The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-10-13
BRUINS BANQUET.
II Was Long Drawn Out and Only
Whetted His Appetite.
THE FINISH WAS EXCITING.
After the Pork Course Gave Out a
Dessert Of Cold Lead Ended the
Feast, and the Unwilling Host Vowed
Never Again to Fool With a Bear.

0oSSoTS oT NoiO AcdO 6Hoeu In0
Feast, and the Unwilling Host Vowed
Never Again to Fool With a Bear.
( A teamster in the employ of one of
the big tanneries in the west had a
laughable yet trying adventure with
bear while on his way from the woods
with load of bark. AS he emerged
from the woods with his team he
stopped to give the mules breathing
spell and to eat his dinner, which he
carried in a tin bucket. He had
scarcely opened his bucket and begun
to eat when a bear came out Of the
woods on one side Of the road, only
two or three rods In the rear of the
wagon. Bruin sauntered along, paying
no attention to the team, but the team
ster, desirous Of seeing what the bear
would do, threw bit Of salt pork In
his way. The bear stopped, smelled at
the pork and gulped it down greedily.
Then the animal, noting the source
Of the morsel, came toward the wagon
and rose on his launches as If to say
that another bit Of pork would prove
acceptable.
The teamster laughed and tossed out
q second piece, which bruin devoured,
and then he posed again. But the
teamster wanted the rest Of his dinner
himself and paid no attention to the
shaggy intruder. The beggar, seeing
that the teamster was no longer aware
of his presence, snorted sharply two or
three times and walked back and forth
across the road as If accommodating
the situation. Presently he growled,
but the teamster, thinking that the
beast would go away If he got nothing
further, continued his meal
The bear ventured near and finally
climbed up the load of bark at the
hind end of the wagon. The man was
unpleasantly surprised at this move
ment of bruins, as he was wholly
unarmed.
Accordingly he threw bit Of pork
into the road, at the same time yell
ing to the bear to direct its attention
to the meat. The bear dropped down
and went and picked it up, but as
soon as 1t was swallowed and there
was no more forthcoming he made an
other charge upon the wagon.
The teamster started the mules on
ward, but knew that he could not hope
to escape with his heavy load Of bark,
An idea struck him. He would coax
the bear on by feeding the lunch tc
him until they should come to q
friends house q mile or two along the
road. Then he would get a gun and
shoot the old fellow.
The teamster sat on the bark, facing
backward, his big dinner bucket ai
hand. When the bear came up with
the wagon and threatened to climb
upon the load the teamster tossed out
piece of pork. The supply Of this
edible was limited, so he tossed the
beast a slice of bread, which fell but,
ter side up. Bruin nosed 1t, then
licked the butter off and left it.
The next slice fell butter side down.
and the bear ignored it. Boiled eggs
and cheese Jared the same. Bruin
wanted pork. The teamster dealt this
out in small bits, which failed to salts
fly, and the bear was growing ugly and
aggressive.
At length the teamster saw bis friend
at work in n field and called to him to
run for his gun The man seemed to
realize the state of the case and set
off on a dead run for his house, q
quarter of a mile distant. But the
- supply Of pork was out before he re-
turned, and the poor teamster was In
a sorry plight.
The bear climbed upon the load. The
teamster tossed him the last piece OF
pork and then jumped from his wagon
and tore down the road. Bruin, prob
ably thinking that the teamster was
fleeing with n stock of coveted pork
started after him. The terrified mar
had q fair start, but he stumbled ovel
stone and fell full length, and the
bear was close upon him when there
came the loud report Of gun.
The friend had come at last. The
teamster rose and looked round. There
lay his late pursuer in the road, dead
The teamster declared that never again
would he fool with bear.-Harper s
Weekly.