The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-07-28

hold fast" breed, well fitted TO hew
a civilized farm from the savage Will
derness, except that he was no hunter
or woodsman-merely n hard-working,
self-trained farmer mechanic. He did
not even own rife, which most pio-
neers consider the primal necessity.
But an ancient fliDt-loek musket, cap
tured from the British by his father
in one Of the Canada border campaigns
Of the War Of 1912, served his needs.
Mrs Barsand was strong woman,
one OF the tireless pioneer home-mak-
ers. In q new country, where nothing
could be bought and everything had
10 be bone made, the women. no less
than the men, had 10 be strenuous.
For many weeks. however, Mrs Bar
sand had been compelled to rest two
hours every alternate day, huddled
over fire with ague chills. She cheer
fully said this gave her system nee
essary chance 10 pause and consider
itself The ague was slowly wearing
off for IL was now late summer, and
the first frosts of autumn usually end
Ell HdIarla Tor lne year.
While langudly eating her supper OF
plump wild pigeon, floating ia its
nourisbing broth, hot j0hnny-cake and
butter, luscious wild backberries with
cream. and n fragrant wild herb tea,
supposed to be remedial for chills, pre-
pared by her daughter Marian, Mrs.
Barsand remarked. tentatively:
81 believe / should feel well as ever
IL could have three or four meals OF
real meat. Just think, Bethuel, we've
been here over year, and In ali that
time we haven't tasted bit OF real
meat except salt pork"
r'Why, mar said Jason, a sturdy boy
OF fifteen. "Why, we've had yenison,
bear, coon. rabbit, squirrel, wild tur-
key, partridge, quail, wild pigeon, wild
duck and FIVE or six kinds of FISH, till
we're almost tired"
"All these are only game; they're not
real meat, such as ma means" said
Marian.
Let me kill q chicken or pig for you,
dear" said Bethuel, eagerly.
mo, don't crave chicken or pig, and
we can't afford TO kill chickens or pigs
this year. Maybe it's only sick ap-
petite, but keep thinking how good
that bear ham was which Mr.. Crumly
gave us last fall, and 7 wondered II
you could spare time To- go bear-huDtinG
and get us some. Next thing to beef
steak, il seems 10 me benr steak would
do me most good, and come nearest TO
real meat I know you probably
couldn't get a pound Of beef or mutton
II you should search every settlebent
within u hundred miles. Settlers in
new country don't Kill any stock so
long as IL can be of any other use, and
not even pork till late November"
why, Harriet, yon know I'd spend
time hunting for anything you think
you'd like. Bear isn't generally thought
at all like beef, hut your craving II is n
good sight shows your ague is quit
ting, it's sign that bear ham is what
you ought to have, and have 1t you
shall. But don't he disappointed II
fail TO get IL right on. 'Tisn't quite
the bear-hunting season yet, but in n
week or two wen have 'em coming
right here after green corn, A man
may hunt and hunt and not see bear
in a month, though they're all about,
unless he meets one by accident
which generally happens when he'd
rather not and hasn't any gun"
At daybreak Barsand entered the
woods with his old musket loaded for
bear-seven buckshot on top of nearly
an ounce OF rife powder! Barsand al
ways overloaded and his idea was that
bear required an especially big charge.
Where to look Barsand did not know.
At first he wandered aimlessly about
the clearing. Then he remembered
that bears like blnekberries, and he
made large opening in the forest. II
was piled with fallen trees and brush.
and tbickly bordered with tall black
berry bushes loaded with ripe fruit.
Surely there should be bears here. and
there would have been il Barsand had
come earlier. A number had break
tasted here at daylight, and retired
after sunrise 20 doze away the hot
hours. Perhaps II q dog had searched
the great piles of brush logs In the
windfall he might have started a bear
or two; but Barsand discovered moth
ing larger than rabbits.
Next he went 10 n ravine. where
there were wild plums Just ripening.
Bears had been there, as even green
horn could see There were bic foot.
prints on patch of sand; but Bar.
sand could not trace them, or Judge
how fresh the tracks were, or where
they went
He next visited huckleberry
swamp, where ho wandered about a
long time. Only few hucklcberries
were ripe, but bears are fond OF them
nnd the swamp looked 10 be a GOOD
place FOR bears. But he found none
and ceasiDg 10 expect bears. he sat
down 20 lunch.
Before him was a small. shallow 200
q dozen feet across, dotted with lttl,
weedy hummocks. Beyond the poo
thick patches OF huckleberry bushes
taller than a man. covered thirty tree
less acres.
While Barsand was eating, two bear
emerged from behind the huckleberr.
fhicket ina front OF him across the pool
They appeared so suddenly and silent
fy that Barsand sat and stared. Tn
Two were playing with frog, whic
tried 10 escape into the pool One bea
pinned the sprawler lightly under