West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-01-14
ZED WHITE.
lie Roasts Chestnuts and Tells an Im'
terestlng Bear story.

White one evening, as he roasted
chestnuts over the hickory fire, al
think the bear ahead of all other
sorts. He may not look so mighty
cute, but when you cum to find out
about bar he's got mo- fun in him
than a monkey. Thar's heaps o. times
when he'd rather have lark than
fout, and yo've allus got to pitch
inter him fust to make row.
The old man was asked to relate
some instances of bear hunting, and
getting a coal for his pipe he
said:
"When l built my fust pigpen
we're | knowed that bars would be
around arter the hawgs, and SO /
aimed to make 1t b'arproof. 1t was
a mighty stout pen with a powerful
dosh to it, but | hadn't had hawg
in thar mon a week befo' a bar
took him out. Jest clawed that
doah open sumhow and want off
with hawg befo' could git outer
bed.
At sundow one eyenin' the old
woman got sight of the critter out
by that chestnut tree. He sot up
and looked at her and cooked his
eye and grinned, and when he was
gone she says to me:
"zeb White, is thar any fun in
BARI"
"Never heard as there WASP says
|, and what about it1'
"Kase that old bar is gwine to
play us some trick as suah's yo'r
bon. He was GRIMM as regular as
a human bein', and / could almost
hear him chuckle."
81 didn't pay much attention to
her words" explained Zeb, but
that was whar l missed it. What
dye reckon that bar did that night2
I'd shet him out by the door, and
he knowed thar was danger on the
roof, but he'd planned way to git
that hawg, and that's what he was
GRIMM about.
"That night he dug under the
logs and got his pork, and he left
hole as big as bar'l where he went
in and cum out. I've allus reckon
ed that when he got up into the
thickets with his meat he laughed
fur an hour at the easy way he had
beat me. AFTER that l went out o.
hawgs, KNOWN / had no chance
again sch smartness.
"Then thar was the case OF that
bar who used TO have den about
mile west of this. In his goin'
and cumin' he made a regular path,
same as sheep. sot a spring gun
on the path, and felt purity suah of
my game, but he walked around the
gun. Then / sot big trap and
kivered it all up, but he jumped
over it: Then laid out fur two
hull nights to git shot at him with
my rifle, but he weut meanderin
some other way. / was powerful
mad when I went home, and the old
woman sees 1t and says:
dts no use, Zeb that bar has
hot fun in him and he's lauehin' at
yo'. He's probably a brother of
the one who got our hawgs. Better
jess let him go and save yo'r tenn
per.
"But wouldn't do it," said the
old man. 81 made up my mind
I'd have the best of that varmint
befo' l got through. Next day l
took the spade, and at a proper
place on the path / dug pit long
huff and deep 'nua to hold an OK.
Took me two days to do it, and
when it was finished kivered it
over with sticks and dirt and upon
my soul nobody could tell that I'd
been diggin'. I was dead suah that
old bar would cum along and 20
PUNK to the bottom of the pit and
between my bsckache and thinkin'
OF him ! didn't sleep much that
night.
'Jest as soon as eat my break
fast I was off, but when got to the
pit il was the same as when I had
left it.
That made me bilIin' mad, and I
started up the path to the cave to
rout the varmint ou.. / wasn't
keepin' the lookout should have
been, and al Of the sudden the
critter jumped out ca mc. I was a
50 skeer, that ! dropped my rife
and turned and run, and he follow
ed clus behind.
"And you outran him, Of course?D
was asked, as the old man paused
and looked sheepish.
II was skippin' ahead Of critter, {"
he slowly replied, when 7 cum TO
that pit Befo' the Lawd, but I
was ratified dun forgot all about il,
and The fnsf fhine kr,,.vod r 81. !.