204 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
at the trme. The simple way in which the young hunter now 
recalled it, and the enthusiasm which lit his eye the moment 
he saw our unwonted quarry, convinced me that Charlie had 
been entirely mistaken, and that there must be some other 
cause than the one he assigned for the evident alarm of a 
man who had already, and with such coolness, killed a full- 
grown bear with an axe only. I accordingly let Charlie have 
his laugh out; for he had no notion of listening to any but 
his own version of the affair, while I determined to take ad- 
vantage of the garrulous excitement, caused in the mind of 
Jabe by the sight of this the most valued of all the game of 
the country, to draw out from him the real cause of his 
alarm. So we sat down on the ground to examine the bear 
more at our leisure, and winking at Charlie, I at last got him 
to comprehend something of my purpose. We drew him out 
as to his hunting feats in general,—but most especially with 
regard to those in this particular neighborhood. Gradually 
he seemed to forget himself, and watching the moment, I 
asked him, suddenly, if he had ever taken a “stand” here, 
where he had placed us, himself ! 
“T!” he exclaimed, with a look of amazement,—“I!— 
great jingo—no!—I wouldn’t er tuck a ‘stand’ on this here 
Pint, fer all the bar on the Tennessee and Cumberland put 
together !” 
“But, why not, Jabe?—we’ve seen nothing very wrong 
here!” 
“OQ, you’re strangers! but didn’t he swar before he died 
that the fust hunter, as ought’er know, that com’d near 
enough that big black oak to see the little head-stone to his 
grave—that he meant to haunt him to death? Didn’t he?— 
I tell you this aint the boy that would go in a hundred yards 
of that big oak on no consideration in natur ?” 
“ But,” —said I, impatiently,—‘ Jabe, who was this per- 
gon?” | 
“Why, Old Bill Smith—to be sure !—you never hearn of 
