Evening journal., 1905-04-08

y
The hand of INC doctor sioept the bald mean
Of bcncU0lencc at the top Of has head
I'd enjoy It all the more when did
hev IT, one day / went of cuttin' tim
ber an stayed TN mos night Comm
home / got t thinkin' o thet ham, an
made up my mind I'd hev some fer
supper The more / thought Nv it
the faster hurried, am when 1 got
hum I was hungrier n I'd been fer
year When / see the OF bears tracks
an the empty peg where the ham had
hung / went & work an got mad.
Then ] started after thet bear Track
ed i'm over yender up Cat mount'in."
Here Alb paused He had a way OF
stopping always at the most interest
ing point to puff at his pipe. It looked
as II he were getting up steam for an
other sentence, and these delays had
the effect Of continued in our next"
XIII 'im?" Uncle Eb asked.
Licked him." he said.
"Huhw we remarked incredulously.
Licked 'lm," he repeated, chuckling.
"Went into his cave with a sled stake
an whaled 'im-whaled i'm till he run
fer his life"
Whether ii was true or not l have
never been sure even to this day, but
Abs manner was at once modest and
convincing.
should a thought he'd "a rassled
with ye," Uncle Eb remarked.
Didn't give i'm time" said Alb as he
took out his knife and began slowly
TO sharpen a stick
Don't never wan Z rassle with no
bear" he added, "but hams is too
source here n the woods C. hev 'em
TUX away fore ye know the taste NV
em. l amt never been hard on bears.
Don't seldom ever set no traps, an l
nin't shot a bear fer more'n ten year.
But they've got t be decent. II any
bear steals my vittles he's goln & gil
cuffed hard"
Abs tongue had limbered up at last
His pipe was well a-going, and he seem.
ed TO have struck an easy grade. There
was a tone Of injury and aggrievement
in his talk of the bears ingratitude
He smiled over his whiting as we
laughed heartily at the droll effect Of il
AN
"D'ye ever hear O. the Wild man at
roams round n these woods?" he asked
"Never did" said Uncle Eb.
"I've seen i'm more times n We could
shake stick at" said All. crossing bis
legs comfortably and splitting into the
fire. "Kind O. think he's the same man
folks tells NV down n Paradise valley
there-'at goes round n the clearin' aft
er bedtime"
''The night mang ! exclaimed.
Guess thets what they call 'im.
said Alb. Gurus mani Sometimes I've
he'd good squint at i'm off n the
woods He's wilder n deer, an I've
seen i'm jump over logs half as high
as this shanty jest as easy as ye'd hor
a twig Tried T. foller i'm once err twice
but tain no use He's quicker n a will
cat"
"What kind OF a looSin' man is hep
Tip Taylor asked
"Great, big. broad shouldered feller,'
said Alb. "Six feet tall II he's an inch
He'd a kind of a deerslxln jacket or
when l seen i'm an breeches an mecca.
sins made o. some.kind O. hide. l recol
lee one day l was over on the ridge
two mile er more from the Saltwater
goin' south. ! seen i'm gittin' a drink
at the spring there in the burnt timber
An II l amt mistaken there was a real
live panther playin' round i'm. II
'twan't a panther twas pesky nigh it,
can tell We. The critter see me fust and
drew up is back. Then the man goi
up quicker n a fash. Soon s he see
me, Jeemimey, didn't they novel New
er see no human critter run as he did
{ A big tree he'd fell cross a lot O. brush
right n his path. I'll be gol dummed il
'twan't higher n my head! But he
: cleared it jest as easy as a grasshoppei
d go over a straw. ia like T. know
e where he comes from, gol dummed if
? wouldn't He's the consarndest queer
0 est animal n these woods"
5 Alb emphasized this lucid view OF tn,
! night man by an animated movement
4 Of his fist that held the big hunting
Z knife with which he whitfield. Then h,
emptied his pipe and began cutting
more tobacco.
Some says e s a ghost" said Til
Taylor, splitting his sentence with
yawn, as be lay on buffalo robe in thu
e shanty.
"Shucks an shoestringsw said Alb
HE looks too nat'ral. Don't believe n,
: ghost ever wore whiskers an long hai
> like his'n. Thet don't ho' Z reason"
4 This remark was followed by dea,
, silence. Tip seemed to lack both cour
age and information with which to pro
8 long the argument.
Gerald had long been asleep. and w
: were all worn out with uphill travelln,
and the lack Of rest. Uncle Eb wen
e out TO look after the horses that wer
e tethered near US. Alb rose, looked III
+ through the tree tops. ventured CUES
d about the weather and strobe of int
the darkness.
We were i've days in camp, hunting
. fishing. lighting flies and picking blue