Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-06-25


up and banged away up the creek at
somethin'.
I'VE heard a howl, and then
thin went smashin' and dashin' on up
the creek, though we couldn't see what
1t was for the thick laurels. Uncle 81
had just begun TO tell US that il was a
bear, and that he only see one of its
eyes as the bear was peepin' out o the
brush, when some one from up that
way hollered:
Hi, down there! What in Sam Hill
you dom? That was my bear, and I've
been followin' it more'n ten miles!
What you jumpin' in and skeerin' it
away for?'
CLOSE onto that holerin' the man
that made il came breakin' out o. the
laurels. 1t was Old Jake, and he was
madden than wildcats. / guess mebbe
there'd a been quite some hot squab-
bin betwixt him and Uncle 81 if jest
then we hadn't heerd two shots beyond
the l%aurels, and we all hurried on to see
what was up; all but Joe. who disky-
cred that he had gone lame, and so he
had to turn and go back home.
Beyond the laurels who should we
come out on to but Gabe and Josh,
holdin' their guns in their hands and
lookin' skeert.
"'Bears come a-tumblin' out o. them
~laurels like bees out of a hiye!' says
Gabe. They went over the hill and
down into the holler yonder a skitin'.
I don't know how many me and Josh
filed with lead, but l seen one of 'em
hump himself and sort o. fall behind
the rest and look tired
'Then Evander spoke up and said
that he'd be darned if he was goin' TO
tag on behind a lot O. bears without
gittin' a chance 10 have a shot at'em,
and so he'd go back home.
"'More'n likely thatn be a good idea
for you. Evander,' says Uncle 81, for
the chances is that the bears have cir
eled round and gone back 10 the creek
ag'in.' he says, and you can't help but
run ag'in two or three Of 'em on your
way in he says.
$50 Evander said be didn't want 70
take no setch advantage as that Of a
party like our'n, and he stayed with US.
eve went down in the holler and
Searched and secuted and s'arched, but
we couldn't git track o that drove o
bears. nowhow. BY and by We heerd
some one hollerin' and yellin' for help,
off in a little swamp. He wanted help
cause he was freed by a bear, he hol-
Tered. and all Of us but PalSy's Bob hur-
ried over there 20 help him.
"PaIey's Bob said he'd be %consarned
II he hadn't lost his pocketbook com
in down TO the boiler, and he must go
hack and look for il. / guess he must
a had a hard time a findin' Of II, cause
he hadn't got back yet when we left.
THE teller in the tree was young
Ike. A big bear was al the foot of the
tree. sure enough, but / see 20 once
that he was deader'n a milestone.
"'Him and another one came tearfn'
In here says young Ike. comm down
GU to- the tree. lookin' sheepish, and
skinned up this tree. Tother bear
went on, but this I'm squatted right at
the foot o. the tree, and thought he
was treein' me, and waitin' fer me to
tumble out says young Ike.
old Jake swore up and down that
the dead bear was the one he had
chased ten mile. Uncle 81 declared IT
didn't make no difference whether
Jake had chased the bear ten mile or
4wenty. IL was the bear he had sent his
rifle bullet into up in the laurels along
che creek. or Il wouldn't be layin' there
dead like il was.
eli reckoned that the bear was n
that would be alive and well yet IL
he hadn't sent that charge Of lead into
Il inst after young Nose had shot the
bear dog Socky. and Gabe and Josh
wanted TO bet all they was worth that
the hear was one that had bumped it,
self and got tired after Gabe and Josh
had banged away into the drove OF
bears up on the hill.
"No tellin' what mawt a happened
bv and by II Big Jim, from Ball Hill,
hadn't come along with a gun on his
shoulder.
".Youu find a load O. buekshot in
chat bears liver says he, and not an
other ounce o. Lead he says. The
buckshot slid out o this here gun o
mine about half an hour ago, over
yender in the swamp he says
THAT'S what they found in the bear
Ia big load o buekshot in its liver,
and nothin' else. Big Jim took the
bear. and we came home. IL was con-
sider'hle q a bear hunt, but I've got an
idea that Uncle 81 didn't iedge Pete so
consumed hasty that mornin' after
all."-N. Y. sun.