Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-06-18
He Did Not
Come Back.
"A Bear Story from the Wiids
OF Pennsylvania.

NOV who'd ever "a thunk that
Iva bear would "a come back so
tremendous quick as that un did,
arter the dose o. buckshot that I
socked into him." said Sizer Slocum,
who, with his twin brother Charles,
lived on little clearing beyond Ber-
rylot Hill Barren, near the head wa
tiers of Bear creek, Pennsylvania.
Who'd ever thunk it?" repeat
ed Sizer, who had come in with a
load of baskets.
81 don't know. Size" said Sim Bow
ers. the storekeeper who buys the
Slocum baskets. What was there
about it?"
Tut" exclaimed Szer. "Hain't it
got down here yit, about that bear?"
Guess not, Size" replied Bowers.
well, y jocks!" said the basket
maker. That's tremendous queer.
Why it was way back in corn shock
in time when it come to pass about
that bear Simeon.
ME an Charles had ies cut that
field o corn an shocked it up, ag'in
gettin' at it arter awhile an huskin'
of it out. Next day arter we got that
corn shocked up, l says to Charles:
"'Charles,' I says, our apple crop
amt prophesyin' very cheerin' win
ter l says.
NO, it amt, says Charles. 1T
won't squeeze out more'n two barls
o cider, if it d.es that said he.
An
that only two bar'ls o. cider to
winter over on amt no checrin' pros
poet.
But, anyhow, Charles I says, I'll
go down to the orchard an get the
crop together for squeezin'. An
you better go up in the swale,' l
says, AN chop out some saddles for
splintin' baskets
"An' I went to the orchard an
Charles went to the swale. | hadn't
been gatherin' apples more'n a little
while when along comes Dan'l Swart
that lives at the foot o. Berrylot.
'Hullo, Size he says. Good
mornin'. l see you've got your corn
cut an shocked, you an Charles
he says.
eyes l says.
Well says he. you didn't hire
no bear to unshock it an husk it for
you, did you?' says he.
We'll, scarcely ] says.
"'Didn't you?' says Danl. We'll,
there's bear in your field a-doin'
of it, as busy as bees. A tremen-
dous big one, tool says he.
"Then Danl clucked to his boss an
rid on. ! run to the house, got the
gun, an started for the cornficld to
shoot at the bear.
when ] got in that field, Sim
con. an see that bear a-cavortin'
'mongst the corn shocks I'd "a give
nine dollars fer government can
non, an I'd a-planted it there an
raked him fore an aft. I was so
contaminated mad that just rushed
ag'in him with yoop an yell an
fred the old gun at him, jest as if
he was only groun' hog.
"The bear quit his foolin' an'Iooked
over his shoulder at me, He seen
/ was tearin' mad, an away he went
into the woods. l skited as fast as
/ could up to the swale where Charles
was chopin out saddles.
"'Charles,' / says, "a bear has ben
unshoekin' our corn, an snatchin' off
the ears an scatterin' of 'em like
chaff,' l says. TIN take US two DAYS
to gether 'em up ag'in! says.
"'Not bear!' says Charles. You
don't tell me il was a bear!'
"A bear l says, as big an sassy
y jocks, as ever that I'M was that
come down outen the wilderness an
snatched the boys baldheaded fer
sassin' old Father Lijah!' l says.
Charles leaned on his ak q min.
ute, an then he says:
"'Sizer,' he says. that bear amt
through yet. We can't work in that
cornfield with no weapon but that
old gum he says. We must borry a
rife
80 me and Charles went up to
Joe Gould's an borried his rifle an
han'ful o buckshot fer our old
gun. Then we went back to the
cornfield to begin getherin' up our
oorn the pesky bear had scattered.
Simeon, there he stood' The
bear! There he stood again slashin'
away at the shocks o. corn, an
81 et M - ornurl ILL., oh;~. ~&>-