The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-06-17

watching bruin gather a mess of fine
fish with his huge paws.
Il do, for I've seen the same thing"
spoke up Uncle Billy" Stevens, once
a trapper and guide who since he lost
one Of his feet when he was nearly
frozen to death several years ago. has
done odd jobs around the cannery.
Tell us about it." urged Lloyd.
well, you see it was like this" be.
gan Uncle Billy" Il was huntin
down on Camas creek in the winter
Of sc and game was none too plenti.
full. When spring came on | had a
few skins, but it had been tough pick.
i'll tell you. My grub had about
es1fsn out and l was preparin' to go
to town. We had had several days
of sunshine an the old creek was
thawed out, so | thought I'd have
some fish for my breakfast. So cut
me good pole and tied on my line
and started over to a spot near the
bend where | thought ] could land
trout or two.
Gas | came into sight Of the river
| had the greatest surprise of my life.
/ was out for fish and had left my rife
in the shack Of course it was fool
thing to do, for no man should 20 out
without his gun.
"You fellers can imagine my feel
ms when tell you that had run
on to big bear. The old galoot had
accumulated an appetite for fish just
like | had an just like that Pennsyl-
vania teller tells about. was proud
of one thing an that was that my
Judgment about the proper place to
get mess of trout was borne out by
the bear.
"The critter stood in the water Just
where | intended to try my luck an
he was gettin 'em bare handed,
That's no joke. either. That bear was
the best fisherman ever saw. I've
seen these fellers with their fine
tackle an fancy bait, but they wasn't
in it with Mr.. Bruin. He knew more
about fishin' than any man in the
world, unless 1t was Grover Cleveland.
His claws were his hooks and his
front legs the poles. just stood there
and watched the critter for a few min.
utes an in less time than it takes me
to tell it he had swished half dozen
beauties on to the shore.
Mad! Say, was the maddest man
In ldyho. Here I'd come out to get
some breakfast and that Internal bear
was takin' it right out of my mouth.
It was two miles back to the shack
where my gun was. but decided to
go and get that rife and blow that
bears head plum off. It was bear
meat I wanted for breakfast then and
not fish. SO | hustled back and got
"Old Jinny"-that's what | called my
rife.
when got back to the creek the
bear was gone. Confound him. was
mighty hungry and didn't feel like
tryfn' to find him. There wasn't
sign of a fish, for the bear didn't
leave even a scale on the ground.
He'd created such fuss that the fish
had all left and didn't get my break
fast after all. went back to the
shack and fried my last slice of
salt pork.
"Bnt the next day got even. I
knew that critter would come back
an just waited for him. Sure
enough, ! hadn't been there long when
he pushed his nose through the bush
and looked around. was hidin' in
tree and just waited for chance.
When he stepped out into the water
where | could get good aim didn't
wait for him to catch any fish just
shot him. through the heads | had an
awful time pullin' him up on to the
bank, but | finally made it. Bear
neat never tasted SO good to me be-
ore or since. An l got Sl2 for his
kin"
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