The Irish standard., 1905-06-03

Terrible pity he exclaimed shak-
ing his head With some trace of linger-
ing sorrow. Ray" said he, soberly,
after a little silence, when We see a
bear lookin' your way. eff ye want i'm,
always shute at the end thet's toward
ye."
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 a bears neck by
shutin' i'm in the him quarters" he
remarked.
made no answer
might jest es we'll spit n is face"
he added presently; Jest eggzac'ly."
This apt and forceful advice calmed
a lingering sense of duty, and he rode
on awhile in silence. The woods were
glooming in the early dusk when he
spoke again. Something revived his
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 ye wan t. git bear.
got t mux i'm up a leetlc for'ard-
right up n the neigh borhood NV is
fo'c's'le. Don't dew no good t. shute
is hams. Might es we'll try t choke
i'm t death by pinchin' is tail"
We were out in the open. Roofs
and smoking chimneys were silhouet-
ted on the sky, and. halfway up hill,
We could see the candlc-lights of the
red tavern. There, in the bar, before
blazing logs in great fireplace. for
the evening had come chilly, a table
was laid for us, and we sat down with
hearty happiness to tanliards of old
ale and a smoking haunch. ! have
never drunk or eaten With better
relish. There were half n 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 II. Between pipes of Nir-
ginia tobacco. and old sledge. and
songs of love and daring. We had a
memorable night. When we went to
our room. near - o'clock, told D'ri
OF our dear friends. who. all day. had
been much in my thought
"Wus the letter writ by her?" he in
quircd.
mot a doubt of it."
"Then it S all right" said he "a
likely pair O gals them ail-no mis-
take"
but think they made mo miss the
bear | answered.
"Ray," said D'ri, sobnrlv. when yc,
shutin' a bear, Of yc want i'm. don't
never think o. nuthin' but the bear. >
Then. after a moments pause, hc add
ed: Wont never hcv no luck killin
bear eff ye don quit dwclin' so on
them air gals"
| thanked him. with smilc. and
asked if he knew Eagle island.
Ben all over it half a dozen times,
said lie. "'T ain no more II 90 ROD
from the Yankee shore, tibet air island
ain't. We c'u'd paddle there in day
from our cove"
And that was the way we planned
to go-hy canoe from our landing
and wait for the hour at Palcyvlle, z
Yankee village opposite the island
We would hire team there, and con.
Vey the party by wagon to Lcraysville
We were off at daybrcak. and eoins
over tho hills at lively gallop. Cross
Ing to Caraway pike, in the Cedar
meadows. an hour later we stampedef
lot of moose. One of them, a grea
bull, ran ahead of us, roaring will
fright, his antlcrs rattling upon busl
and bougll. his black bell hanging tt
the fern-tops.
"Don' never wan t. hev no argument
with one O them air chaps less W
know purity nigh how t s comm out,
said D'ri. "Alwus want o gun es vel
es a purity middln' ca-a-arcful aim or
your side. Then ye re apt T. need g
tree, tcw, tore ye git through with it. >
After moments pause he added:
Got T. be 4 joemightyfml stout tree. el
he II shake We out NV 1t LUX ripe ap.
pie"
"They always have the negative side
of the question:" said. Don't be.
lieve they d ever chase man il he d
let 'em alone"
"Yis, Stree, they would" was D'ri's
answer. II We he'd 'cm come righ
efter me fore ever I c'u'd lift a gun
Ye see. they re jest es GURUS bout q
man es man is bout them. Ef 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. dow i'm any
pertic'lar harm. Jcs' wan T. mux i'm
over lcctle; but they dew it awful
careless, an he amt never fit T. be
seen no more"
He snickcred family as he spoke.
AN they don't nobody see much NV
i'm cfter thet. nuthcr" he added, with
a smile
u member onccE biz bull tried t.
find out the kind O Works | he'd in me-
IT wan no moose jest common or
dnary three-ycar-ol' bull"
"IIurt yon?" ! qucricd.
mo; t. hurt im," said he soberly.
Split i'm. es yc 1pight say Could Mt
never bear the sight nv u man cfter
tibet. Seem so he did nj think he WIS
fit t. be seen. Nobody c'u'd ever git n
mild O tn poor cuss. He'd t. be
shot"
What happencd9'
He'd 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 a tree, / TUX
one side an he t. other. We parted
there fer the las time"
He looked off at the Sky a moment.