Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-12-02
How Sally Saved Her Preserves.

trying TO hurry me out OF the house"
$50 | am, Lem" answered his wife.
al want TO get right at my preserving,
and don't want big. clumsy man round
to fuss me-"
Lem laughed, and slung his rifle over
his broad shoulder. "Not over your
brides ways yet, eh ?" he said. "Well,
when come home tonight, want to
see that shelf just packed with preserves.
M-m-m !" and he smacked his lips as he
went out.
Sally quickly cleared the breakfast ia
Bile and washed the few dishes. Then
she brought out the berries and prepared
them for the fire. BY two o'clock every
one of the berries raspberries, blue
berries and curants-had been smother
ed in thick syrup and packed in glass
jars. Sally placed them one by one on
the long shelf that Lem had set up against
The wall. Then she sugared big iron
potful OF stewed rhubarb, and set il on
the window sill TO cool.
Sail heaved big sigh-a sigh that
spoke OF satisfaction in work well done.
Suddenly she was startled by gruff
"Woofp' behind her. She turned quick
ly, and beheld in the open doorway a
grizzly bear, shifting inquiringly. Sally
stood up, very pale.
The bear uttered another "Woof, 4"
brought his hind paws inside the doorway
one after the other, and numbered toward
her. Sally did not cry out. She daned
behind the low wooden table, and, as the
big bear followed her, gave the table a
quick shove and bolted for the door.
The grizzly, although caught under the
falling table, scrambled TO his feet and
followed at her heels. There was no
time TO run for tree, so Sally jumped
for the unfinished caves at the right Of
the doorway.
Using the rounded logs on the side OF
the cabin as ladder, she quickly drew
herfelf up on the roof. She drew her
feet in just as the grizzly snapped saw
agely at them, scrambled up the tarred
shakes OF the roof 10 the ridgepole, and
sat there gazing apprehensivelY at the an
imal below, which stood looking up at
her.
Then the bear remembered what had
brought him 10 the cabin-the delicious
smell OF berries. With another gruff
Wool" he reentered the cabin door.
Sally gasped. She was safe, but her
precious preserves were not.
She bent her ear to the roof and listened.
There was only layer of shakes and a
thin pine board between her and the
bear, and she could plainly hear him patter
round the room below. Then there came
the sharp clang OF iron. The bear had
overturned her pot OF rhubarb and was
greedily licking il up.
But the rhubarb could be replaced
There was row OF it along the back OF
the cabin. What if the animal should
reach her berries They were in plain
sight, and the shelf was not firm. One
touch of the bears paw would send it
and its burden crashing to the cabin floor.
Sally looked quickly round her. Then
she got up carefully and began 10 rip off
the shakes on one side Of roof. When
she had gathered an armful, she climbed
up the sloping roof and laid them on the
corner Of the clay and wood chimney.
She gathered second armful, and placed
them on top OF the others. Then she
made her way down the roof to the caves
directly over the door. She dared not
look into the cabin, but she reached out
and pulled the door shut.
Sally returnedto the chimney and pick
ed up some of the shakes. She poised
herselfon the ridgepole, and then dropped
the shakes into the wide clay daubed
mouth OF the chimney. She heard them
strike the fire below, and bending down,
she could hear the bear grunt and patter
over toward the fireplace.
The dry, tar-covered shakes burned
brightly, and cloud of sulphurous smoke
poured from the chimney. Sally selected
half dozen OF the remaining shakes, and
dropped the rest into the chimney. Then
she spread the six shakes over the mouth
OF the chimney so as to cause the column
OF thick smoke TO back down into the
room below.
Sally lay on the roof and listened. She
could hear the iron pot raitling on the
floor. Bruin was still enjoying his feast.
Then there came sneezy cough from
below, then another cough, and then a
succession OF coughs. Sally could hear
the bear tearing wildly about the room,
seeking an exit She crept down to the
caves again, and threw the door back on
its leather hinges.
A thick cloud of smoke burst up into
her face, and she rose, coughing and
sneezing. And then she laughed out
right, for in the midst OF the yellow smoke
there appeared black form. II bounded
from the doorstep, coughing and tossing
its head, and numbered quickly toward the
woods. Sally watched the bear until il
was lost TO sight in the underbrush. Then
she removed the shakes from The ctlm-
ney top and descended.
When Lem returned that evening, he
noticed the bare spot on the roof, and
shifted inquiringly when he entered the
kitchen.
"a thought lett enough firewood for
the day." he said. Seems as II shakes
were kind OF smoky ior the lire"
e. 4 -