Evening star., 1955-05-13

Mrs Crockett filled deerskin pouch with dried
meat and fresh cornbread. Then she Spos to Rob
ert, who sat alone at the table, eating an early
breakfast.
Here Bob" she said, laying the pouch before
him. That's to have in case your pa and Jim NC
Daniel don't shoot anything afore dinner time NOW
watch out for yourself"
Bob grinned and nodded his head He was feel
ing very important that morning. For his father and
a neighbor were setting out on long bear hunt.
And he going with them to tend the pack horses
and help cut the meat.
"You talk like I was little Tilda, Ma he said,
as he scraped the last bit of mush from his bowl
"And I'm past 10 years old. Haven't been good
help to you ever since John and VIII ana George
went off to JackSon?"
His mother nodded Eyes you have" she said
with a smile. 'That's why don't want anything to
happen to you"
Don't you fret" Bob assured her. "I can take
care of myself all right"
Pushing his chair back from the table, he
picked up the bag of food. Then he pulled on his
coonSkin cap and ran out into the frosty morning
to find his father
Within few minutes, Davy Crockett, his son,
and Jim Mcdaniel were each on horseback, riding
into the woods beyond the clearing. Bob and his
father each led an extra horse. And eight lively
dogs friSked along ahead.
More than four years had passed since the
CrockettS had settled in Western Tennessee at a
place 40 miles north of the little village of Jackson
Other people had come to the Obion country, too
But the settlers cabins were far apart. And it was
still strange, wild land
Panthers, deer and elk made their homes in
these forests and thickets and canebrakes So did
shaggy black bears. Hundreds of them! And Davy
Crockett knew where to find them
Before he and Mcdaniel and Bob had ridden
more than IS miles, Crockett spied huge oak tree,
with hole high up in the trunk He rode up close to
the tree DiSmounting he examined 1t carefully
while the dogs ran here and there, shifting and
whining.
"This trees hollow" Crockett said after a mo-
ment There's bear in it, too, getting ready to hole
up for the winter. big one! See the scratches his
claws made when he climbed up the tree to the hole
in the trunk?'
Maybe old Mr. Bear made those scratches
coming down the tree" Mcdaniel drawled
Davy Crockett laughed loudly. mcdaniel,
thought you were bear hunter!" he exclaimed. "a
bear always slips when he's coming down, and then
he makes longer scratches than these There's bear
in this tree and I'm going to prove it.
"How?" asked Mcdaniel. "That trees so big
around, even you can't climb it. How are you going
to look inside that hoe?"
"Well chop us down that young pine near the oak
And we'll lay it against the oak so one end of it
comes right where that hole is Then- g,
"Then I'll skin up the pine, Pa" Bob cried Il
can look in the oak and see if there's bear"
Crockett grinned at the boy and nodded. Soon
the two men were hard at work with their toma-
hawks, cutting down the pine tree. In short time
it nearly ready to fall And the dogs were yep-
ing and running about the oak.
Don't take another lick with your tomahawk
till get those hounds out of the way" Crockett said
to Mcdaniel
He ran back short distance and called the
dogs to him. At that instant huge black bear
stuck his head out of the hole in the oak tree.
"Hey, look" shouted Crockett "There's the
bear, and he's rip-snorter! Run for 1t, Bob! He's
coming down the tree"
Davy Crockett sprinted for his rifle Mcdaniel
ran to get his Bob raced back to the horses Barking
wildly, the dogs bounded forward,
Mcdaniel had his rifle now. He raised it, took
aim and fired. But his shot went wild
Old Grim howled as the bears heavy paw raked
his back Over and rolled the bear and the dogs
down little hill beyond the oak tree growing,
snarling, fighting Suddenly Holdfast yelped with
pain. Grim howled again.
Bob'S heart in his mouth Shoot, Pa!
Shoot" he begged Hes killing Grim!"
Cant shoot from here Crockett cried. II
might hit one of the dogs
Running down the hill, he pushed the muzze
of his gun against the bears body and fired With
groan, the big animal reared up Then it sank back
on it's launches and fell dead
Crockett bent down at once to examine old
Grim, who lay painting the ground. The dog
licked his hand and wagged his tail feebly.
'No bad damage" Crockett said to Bob and
Mcdaniel, who had come running down the hill.
"Hes scratched some and winded. But he'll be
~ n