Arizona republican., 1903-04-17
boat up to the stump and told the bear

boat up to the stump and told the bear to jump in.
 He did so and Gabe began to worK his way toward high ground. After q while he said to the bear:
 You look like an accommodating; sort of bear and you ought to be will ing to pay your passage with your hide and tallow. You ain't so very fat, but lean bear meat is a good deal better than none when hog meat is sorter scarce. I'll take you out of here as |, humanitarian - whatever that may mean-but when I get you out I'll shoot you as a sportsman, and we all know what that means.''
 The bear didn't say anything He caught up an ear of corn and began To amuse himself. Along about sunse, the boat touched the foot of a ridge and the bear walked ashore. Gabe looked at him a moment and said
 Tt would be rather scaly to kill you after saving your life. Hurry on away as fast as you can and don't tempt me ''
 The bear seemed to understand and waddled off, halting on the crest of the ridge to wave his paw at Gabe. Mind
  government reports, but they say that Gabe is as truthful as any government, and he vouches for it.
 And he has the following to add:
 Some time during the autumn he was going through the river bottoms when he was attacked by wild hogs. He killed several of them, got out of au- intuition and took to his heels Two monstrous boars took after him. He climbed a sapling and there he was.
 Nothing is more ferocious than a wild hog. When he trees a man he is more than likely to gnaw the tree down or hang about until his victim starves to death; and Gabe thought of this as he sat there looking down into the foaming mouths of the boars. He said tha, their tusks appeared more than a foo, | long. Sometimes they amused them selves by moving down the under 1 brush.
 1 Gabe knew that they were hankering to whet their ivory scythes on his ribs
 l prayed all sorts of prayers" said he. Prayed harder and harder as the day began to fade. I felt the sapline shake and I heard grating noise and | were gnawing at the sapling There didn't seem to be any hope. I saw a | buzzard flying overhead and offered him my plantation for his wings. bu, he paid no attention and sailed round and round.
 | He was waiting to have pick a, my bones after the hogs finished with me. Well. all of a sudden the hogs boo hooed and made off as fast as they could. Then I saw a bear come tearing through the bushes. He came up tc the tree and waved his paw at me, and I wish I may die if I didn't recognize my old friend of the flatboat.
 T got down in hurry and he went with me through the woods, keepine close to me till I got to the edge of the timber near my house, and there h; left me-
 Some one who believed every word of the story said to Gabe: T under stand that you, along with old Beasley objected to the paternalism of the gov ernment. But you accepted help from bear"
 "A bear and a government are two different things Gabe replied. q nave known a good many bears, firS1 and last, but I never knew of one t. interfere with states rights
 Once a relief boat steaming across z field came to a shanty almost under water. On the roof sat commercial traveller. He had been there three days.
 The first thing he called out was Say. did you bring a newspaper witl you?"
 To him there was no deprivation SC distressful as being shut out from tn, news of the day.-Opie Read, in Chi cago American.