Year: 1874

| ped himself. He started, and after
| tlresome walk reached Tripletts cabin
and announced the purpose of his visit. |
| Triplett received him with all the kind |
ness and courtesy known to the back


woodsman. And as the two sat over
| their noggins of white whisky and honey, |
| they compared notes, and found that
| they had served in the same brigade and
shared the dangers Of the same cam


paign; and that they had heard each
| others fame spoken of in the army
| but the discipline had forbidden any


thing like pugilistic trial of manhood


between them; and some lingering re-
| spect for that rule, with the feeling that
swelled in the bosom of each on meeting


a fellow soldier forbade the trial in that


way now While Dave McColvin could


not think of insisting on the fight. on


the other hand, he could not think of
| going back to the salt works without be-
| ing able to disabuse the minds of the


wood-choppers of their impression that
| Triplett was the best man. so he
! determined to hear from Trip
| iett's own lips a full account of his


most daring exploits, and by initiating


them, prove himself Triplett's equal, or


die in the attempt. Triplett began with


l glowing description of the excitement
| of hand to paw fight with the bear
| ne tOlo now very 1hICl lNoOAhS an


tainment it was, when the dogs brought
| the bear to bay, to slip up behind him.
fasten your hands in the wool of his
| aanks, up-end him, and churn his brains


out against the ground. How defiantly


he would growl when you first caught


him, and when he found himself help
lessly in your power how he would


change his tune to supplicating moans-


and how the dogs would stand off and


enjoy it all McColvin told Triplett that


was enough for one time-he need not
| tell him any more-but if Sinnett


would lend him the dogs he would prac


tice the next day, on that lesson, and


when he had mastered it he would take


another Sinnett gave him some direc-
| tions how to find mountain rough in


which large bear stayed, then ordered


the dogs to follow him.


The bear was started, and after fighting


him for a mile, he was brought to bay


He had got his back against stump and


was boxing off the dogs as they came up


in front But we will let McColvin tell


the rest himself He says


Here was my opportunity. came up


behind the stump; | seized the bear as
directed The dogs, as is their habit,


(Which did not then know, let go as
! soon as took hold. 1t was, if possible.
more fearfully exciting than TripTett had


described it, l tried to churn him; but


he wouldn't churn any more than a sled


load of pig metal He whirled around,


and for an instant seemed astonished at


my foolhardiness; he then seemed, at a


glance, to take in the whole situation,


which was fast becoming decidedly more


interesting than Triplett, with all his


descriptive powers could paint it. By


some unaccountable touch, which / have


never understood to this day, the bear


turned me wrong end up, and slapped


my head to the ground with jar that


gave the idea that he understood the


brain-churning business a little better


than did. He then set me right end


up as if had been ten pin, and drew


back his huge paw, sorter sIedge-llke


and slow, and without the least apparent


hurry about it, he slapped me twenty
feet into hole of water, where, Gf no.


body cried time) | concluded to lie still
and cool; because the dogs had politely
: yielded the floor when / wanted to play


my piece, and did not wish to interrupt
their tragedy further. As soon as | was


out of the fight, the dogs pitched in
again with such vigor that before l could
crawl out OF the water, shake myself and
get the hang of things, bruin was forced
to climb leaning tree. Triplett had
: told me that / would find the churning
business little awkward in case the bear
=. went up a tree, and at his suggestion |
: had brought the rifle. picked her up
where l had thrown her down to churn.
fired, the bear fell to the ground
? wounded, and "chawed up one of the
dogs. l reloaded as quickly as l could ;
} but before | shot again the bear rolled
? down the hill toward me- dropped the
l gun and did not stop till got near Trip


let's house. | then recollected that the


dogs had quit fighting, and knew the


bear was dead | went on to the house,


and as calmly as 1 could l told Triplett l


had killed a large bear. We took the
e pack horse and went; Triplett picked
: him up and put him on the horse with
S an ease that made me think | could
t never learn to handle bear, especially
S a live one, as he handled them. 1 sat
down on log mad enough to discard
, all recoilections of army discipline, all
: feelings for a fellow-soldier, and whip
} Trplett But the thought of his having
Y churned bears to death, and my own
aversion to being further churned while
E my head was still sore, made me little
shaky; in fact, my courage all wilted al
/ the bear thought. But could not think
+ of going back to the salt works with such
5 a report of my unsuccessful effort to imi
! tate the wonderful exploits of their IA
1 vorite.


1 l settled down in Braxton, neighboi
n to Triplett and swallowed all his Nun
! chausens as genuine. l became as sue
!. cessful a hunter as he; but not such
+ one as he had been-but it seemed tha
: all his miracles ceased from the day thai
+ we commenced hunting together, anc
although | was with him at the killing
e of many bear, was not with him a
n the churning of single one


And when age and rheumatism had
t robbed us of our manhood, and when ;
|, new generation-amongt them. his chill
II dren-were listeners, Triplett became
e less marvellous in his narratives. sale
e TO him:


n "Triplett, have always wanted to ash
l. you one question, and | believe you will
u tell me the truth did you not experience
% some Inconvenience the first time yol
t churned 4-year-old bears brains out
e Said he: me, do you suppose that
r was ever damn fool enough to try such
II thing?


is Said 1, don't know, but knew man
u who was


u And right there, with a crutch anc
n walking stick, we would have settled The
II fight had come for, thirty years before
q if younger men had not interfered.
q, Now the winter games for the hom
81 Il T.. Al