Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-02-24
MIR. Peaslee On Heroism.

Crofts, Deacon hyne and Mr.. Caheh
Peaslee were discussing bravery. The
deacon inclined to the belief that Mr
Crofts was the possessor OF almost un-
eNampled courage; MIR. Peaslee seemed
less confident.
TO be sure" confessed ne deacon.
i amt ever seen Nathan in what YOU
cd call tight place, but dom, make a
mite OF doubt that he'd come out all
right"
why" asked Caleb mildly.
Count OF the things he's told me.
one time and mother" replied the dea.
con testify. A man can't make as
good talk as Nathan does 'thout bein'
able no back it up, if need be. FIN my
experience"
wal, he can from mine" reioined
Caleb positively. I'm goin' to tell
you of Teller | was KNOWN TO one
Tune who was as near like Nathan
Crotts as one apples like another one
| never hear Nathan goin' on bout
any OF these GRACIOUS things he's
either doin' or goin' to do 'thout think
in OF this Teller I've got in mind
Lem Higgins, his name was. and he
used to live on the edge of the Ten
mile Woods forty years ago or so.
Them days." continued Mr.. Peas
lee, wild critters hadn't been killed
Off, and 1t want any uncommon thing
TT man to see a bear maxim away
with one of his sheep. And there was
other varmintS, too; once in a while
some man that follered huntin' closer
than he did his farmin' would bring
IN word of an lniun devil, mebbe; and
wildcats was commbon as rabbits. And
sometimes in the nights in winter, il
1t was a bad season with a good deal OF
snow, we'd hear wolves.
Things bein' as I'm telin' YOU, YOU
en- see that man with courage to face
bear and bring home the pelt of the
critter stood high in the c'mmunitv
He was a benefit s YOU might say. and
folks looked up to him as they NIGH
now to good doctor. or an extra
smart lawyer. So when a man give
proof that he was a bear hunter he got
a good deal Of Consideration and respect
that a common man didn't get nor ex
pect to get
"Wall, this Lem Higgins and his
brother 'bached it on a farm they'd
cleared up on the edge of the woods
five or six miles firm the settlement
Game was plenty then, and with what
they got by huntin' and what they
raised on the farm | s'pose they lived
comf'able. The brother was smart
actin 'nough, but he was deaf and
dumb. S far as talkin' was c'ncerned,
Lem done enough for both OF 'em,
though. There was always the pelt
Of some critter stretched on the side OF
the barn, and Lem was always ready to
tell bout it to anybody that wanted TO
listen. Mebbe it'd be bear skin, and
Lend relate what a tussle it give him,
glvin' chapter and verse-jest like
Nate Crofts, f'r all the world! Some
times when he'd be braggin' bout what
hunter he was, folks'd see his
brother lookin' at him kind Of queer.
oval" sighed Mr.. Peaslee happily.
"one day Ben Somes and was out
huntin' and we fetched into the road
half mile or so below Figgins's place;
was hoofin' along right smart when all
at once we heard some man or other
hollerin' f'r help. We fetched to in
the road and looked at each other, but
it was beginnin' to fall dusk and we
both Of us knew what we'd got to do.
So We struck off into the brush tow'rds
the howls.
"1n three or four minutes we fetch
ed into a little clearin', and when we
broke through the edge whoever it wa.
sot up shout for us to hurry,-said
he couldn't hang on any longer Sd
we broke into a run, and when we got
there what do you s'pose ii all was :"
The deacon said nothing, but looked
many questions.
at was that mighty hunter that
gritty bear fighter" said Mr.. Peaslee
slowly, cup a birch saplin', which was
hardly fittin' to hold a gray squirrel,
and which his heft had bent over till
i was scurce!y six foot from the
ground, and all the way he cd hang on
it was by wropping his arms and legs
round it. And underneath him jump
in and snappn' at him when he'd sway
a mite low, was little flee dog that
wouldn't weigh twenty pounds at the
heaviest!