Year: 1879

ring of spectators around the performers by this time.


"As likely not if they sharp-set and you lay
yourself be eaten but il amt their habit to for
human flesh Roots, nuts berries, bugs and any small
game they pick up satisfies their humble appettes as


The one.eyed hostler leaned against the post stroked
Pomps fur aeotonately and continued somewhat in this
style:


'Bears are particularly fond Of fat juicy pigs and
once give them taste of human fesh-why shoudn't
want my chlden to be payin in the woods good many
miles of their den


(which reminds me Of old Two Claws as they used to
call him. bear that plagued the folks over IN Rdgeown,
where was brought upwall, much as 40 year ago.


'Io got his from the peculiar shape Of his foot,
and he go that from triling with gun-trap. You know
what bat sa loaded gun in such way that bear
on any game that's clrious about IL must come ,p TO
the way it pnits bait is hung before the muzze and
string from that to the trigger.


''He cunning fellow. and he put out investiga-
tin paw the piece of pork before trying his Jaws it
instead OF gettn' bullet in the head he merely had
a bite of his paw shot Of There but two claws
left on that foot as his bloody tracks showed.


'He got off but his experience seemed to have soured
his disposition He owed spite to the settlement.


'One nghta great heard my unce's pig pen.
He and the boys rushed out with ptchorks, gum and
lantern They knew what the trouble found
out huge black bear had broken down the side of the
pen he had seized Fat porker, and actually lugging
him off in his arms The pig kicking and squalng,
but the bear had him fast He did not seem at all in
cned to give up his prey, when attacked He
looked sullen and ugly but few jabs from ptchfok
and shot in the shoulder convince him That he max


Ie dropped the pig and off before my uncle could
load up for another shot The next morning they
ined his tracks. 1t old Iwo Claws.


"But what split him for being quiet neighbor was
something that happened about year after that.


There rowing family Of Indians encamped near
the settlement; hunting fishing and making moccasins
aud baskets, which they traded with the whites.


One afternoon the Red Skyof-the- Morning wife Of the
Water Snake-withthe Tail came over to tile settle
ment with of their truck for sale. She had pa
poose on her back trapped on board another squaw
travelled with her, carrying an empty jug.


sAlmost within sight of Gorman's grocery. Red-Sky
took off her papoose and hung it tree. The fellows
around the store had made fun of it when she there
before she preferred leave it in the woods rather
than expose it to the coarse jokes OF the boys The little
thing used to such treatment. Whether carried
hung up, papoosey never cried.


ssThe squaws traded off this truck and bought, with
other luxuries of civilizations gallon of whiskey They
drank out of tile Jug and then looked at more goods
as first they ggged and chatted like couple of silly
white girls They spent good deal time and mon
ey at Gormans than they would if it hadn't been for the
whiskey but finally they started go back through the
woods


"They chattering and giggng to the tree wbere
the apoose had been left There was no papoose there


'Ihis discovery sobered them They thought at first
that the fellows around the had played them hick
by taking it away; but-by-and-by the Redskyof-the
Morning set up shrek.


H She had found the board not far of but papoose
strapped only something that had told the story OF
what had happened


There was bear tracks around the spot One of the
prints showed only two claws.


"The Red-Sky-ofthe Morning went back to the camp
with the news the other squaw followed with the jug


'When the Water Snake-of- the Long Tail heard that
his papoose had been eaten by bear he felt suppose
very much as any white father would have fe under the
circumstances. lie vowed vengeance against Old Two
Claws but consoled himself with drink Of the rewate
before starting hunt.


'The braves with him followed his example. 1t wasn
in Indian nature to start until they had empted the jug
SO it happened that old Two Claws got off again psy
braves can't follow trail worth cent.


'Not very long after that i'll the neighbornG
settlement heard her children day in the woods
the house She rushed out and actually bea
Juggling off her youngest


7'She was a scky, feeble sort of a woman but such
sight enough to give her the strength and courage
a man. She ran and cought up an axe. Lucky she ha
a big dog. The two at the bear


"The old fellow had notion of losing his dinner jus
for woman and mongrel cur. But she struck him
tremendous blow the back at the time the pu
got him by the hind leg. He dropped the young one
defend himself She caught it up and ran, leaving til
two beasts to have it out together.


The bear made short work with the cur but instea
of following the and child he skulked off into I'll
woods


The settlers got together for grand hunt but Tv
Caws-or the tracks showed that he the scouudre
escaped into the mountains, and lived to make mo