The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-09-09
TWO HEROES.
BY RUPE BARNEY.

typical Yankee" tall and lank. with
flowing beard and sharp-cut features
the other in every respect his opposite
short, thickset and wiry. with coal
black hair, 5ristling Roustache and
cast of countenance which betrayed
him at a glance TO be one OF the
French Canadian help" so often TO be
found on the farms of New England
We'll, I'm bound if it amt eoin' to
snow again!" finally remarked the for
mer, looking long and intently out OF
the window at the leaden sky, which
| seemed to grow more and more threat
ening every moment. Hope it will,
anyway, don't you, o. cause it's about
time to begin cuttin' down in the
swamp. anyway, and the more snow
the better the haulin', | say. Don't
know but we'd better go down there
and look things over, right away.
seem as how we haven't got anything
to do just now, what do you say?"
While Farmer Hepburn was speak
ing the Frenchman's eyes had been
wistfully fastened upon an old gun that
hung over the chimney place. a relic
of days gone by, and yet capable of
good service. "Thes rabbits, lots of
'em, down Their, too" was his eager
response, with shining eyes still fas-
tened on the fowling piece.
"Oh, you're forever wantin' to hunt,
you half Injun, you; it seems to come
to you sort of material like" replied the
tall farmer, good-naturedly, but the
sparkle which came into his eye at
the Frenchman's suggestion, and the
alacrity with which he got up and took
down the gun, religiously keeping it in
his own possession, indicated plainly
enough that the hunting blood runs in
other veins as well as those of the
sons of Canada.
"a great hunter, you BET" exclaimed
Mrs. Hepburn, with an amused smile,
as she hustled about at her work, while
her husband cleaned and loaded the
gun. Huh! you never shot anything
bigger'n a cat, yet, and if you should
happ1n to meet bear or something
of that kind, some day, you'd run like
frightened deer, the both of you,
know you would"
by jink, we wouldn't thought" was !!
the spirited response called forth by |
this remark, II never saw critter that |
was afraid of yet, no sir! You don't |
know me, Marthy. Nothin' could really |
scar mel" and the tall form strobe
proudly out Of the door, while the lit
tie Frenchman followed closely behind,
like faithful dog at the heels of its
master.
But in all their wanderings, not a
single sign of rabbit was anywhere
seen.
Both were keenly disappointed at
this turn in their luck Silas Hepburn
was well aware of the fact that if they
returned empty-handed his wife would
lot fail to have her comments to make,
and 10, on his part, was not to be rec
,nciled to the loss of a rabbit stew.
Let's go over into the great swamp at
he base of the mountain" suggested
5ilas, 1--WE ought to find some over
here, anyway" and away went the two
n the direction indicated.
It was a good five miles through the
leep woods to the swamp, but the dis
ance was accomplished at last, and
he hunt renewed in this more favored
ocality. Here in the dim depths of
n evergreen glade, the sharp eyes of !
o detected small hole in the snow at
mound beside log. "A rabbit hole!
lure 'nough!" he cried, pointing to it
n triumph, and such it certainly /
eemed to be. q
Under the direction of Hepburn, he d
ecured stick and proceeded to stir '
sunny up with it, when of a sudden i
he entire mound rose bodily in the n
ir and the two astonished men found a
hemselves face to face with huge l
ear! 1t had but recently lain down Il
or its long sleep beside the log and |,
cen covered by the late fall of snow, q
kept where its breathing had melted a
away. causing what had been mis- "
lken for the rabbits burrow. h
Both the men were so astounded at n
lie sudden occurrence that they drew q
ack quickly in alarm. This was all d
lie invitation that Bruin wanted to at "
nee take up the pursuit, and he forth 81
it'll started after the tall, gaunt form k
sfore him. at the top of his speedy
hen and there ensued such a race as F
I'D seldom been seen in those partic- a,
ar woods. Dropping his gun, the
rrified farmer rushed headlong al
rough the snow, shouting Justify to
} to come to his rescue. but the latter
the first show of danger had made
,od his escape Into the swamp. and
as already far on the way toward
me- ;.
Bruin, already weak from want of
cd, proved no match for the enor-
Gus strides with which Silas Hepburn
ade his way back through the swamp.
ID soon gave up the pursuit, un-
Town, however, to his intended VIC
n, who continued his flight without ~
opping to look back, until we'll out 81
to the clearings. -
Just before dark, two weary. crest -