The sun., 1903-09-27

l
the bear
uncle Jase hitched hisself OF O. the
mackerel kit ag in and levied on TO mother
amazin chaw out O. the terbacker pail
Simon being busy measurin' OH couple
o yards O. tickin' and Jonas scowled more
than ever. and said that II he ever did GIT
his sheer O. that Injin treasure he'd sub
scribe considerable to send Uncle Jase TO
the loonytic asylum. But Uncle Jase he
Jest hitched hisself back on to the mackerei
kit and perceeded on to make history,
1 got my knife, Danl, says he, but
! lost my balance and away | went after
the bear. As | was fallin' see was goln
! see more than that, too. Standin' on
that shelvin' rock, lookn' up ut the little
circus that had been goin' on in the tree.
was another big bear-bigger than ma, tothet thet
bear and l don't think he was spectin
it of me, fer he give an all-pervadin' snort
| and dove down into an openin in them
rocks quicker a good deal than l KIN tell
you
II dug my fingers into the bears hair
and hung on to him tight as burdock to
COW 5 tail, and by the time got my breath
back good, the bear must a galluped me
| into the dep's O. that big ledge more than
a hundred yards, and the bear was still
a-goin'. | had my huntin' knife that !
| had saved from t'other bear, and l could
"a put an end to this un then and there.
| but | thought I'd Jest let him go and see
| where he'd wind up.
We twisted and turned and jeed and
hawed around in them deps, the bear
! every now and then tryin to chuck me omen
his back, and takin' 1t into his head to baik.
Evry time he'd do that I'd jab him with
go ag'in. licketty-split. But what struck
| me was that sometimes l couldn't see no
more than if I'd been headed up in bar
| and then ag in things would shine out as
| if the sun was shown itself down through
| the chinks in the rocks somehow or other,
here and there, 10 bright that l couldh
hardly bear to look on the spots where IL
was, and wondered where all them smooth
yaller stones and white stones come from
| that | see layin' around in heaps every
whipstitch. Great goggle-eyed goats,
Danl! Fifty years Il fool and jest found
it OUT
Jonas snorted, and said he could "a
told Uncle Jase that, long ago. but Uncle
Jase jest grinned, and htched hisself after
| another chaw. Simon wasn't busy jest
then, though, and picked up the pail and
| took it down cellar so Uncle Jase had to
take Il chaw out of his pocket The disap-
p'intment didn't spile him fer history,
though.
Yes, Danl.' says he, after hitchin'
hisself back on 10 the mackerel KIT,
L wondered about the sun gittn'
into them chinks 80 glitterin' and
shiny, and about them heaps O. yaller and
white stones that laid around, but by and
by the bear got tired O gallavantin' me
around in there, and he turned fer the openin
ag in, and come tearin' out of it under so
ding much headway hat he couldn't stop,
and kerplunk he went into the ragin flood
of the creek, takin' me along
I'VE both went under, and when we come
up / thought mowt as well finish the bear,
havin' had fun enough, and the fight begun.
thick with blood that l could almost walk
onto IL. 1t was jest gettin' dark when
give the bear the dig hat ended him.
Il drawed him TO shore, and lookin' up,
10 and behold you! the frownin ledge was
gone, and | was standin' in the medders
way down along the still waters! Me ana
the bear had fit and hoated and foated and
fit, and hadn't never noticed it. But when
the fight was over we was jest nine mile
from where it started
"Danl l hadn't thought o that sarcum-
stance fer fifty year and better. but yes
terday there was some folks to my house
and thunk it up and told EN- about IT,
one of ON. jason says he, you was in
the Injun treasure cave that folks is goin
crazy ag'in to fnd." he says. Jason,
says he. 1you was in 1t, sure as cats!'
81 didn't sleep wink last night, Dan
but Jest tossed and tumbled on my piller,
KNOWN that mowt be waddin' knee deep
in gold and silver now. with dimon's shinin'
on me like the starry armament and memory
ha nting OF me not durn bit more than
memory ha MIS- the nussin' babe a-sleepin
on it's mothers knee, and full o. pap, if
hadn't been setch a dingnation fool that
time, and took em all fer shinin sun and
yaler stones and white ones"
After Uncle Jase had gone, the memory
of the missin terbacker pail ha'ntn' him
so he couldn't stay much longer, says TO
Jonas, who was scowlin' tremendous
"Jonas,' says, think you kin find that
shelvin rock?
Jonas didn't say but haint never heerd
of him tryin'; but if I'd "a knowed that
Uncle Jase would "a had to put hisself
through setch hair r-raisin tribulations, and
then to have EN- end up so terrible disap-
pintin to him. wouldn't "a asked him
fer to done it.