82 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 
and the timber land is good; but that bottom land aint 
worth the first red cent.’ ” 
Way ead" b: ~ 
“<?Cause,’ said he. 
«OGause what ?? said I. 
““7Cause it’s full of cedar stumps and Indian 
mounds, and can’t be cleared.’ 
“¢Tord,’ said I, ‘them ar “cedar stumps” is 
beets, and them ar “ Indian mounds ” tater hills.’ 
‘“ As Thad expected, the crop was overgrown and use- 
less: the sile is too rich, and planting in Arkansaw ts 
dangerous. 
“T had a good-sized sow killed in that same bottom- 
land. The old thief stole an ear of corn, and took it 
down to eat where she slept at night. Well, she left a 
grain or two on the ground, and lay down on them: be- 
fore morning the corn shot up, and the percussion killed 
her dead. I don’t plant any more: natur intended 
Arkansaw for a hunting ground, and I go according to 
natur.”’ 
The questioner, who had thus elicited the description 
of our hero’s settlement, seemed to be perfectly satis- 
fied, and said no more ; but the “ Big Bear of Arkansaw” 
rambled on from one thing to another with a volubility 
perfectly astonishing, occasionally disputing with those 
around him, particularly with a ‘live Sucker” from 
Illinois, who had the daring to say that our Arkansaw 
friend’s stories ‘‘ smelt rather tall.” 
