Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-07-19
wound high up Ia his hin quarters, On
he Is trayellin fast. d. zs::

t
Ing his head with some trace Of linger-
ing sorrow. Ray said he, =soberly,
after little silence, when ye see ..
bear lookin' your way, ef We want i'm,
always shute at the end thet's toward
We. - f.. "a. M MI i IT, T.. II: 4.
There was no better bear-hunter in
the north woods than D'ri, and to lose
a bear was, for him, no light affliction.
Cant never break bears neck by
shutin' i'm in the him quarters" he
remarked. - &,5ssss 81 ~ -:
made no answer. y -,
Might jest es we'll spit n is face"
he added presently; .'jest eggzac'ly."
This apt and forceful advice Gained
q, lingering sense Of duty, and he rode
on awhile in silence. The woods were
slooming in the early dusk whe~ he
spoke again. Something revived bis
contempt of my education. He had
been trailing after me, and suddenly
felt his knee.
''Tell We this, Ray" said he, in a
kindly tone. "Ef We wan t git bear,
got t mux i'm up a leetle forard-
right up n the neigh borhood NV is
fo'c's'le. Don't dew no good t shute
Is hams. Might es well try t choke
i'm t death by pinchin' is tall
We We're out in the open. Roofs
and smoking chimneys were silhouet-
ted on the sky, and, halfway up hill,
we could see the candle-lights of the
red tavern. There, in the bar, before
blazing logs in great fireplace, for
the evening had come chilly, table
was laid for us, and we sat down with
hearty happiness to- tankards of old
ale and a smoking haunch. I have
never drunk or eaten with a. better
relish. There were half dozen or so
sitting about the bar, and all ears were
for news Of the army and all hands
for our help. If we asked for more
potatoes or ale, half of them rose to
proclaim it. Between pipes of Vir-
ginia tobacco, and old sledge, and
songs of love and daring, we had
memorable night. When we went to
our room, near II o'clock, I told D'ri
OF our dear friends, who, all day, had
been much in my thought.
"Wus the letter writ by herr" he in
quired.
''Not doubt of it,
Then it s all right" said he, "A
likely pair o gals them air-no mis-
take"
"But think they made me miss the
BEAR" I answered.
'Ray," said D'ri, soberly, when yer
shutin' bear, eff We want i'm, don't
never think o nuthin' but the bear"
Then, after moments pause, he add
ed: Wont never hev no luck KILN
bear eft We dom quit dwellin' so on
them air gals
l thanked him, with smile, and
asked if he knew Eagle island.
Ben all over it half a dozen times"
said he. "'T ain no more n 20 rod
from the Yankee shore, tibet air island
amt. We c'u'd paddle there in day
from our cove"
And that was the way we planned
to go-by canoe from our landing
and wait for the hour at Paleyville, a
Yankee village opposite the island.
We would hire team there, and con-
vey the party by wagon to Leraysville.
We were of at daybreak, and. going
over the hills at a lively gallop. Cross
ing to Caraway pike, in the Cedar
meadows, an hour later, we stampeded
a lot Of moose. One of them, great
bull. ran ahead of us, roaring with
fright. his antlers rafting upon bush
and bough, his black bell hanging to
the fern-tops.
Don never wan t. hev no argument
with one O. them air chaps less We
know purity nigh how t s comm out"
said D'ri. "Alwus want a gun es we'll
es purity middlin' ca-a-areful aim on
your side. Then We re apt t. need a
tree, tew, fore We git through with it.
After moments pause he added:
Got t. be joemightyful stout tree, er
he II shake We out Nv it LUX ripe ap-
pie"
''They always have the negative side
Of the question:" said: Don't be-
lieve they d ever chase a man if he ID
let 'em alone''
"Yis, Stree, they would" was D'rfs
answer. II We he'd 'em come right
efter me fore ever I c'u'd lift a gun.
Ye see, they re jest es Gurus bout
man es man is bout them. Eff they
can't smell i'm they re terrible GURUS.
Jes' wan t see what s inside NV i'm
an what kind NV a smellin' critter he
is. Dunno es they wan t. dew i'm any
pertic'lar harm. Jes' wan t. mux i'm
over a leetle; but they dew it awful
careless, an he amt never fit t. be.
seen no more"
He snickered family as he spoke.
"An' they don't nobody see much Nv
i'm efter thet, nuther,' he added, with
smile. s. 49,.
II member once big bull tried t.
find out the kind o. works I he'd in me.
II wan no moose-jest common or
d'nary three-year-ol' bull"
Hurt you?" queried.
mo; t hurt 'im," said he, soberly.
"Sp'ilt i'm, es We might say. Could MT
never bear the sight NV a man efter
tibet. Seem so he did MT think he wus.
fit t be seen. Nobody c'u'd ever git n
mild O. tn poor cuss. He'd t. be
shot,
what happened?"
"Hed stout club N my hand" said
he: Got holt NV is tail, an begun
a-whalin' Nv i'm: Run i'm down a
steep hill, an passin' tree, TUX
one side an he t. other: We parted
there fer the las time" ..s
He looked of at the sky moment.
Then came his inevitable addendum.
which was: II he'd a dam sight more