The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-10-20
HANKS
GRIZZLY
By HARRY IRVING GREENE.
(Copyright.)

Hank. the guide. peeped into the cof-
fee pot and then sat down on log to
await the boiling
The queerest reptyle ever l met he
| said, was up in Utah Driftcd into
Whisky Ike's parlor one eyenin', and
ieelin' pretty good, shot a few holes
Bimeby down comes little feller with
spectckles and looks me over He was
a funny lookin' critter. cock-eyed, long
body and short legs. like one of them
what do you call them dogs, Clawed
hat they bring up under . bureau SO
their legs can; grow"
"Dachshunds'
"Yes. | reckon them's il. His legs
was so short that when he stood up his
feet Just touched the floor and that's all
Prett. soon he says. I must insist that
YOU cease shoo.in' through my bedroom
1t Is very ai1noyin'. and il you do 40
any more ! will be compelled to take
the law into my own hands
How so?' | asks, curious enough
Well, he goes down in his pocket and
fishes around for spell like he had lost
somethin', and finally digs up a little
peewee. putty shootin' weppin about the
size Of cigarette and holds it out in
front of him like woman h'ists up a
dead rat by the tail. I shall shoot back
says he, frownin'.
"For a minnut was knocked speech
less, then l come TO slowly. OF all the
sawed-of. hammered down. nail-bi'in
death -breathiu', roarin'. tearin' bullies
ever seen, you are the wust,' ! says. and
turns away. But the next mornin', as
was settin' speculatin' on the here
after, Up comes this same little banty
and hires me to take him into the hills.
Come to find out he was buggist. one
OF them felers that is always stickin'
their noses into the private business of
toads and reptyes to find out what
they are doin' when they are home and
in the bu,zums of their families. Well,
we outhtted In a way that would make
pals dinn'-car look like a lunch
counter and struck out, and immediate
that feller commenced to get busy.
Every time he would see damned bug
a-crawlin' along the trail he wanted to
get off his cayuse and foller him home.
Durndest fool.
about week afterwards seen that
we had jumped the claim of an old
grizzly. First | noticed where he had
walered and then rubbed up against
rampike and slashed it with his claws
-settin' his trademark on Il and stakin'
ont his claim to that range I didn't say
nothi1 but at last the dude seen it him
self and blame me II he didn't know
in my life. He got interested at once,
- tz-l ~sxa a.,
on free lunch. Said he warted to
he had packed on lhis back, wanted to
foller him up and take his fotygraf at
clus range. | told him fothin' would
make me more happier; that dearly
loved to set down beside grizzly and
swap news with hin-kind of fad OF
mine-but that always waited Until
circus come along before gratifyin my
hankerin'
"'Oh sugar! They won't hurt you,'
he answered. Don't be afraid. have
read all about bears in books, and they
amt dangerous
That's all right, too, but suppose he
happens to be a gum chune bearH
asked.
"'A WHAT says he.
"a gum chune bear. Never heard
of one2 l am surprised that you didn't
read about them in your Biography A
gum chune bear is grouchy old bach,
or maybe a dissipinted old maid, what
gifts down on sassiety and longs to wipe
it out He noses around until he gets
big wad Of spruce gum and he cfaws
on that day after day to strengthen his
jaws. When he gets 50 he can chaw a
crow-bar off first shot out of the box.
then he goes a-wooin' trouble. Better
go little careful with this bear, pard !,
he might be gum chune.'
We'll, instead of scarin' the little
skeeter, that only made him more atx-
ious to spy the brute. I should dearly
love ter see a gum chune that l might
inspect his maxilaries, says he, what
ever them might be. didn't say no
more, but I thought If little, half
growed son of microbe like him dast
stay in the same country with grizzly,
a full-growed man like yer Uncle Hank
ought not be afraid to walk up to
one and pull his whiskers out. Well,
we camped there, and, sure enough, a
couple of days after run into the
tracks again. smokin hot, SO l hops
back right lively to camp
The buggist was backed up against a
tree with pair OF binders on. Said he
was examinin' the hairs on the legs OF
a skeeter to see what tribe he belonged
to, but when l told him | had rounded
up his game he dropped the inseck sud
den Where is he7' asks the little man.
about half mile up the gully yon
der. Better s,radde along right peart.
h., I I,,'t