THE BIG BEAR OF ARKANSAS. 91 
“Oh, no,’ said they, ‘we only heard of such things 
being rather common of late, but we don’t believe one 
word of it; oh, no,’—and then they would ride off, and 
laugh like so many hyenas over a dead nigger. 
It was too much, and [ determined to catch that 
bear, go to Texas, or die,—and I made my preparations 
accordin’. 
“TY had the pack shut up and rested. [ took my 
rifle to pieces, and iled it. 
“T put caps in every pocket about my person, for 
fear of the lining. 
“T then told my neighbors, that on Monday morning 
—naming the day—I would start rHar B(e)aR, and 
bring him home with me, or they might divide my 
settlement among them, the owner having disappeared. 
‘Well, stranger, on the morning previous to the great 
day of my hunting expedition, I went into the woods 
near my house, taking my gun and Bowieknife along, 
just from habit, and there sitting down, also from 
habit, what should I see, getting over my fence, but the 
bear! Yes, the old varmint was within a hundred yards 
of me, and the way he walked over that fence—stranger ; 
he loomed up like a d/ack mst, he seemed so large, and 
he walked right towards me. ; 
“T raised myself, took deliberate aim, and fifed. 
Instantly the varmint wheeled, gave a yell, and walked 
through the fence, as easy as a failing tree would 
through a cobweb. 
