The sun., 1908-12-06


- - = - - g -
/ though. Is Aa<1 fIzat ~ #aa - fiat -.
81 down I'll lIEsE, end Flzht away %
ss hls AiIn g - thGrs Tss IN Hloss 9 ~ 49,
| With 'tater knife. and he considered tc
'TWistin' tie top o. the bag together
and squeezin' IL .bstwixt his knees, with
the two cubs gquirmln' around In 1t, Tru-
man waited tili the old bear como down
nigh enough, not KNOWN what was wait
n for her and there he grabbed her by
heirloom 'tatef knife into her jest ahead
Of her tall With o howl that almost
split the old stub and tumbled IL apart,
up out o. that holier the bear went 30 fast
that IL was like blast bein' sot o6 under
her, Truman clutohin' her tail with one
hand, sookin' the 'tster knife into asr ger
with t'other, and not fergittin' to keep his
holt on to the bag o bears.
"'The old bear never stopped when
she got to the top. She kept on goin'
with jump from the stub that landed her
and Truman and the bag o. cubs on In
the brush more than twenty foot. The
tumble broke Truman's clutch on the
bears tall.
s'The bear never stopped to see what
it was that had happened to--her. but
went clumpin' away into the woods.
Truman started after her I'LL she got
out o. sight, and then he discovered
somethin' that made him mad
says he. aShe's gone and took the 'tater
knife with her. stickin' in her baokl' he
s'Then the hull awfulness of his nosin'
into things hit him all Of heap.
""Great Peterl" says he. I've gone
and lost mothers heirloom 'tater knife!'
s!And Truman Apthorp Jest wilted
right down and hpwled and beloved.
He didn't dast 60 home with the news,
and he didn't have nothin' 10 kill hissef
with. He was on the pint o. gittin' up,
taltin' his bag o. bear cubs and Tunnin'
away to be a sailor or somethin' when
that looked as IL he had been workin' in a
sawmill and the savmll had got the best
of him, the way his clothes was hangin'
In tatters on him, and the scratches and
gouges and general mussin' up o. things
that was distributed around over him.
she stopped when he seen Truman;
and slathered and mummixed as he was
his ownsef he seen that Truman had
q lot o. trouble on his mind too.
.,.-sonny.' says he what pears to be
a'But Truman. seein that it was about
all the man could do to hold hisseh
saWelI, what has gone and tore you
up so amazin' your ownself9' says he.
Wildcat" says the man. Been
rasseln' with wildcat says he.
"But you got away without losin
nothin'?" says Truman. =
- Nothin' but pound or 30 o meat.
says the man, 'and two or three yards o.
oIntbaa aa D1avha Won might o. n0tiOAdp
a. aShuoks!" says Truman. "sech as
them kin be got ag 'inl' says he. But /
have lost an heirloom 'tater knife. says
he, "that money nor lands couldn't
bought says he. "and the likes Of which
he.
And then. good as he could. fer his
feelin's q gittin' the best of him, Truman
Apthorp told the man how he had nosed
round and kidnapped the bear cubs In
the holler stub and how the old bear had
heirloom tater knife. The man he pom
dered q spell. and then he says.
"The wildcat had me down. says
he, "and all had to fight with was my
fists. We was at Jest about the last round
fer me, and she'd been chawin' at my
gullet in less than ten seconds more. and
It'd been all up with me, when heerd a
rumpus Off in the brush.
"'"The wildcat heerd it too. but seeiD
what IL was she turned right back at her
clawin' and chawin' TO git at my gullet.
/ seen it sort o. dazed. 1t was bear
comm through the brush like q steam
ingine, her eyes hangih out on her cheeks.
She got most on to me and the wildcat,
and then seein' us she turned In her
tracks SO quick that she all but throwed
herself down. t-... .-1
aAs she turned somethin' shot on
of her like chuckin' stone at q dog. 1t
fell right square In my hand. didn't
wait to ask no questions. showed II
into the throat o. that wildcat. give II
a twist and a slash and over she turnbled.
She let go kick or two and was deader'n
q door nail. Is this your, 'tater knffe?'
The man felt down some'rs mongst
his tatters and brought out knife. The
minute Truman Apthorp seen ID he made
one grab fer 1t and tainted dead away.
1t was the heirloom 'tater knife.
When Truman came to ag in the man
was gone. And that's the way Truman
Apthorp lost his mothers heirloom 'tater
knife, and that's the way he got it back.
Seems to me it's funny 1t never got in
the papers. said the man who drove me
into Geeville that trip. and Who'll felt
it in my bones the instant got into the
wagon-yasn,t goin' to disappoint me,
And he didn't"