The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-08-14
Bees and Bars
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1918. by Associated Lit.
erary Press.
By N. QUAD

| LUluS Ouc ouIuuu CSoAAuS az out W
fore the big fireplace In Zeb WhiteI
cabin, asked him for story Of thu
mountains. He was silent for awhile
and then he laughed in a shamefacet
way and said:
Its story agin myself"
That's all right"
1T happened a long time ago"
1T will be Just as good"
"Waal." he started In, lone Sunday
mawnin' arter breakfast the old wo
man looks ut me sorter queer and
says:
"'Zeb, you know thar's a camp meet
in gwine on over at Smokers grove
"'Mebbe l do says l. ..,...... ,..,...
They are havin' powerful time
hear
"Glad on it,
"'Zeb. we'll take a walk over to that
camp meetin' as soon al git the dishes
washed up. and we won't come back
home till night
lit would be time throwed away
"'But we's gwine right along Jest the
same she says.
1T was Jest the season to watch Wild
bees and line 'em to tree" explained
Zeb. land tigered on putin In the
day at that. told the old woman 90
and asked her to 60 on alone. and she
turned on me with:
"'Zeb White. II 20 reckon to cheat
the Lawd and come out all right yo'll
git left! Nobody ever did it in all this
world. II 20 steal bis day sunthin'
will shorely happen to yo'.' ...
"'But we want honey in the fall.
don't we?' says l.
whats the good of honey If 70
lose yo'r soulT
'Nobody's gwine to lose his soul on
account Of huntin' up bee tree w
"'Mebbe not. NIebbe he'll jest break
his neck or leg or wildcats will claw
him up or the bars roll him about.
The Bible tells about the fate of the
stiff necked and obstinate. but 20
won't heed it. Jest 60 right along arter
yo'r wild honey. Zeb White, and III
go to the camp meetin' by myself. l
reckon yo'll find out the power Of
Providence befo' sundown.'
"She went away without another
word to me, and fur half an hour l
was a good mind to foller on didn't
feel right about it tall. and my old
dawg skunk away from me as If he
was ashamed Of his master. l didn't
want to give in. however. and bimeby
shet the doah and strolled of to look
fur bees. was maxim fur a place
about two miles away, but befo' l
reached it l stopped to look at big
chestnut tree with boiler in it. That
boiler was big NUT fur TO- men to
stand in. and was was lookin' In and
wonderin' why had never seen the
tree befo' when I heard sunthin' nov
in behind me. I wheeled about. and
thar was a whoppin' big bar sneakin'
up on me. I could tell by the looks Of
his eye that he meant bizness, and It
was no use to try to bluff him. One
jump carried me into the boiler, and
he rushed and Jest missed me. had
no gun, but did have my knife along.
and when the bar tried to foller me
into the tree l slashef him TO- or five
times. He was no fool. He seen |
had the advantage. and he jest backed
OF and sot down to wait. kept purity
quiet fur an hour, thinkin' he'd sit dis
Outraged and 60 away, but he had 9TH
er plans on hand. When l stuck my
head out and waved my arms and yell
ed at him be growled a few times. but
he didn't come a foot higher.
1T was plain that was in bad
way" continued the old hunter, but
I didn't see what I could do about It.
I was In the boiler. and the bar was
outside, and thar was no show fur me
to come out until he went away. It
cum shutdown, and It cum night. and
he was still thar. saw was in fur
all night. and I went to sleep. I woke
up once and saw his eyes shinin', but
he let me alone. l woke soon arter
daylight and he was still thar. Not to
worry you with perticklers. passed
two nights and two days and half In
that tree. and at last I'd hev given my
left arm fur a drink Of spring water.
to say nothin' about my hunger. l was
no longer match fur the bar. I was
weak and Eighty, and he'd hev a big
advantage over me. However, was
tryin' to work up my courage to crawl
out and do the best and hev It over
with when Abe Holden, who was look
in fur bis lost mewl, cum that way.
and the varmint made a sneak. My
voice wasn't much stronger than a
baby's, but managed to make Abe
hear, and he pulled me out and helped
me home. The old woman sot on the
doorstep singin' a hymn. and as we
cum up she looks at Abe and says:
"'Good evenin', Mr.. Holden. Kin I
take it that yo'r old woman is peartT
Fairly peart, fairly peart. Mrs.
White he replied.
"'And yo' pear to hev stranger
with you,' she goes on.
"'No, ma'am. It's Zeb, yo'r old man.
"'1ndeed! The last saw of my old
man he was gwine out to find bee
q ~