The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-10-02

grounds he knew of. What did 1t
matter that he had SO much farther
to carry his load home? Chestnuts
were $1.75 a bushel and Saturday
came only once a week.
But when the sun was leaving the
tree-tops above him and getting tan
gled up among those to the west, the
boy began to realize that he had
rather large job on hand to take
nuts home before dark. In fact 1t
seemed to be an actual impossibility,
for he could not even lift the load.
Loath to leave his hard days work
behind, he resorted in an absent
minded sort of way to the boys
remedy for all difficulties, his pock-
cts He found there nothing more
promising than lot of stout linen
cord, and, rather as pastime than
from any serious purpose, he began
to knot this into rude harness, one
end of which he attached to the bag
of nuts. 1t was no use. Tug as he
would at the other end, he could not
draw the bag any distance.
Grunt! grunt! grunt!
1t occurred to him that the pigs
were disappearing pretty rapidly, as
though afraid of something. No one
was near him and the last of the
herd as it disappeared from sight in
the woods was scampering in unmis-
taxable panic. What did it mean?
Grunt! Grunt! Just behind him;
but this was one of quite another
lily he saw a young bear, about two
thirds grown, looking curiously at
him through the bushes.
Some boys would have been terri
bly, frightened; but this sturdy little
fellow had 1t from the lips of old
hunters that black bears are seldom
d: ngerous unless threatened or very
good-natured and playful as pup
py. Perhaps the bear had had SINH
lar instructions in regard to boys.
At least neither undertook to re-
treat, though neither yentured any
closer. The bear was between the
boy and his home; very likely the
boy was between the bear and his.
But meetings of this sort become
embarrassing and, to vary the situa-
ton, the boy finally did retreat a lit
tie way, although 1t took him farther
back into the woods.
The bear at once advanced, and
tho boy retreated farther. This
brought the bear to whefe the bag OF
ehestnuts stood, and being of an In
quiring disposition, he shifted over IL
few minutes. and then cuffed It
1t fell upon its side, and the bear re-
tired, somewhat startled at this unex-
pected movement; but he finally re-
turned and began q rough and tum-
BILE fight with his dumb adversary, as
kitten would attack a ball of yarn.
Then he bounded away again.
Now. 1t 80 happened that in his
antics he had got tangled In the
string harness, SO that when he
sprung away the bag sprung after
him. Here was a pretty kettle of
fish!
Bruin gave another leap forward,
theE fairly turned tail and ran
as only a frightened bear can run.
the bag In hot pursuit. and the boy
In the rear of both.
Neither the boy nor the bear no.
ticed in which direction they were
going until they dashed out of the
woods into the meadow back of the
boys home. Just as they reached the
edge the bag caught against log.
held back an instant, and then went
with bound that landed 1t upon the
| bear.
Bruin resented this; or, more like
iy, thinking that his time had come.
he resolved TO die fighting. For Just
one minute the air was full OF bear,
bag, growls and ehestnuts; and then
a black streak into the woods showed
where the bear. at last freed from
the strings, was making a hasty
| homeward trip.
After he was gone, the boy came
up and began to gather up the chest
nuts that were spilled in the short
conflict, BY dark he had them, all
carried to the house; while the hear
was probably at home reeounting his
curious adventure to his friends.