jim he
hollers back: Fer Gods sake shoot
quick, fer feel them Id roots agiv-
in he says.
!" Well, I want Bob Bruce, with your
biessin, tn gal says: Dol git 'ein, fer
it's both er notllin' p
Jus then crack! goes q root, IN
old Jim settled down most 'ithin tn
old BEARS reach.
Yes. yes! You do, err any other
ID thing you want! But shoot, shoot
you id fool, er it'll be too late.'
An the gal: II me both let go right
there. n Mr.. Bear went off tn tree. m
out in less,n no time. m old Jim
comes down n rIbs the cramp out'n
his laigs. looks at tn gal hard. m
says: Well! I be id! That's all.
He didn't make no more kick ever
heerd Of.
Where tn bear come fun was too
many fer me, but old Jim said he
kinder dozed off, bein' tired, n first
thing he knowed he woke up, IN seen
him wa1kin by a weavin' his head
FUN side to side. m he up, m let go
at him twice. only l1ittin' him hard
enough to make him f1ghtin mad. The
bear put after him. n he drapped his
gun wen he got UP to reach the roots,
III f we hadn't a butted in tn bear I'D
"a got him sure. &C. C. Kelly.