The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-12-28
!s. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
"A S0nn0lent Bear
in Camp.
81 6. z. Chasalbourne.


Observation-Disclosures
My guide, Jake, is logger in winter,
river driver in spring, farmer in sum-
mer, guide in autumn, and a knight
of that shorter and uglier word all
the time.* Many of his stories he be-
1ieyes because he has told them so
often. He lives near Somerset, Maine,
whittier I started one wintry morning
Ito fish. The ice was not yet out of
the ponds and while waiting for an
upper cut on the surface as Jake
put it, he told this bear yarn.
Jake said that last winter he was
head chopper upon The Enchanted,
wherever that is, and they had big
crew, mostly husky youngsters who
were up to all sorts of games and
sfeats of strength. These young fell
lows got to boxing; they had several
sets of gloves. In the horse howell at
might they hung UP lanterns and lam
basted each other according to the
most unscientific rules of the game.
Before the January thaw the process
of elimination had left Zeke Coombs
champion of the nightly pound-par-
ties. He was six feet of Drawn and
: bone, weighed oil pounds and prac-
ticed tossing bob-sled around all
day.
Zeke, according to Jake's version
of it, was notorious brag; and his
hobby was bears. The second best
man in camp was the cooks assist
ant, Jack Bean. Bean was quite as
tall as Coombs, but weighed fifty
pounds less. He could hit oftener than
his big opponent, but he couldn't
stand tho mauling For a time Zeke
gloated and Dragged, and then came
the January thaw.
One afternoon Jack went to the
brook and was surprised to see full
grown but very dopy bear poking
slowly, with a meditative air, down
the logging road to camp.
Jack knew Mr.. Bear had partially
thawed out and that his sleeping
place had been invaded by water. The
bear was still in semi-somnolen
state and when Jack kicked him
Bruin only trdndled along a little
faster with whine of protest. Jack
teamed the bear to camp and out
lined his plot to the cook, who dis
liked the boasting Zeke They put
a strong head-stall on Mr. Bear and
buckled the nose-strap so tightly that
he could not open his chops Next,
with heavy bagging they mufied his
hind feet and tied these 'mittens'' on
good and solid And last they put
an old pair of boxing gloves on his
fore feet and made them secure. In
side the howell Jack proceeded to
warm up" his bearship, by sundry
kicks and cuffs until he was pretty
lively and began to relish the scrap
and give as well as take. Then he
was hitched behind Zeke's bales of
hay and left to mediate until dark.
when the teams came in.
The trap was set, but it was left to
the cook to spring it. He went out
when the teams came into the camp
yard, and in confidential manner told
Zeke that Jack had put up job on
him. Cook said Jack thought Zeke
would be badly scared at sight of
bear. He had secured bear skin
and was hiding behind Zeke's hay.
Zeke "fell" for it. He was hungry
for the fray He hustled to unhar-
ness and rub down his horses. While
he syas doing that cook hastily in
forIEed the rest of the crew as they
came in. All silently congregated
with lanterns turned low, so they
could rush in and see the fun. Zekes
lantern hung behind his horses, its
faint rays dimly lighting the floor be-
yond their cribs Then he went in
for the hay behind which he could
dimly make out a dark object. He
pretended to be surprised
What in thunder" he muttered.
''Looks like bearl But If it is I'll
string him on my arm"
He reached over and felt the hairy
coat
Gosh all hemlock!" he exclaimed.
MS If more surprised, II b'lieve tbs
bear, an guess I'd better lend i'm
one for scarin' my bosses"
Zeke loaned the bear one," about
as hard as he thought Jack could
stand without breaking him in two.
Zeke was a little inclined to be
generous just then, because it was
such good chance to show jack that
he feared bears no more than he did
men, Then Zeke changed his mind.
He changed it while he was changing
ends with himself
$50 yo're goin' to play dough. air
yer" he beloved, as he fished him
A@self from beneath the feed cribs by
Town moccasin straps.
~, according to Jake, things be-
hum. AS Zeke was doing
and a jump on his off side
rily drove his moccasins
slide window four feet
Jack from his nest be-
ne hay tauntingly re-
Of hitter myself"
of the bear. Jake?"
found and lived
drive started,
using him
an the jams.
x out of a
u fool he
Just to
The lam