Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-11-16
The Bear Blew Up

HANK STEVENS certainly does
have "all-fred pore luck ketch-
in bars these ere days"-let him tell
it. Somehow or other everything has
gone wrong just at the crucial mo-
ment. His gun has missed fire. gnat
has bit his nose and the bullet gone
wild. or the hand OF Providence has
stepped in and saved Bruin by a
miracle.
Since his last experience Hank de-
clares that Providence is against him.
Ii began a week ago when he attempt
ed to blast to pieces a big bowlder in
the dooryard. The bowlder had been
an eyesore ever since he built his
house and, after looking at and walk
ing. around II for IA years, he con-
cluded 10 get II out of the way. II
was too near the windows TO blow up
with an ordinary charge Of explosive,
so he conceived the idea of drilling a
dozen or more small holes and filling
them with tiny charges OF dynamite
The charges were 10 be exploded one
by one and the rock SO cracked that IL
could be split up with a wedge and
hammer
I After the holes had been drilled
Hank got a stick OF dynamite and, fol-
lowing the directions Of a storekeeper.
cut il up into small pellets about the
size OF peas. Then he laid the parti-
cles on the ground and went in 10
dinner. While he was dining the hired
man went into the front yard, where
he fed six chickens which had strayed
/ from the henhouse. The chicks not
only ate the cracked corn the hired
man tossed to them. but they COB
bled up every pellet OF dynamite that
had been whitfield from the main stick.
Apparently they mistook IL for relish
OF some new kind Of gravel, for they
ate il greedily. and Hank appeared TO
find six two-legged bombshells cack-
ling at the gate.
Good Lord. JIM" said he, as soon
as the facts dawned upon him. We
can't let them hens run around loose.
That dynamite's liable TO git TO gratin'
on stuns In their crops and blow up
the whole outfit Land sakes alive,
II | don't have the blamdest luck."
That's so. said Jim. edging away
from the fowls. Il reckon Il wouldn't
do to kick one on 'em. Likes not t
would blow yer laig to flinders"
We've got to ketch EN-" an
nounced Hank. determinedly. Life
won't be wuth tuppence until they're
dead. Jim, you go fetch me Buds but
terny net, and wen do the job now"
Slowly and with great care Hank
captured the six and wrung their
necks. Then. with still greater care.
he dressed the fowls and hung them
in the cellar. The crops, each con-
tanning enough dynamite to wreck half
the house. were strung on thread and
hung In the farmhouse. as that build
ing stood across the road in a grove
/ of trees.
The time set for this delicate opera
ton was early next morning. and
when Hank. accompanied by the hired
man. arrived at the farmhouse his
heart stood still. The door was wide
open and a paper sign on which had
been painted: Dynamite. Danger.
Look Outili" was lying on the ground.
"Jehosiphat, Mebbe it's tramps,
gasped the farmer Don't scare EN-.
Jim. or they may bump their heads
on them crops"
"Tramps, nothin'i" snorted jim.
who had been examining the ground.
ats a bar and he's went"
And bear it certainly had been, for
his tracks were plainly visible and
teeth marks we're indented in the soft
wood by the latch. one ham and al
the crops were missing.
Hank looked at Jim and Jim looked
at Hank.
"s'pose he'll blow up" asked the
farmer
DO know" replied the latter
Reckon we could git him with the
haound dawg?"
"Nal mebbe." admitted Jim. Tibet
is mebbe YOU could. but yourn truly
hain't much on huntin' loaded bars.
and besides. the three-acre corn patch
q lest achin' to be hoed.
~Sho. yer afeared." snorted HANK
I'm bet ye dasnt so"