Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1908-02-21
The intelligent animal

good bear. The Intelligent animal
went around for a few dayR with Q
grieved and hurt look on has face.
But Hal fed him well and petted him.
and to make up for the loss of check
ers. started in to teach the bear
poker. Maybe he was bad bear at
heart, and maybe 1t was just his won
derful intelligence; but it took the
bear even less time to learn to play
poker than 1t had to learn checkers,
and he seemed to enjoy 1t good
deal more, too, which makes me think
that at the bottom he was a sort OF
Tenderloin bear and not the truly
good creature he appeared at nrst
acquaintance. Anybody who doubted
the bears ability as a poker player
had only to sit in game with MIN
once. He didn't need to sit twice.
"'Such q bear! such bear! said
Hal Jenkins In an admirtng way one
evening after the furry gambler had
bluffed him out of big pot. No one
would think to look at your innocent
bland countenance that you possess
the guile you do. If you had only
lived in old Mississippi river steam
boat times you would have been
worth a fortune to the man who
owned YOU.
.And lust as the bear was about
developed into the best poker player
in town, Elder Allison returned from
the city.
"Of course there was nothing for
Hal Jenkins to do but to return the
bear to Deacon Stebbins, who turned
him over to the elder. The elder
took his pet home with him, the faith
full animal showing signs of unfeigned
joy at the return Of his old master
That evening the elder thought he
would have a game of checkers.
"'Now we'll have a little game,
he remarked compiacent like, just tt
see how much you have deterior
ated during my absence
THE bear trudged over to thu
place where he knew a pack Of card
was kept In the meantime the eide
got out the checker board and set tn
pieces. The bear shuffied the card
and dealt out poker hands. Each wa
busy and did not notice what tn
other was doing until the good eide
moved one of his pieces-he Away
liked to have the first move. The
each looked at the other mightil
amazed.
"'You may think we need the card
for counters, snarled the elder, Sol
of impatiently; but we don't. We
only play two or three games, an
y, of course I'll take them all"
81 see the one check you hav
bet he seemed to be saying to hin
, self, but why do you scatter the rel
: about the board instead of stackin
them up like a Christian?
1.-THE bear never was much Of co
versationalist. He took another pee
: his checker pieces, slid out one
the piece the elder had put forwal
and stacked up ten others alongsit
:, of 1t. 1t was plain that he was Sc
! ing the elders supposed bet and RAJ
:, ing it ten.
"The elder looked at this stranl
: proceeding in amazement. Then
:, noticed the five cards the bear W
= holding and the way the checker-m
i were stacked up. His look chang
- to one of holy horror.
- Wicked, depraved bear! he thu
a dered. Is this the way you put
: your time while l was away? Leaf
- ing games of chance, after my carel
:. efforts to keep you from gamblin
~ It's penitence and a short chain, a
20 hard bumps that will be coming
nt you until you appreciate that the W
Is of the transgressor is hard, and Il
as it is the duty of every good bear
~ stick to the game at which his mast
Of can win
at "At this the elder grabbed
~ stick and began pounding the be
N, At first the bear seemed hurt, M