The Hunters' Feast Part 19

"Well, one day as I war poking about the crik bottom (for the shanty whar my ole mother lived war not on the Tennessee, but on a crik that runs into it), I diskivered bar sign. There war tracks o' the bar's paws in this mud, an' I follered them along the water edge for nearly a mile--then the trail turned into about as thickety a bottom as I ever seed anywhar. It would a baffled a cat to crawl through it.

"After the trail went out from the crik and towards the edge o' this thicket, I lost all hopes of follerin' it further, as the ground was hard, and covered with donicks, and I couldn't make the tracks out no how. I had my idea that the bar had tuk the thicket, so I went round the edge of it to see if I could find whar he had entered.

"For a long time I couldn't see a spot whar any critter as big as a bar could a-got in without makin' some sort o' a hole, and then I begun to think the bar had gone some other way, either across the crik or further down it.

"I war agoin' to turn back to the water, when I spied a big log lyin'

half out o' the thicket, with one eend buried in the bushes. I noticed that the top of this log had a dirty look, as if some animal had tramped about on it; an' on goin' up and squintin' at it a little closter, I seed that that guess war the right one.

"I clomb the log, for it war a regular rouster, bigger than that 'n we had so much useless trouble with, and then I scrammelled along the top o' it in the direction of the brush. Thar I seed the very hole whar the bar had got into the thicket, and thar war a regular beaten-path runnin'

through the brake as far as I could see.

"I jumped off o' the log, and squeezed myself through the bramble. It war a trail easy enough to find, but mighty hard to foller, I can tell ye. Thar war thistles, and cussed stingin' nettles, and briars as thick as my wrist, with claws upon them as sharp as fish-hooks. I pushed on, howsomever, feelin' quite sartin that sich a well-used track must lead to the bar's den, an' I war safe enough to find it. In coorse I reckoned that the critter had his nest in some holler tree, and I could go home for my axe, and come back the next morning--if smoking failed to git him out.

"Well, I poked on through the thicket a good three hundred yards, sometimes crouching, and sometimes creeping on my hands and knees. I war badly scratched, I tell you, and now and then I jest thought to myself, what would be the consyquince if the bar should meet me in that narrow pa.s.sage. We'd a had a tough tussel, I reckon--but I met no bar.

"At last the brash grew thinner, and jest as I was in hopes I might stumble on the bar tree, what shed I see afore me but the face o' a rocky bluff, that riz a consid'able height over the crik bottom. I begun to fear that the varmint had a cave, and so, cuss him! he had--a great black gulley in the rocks was right close by, and thar was his den, and no mistake. I could easily tell it by the way the clay and stones had been pattered over by his paws.

"Of coorse, my tracking for that day war over, and I stood by the mouth of the cave not knowin' what to do. I didn't feel inclined to go in.

"After a while I bethought me that the bar mout come out, an' I laid myself squat down among the bushes facing the cave. I had my gun ready to give him a mouthful of lead, as soon as he should show his snout outside o' the hole.

"'Twar no go. I guess he had heard me when I first come up, and know'd I war thar. I laid still until 'twar so dark I thought I would never find my way back agin to the crik; but, after a good deal of scramblin'

and creepin' I got out at last, and took my way home.

"It warn't likely I war agoin' to give that bar up. I war bound to fetch him out o' his boots if it cost me a week's hunting. So I returned the next morning to the place, and lay all day in front o' the cave. No bar appeared, an' I went back home a cussin'.

"Next day I come again, but this time I didn't intend to stay. I had fetched my axe with me wi' the intention of riggin' up a log trap near the mouth o' the cave. I had also fetched a jug o' mola.s.ses and some yeers o' green corn to bait the trap, for I know'd the bar war fond o'

both.

"Well, I got upon the spot, an' makin' as leetle rumpus as possible, I went to work to build my trap. I found some logs on the ground jest the scantlin, and in less than an hour I hed the thing rigged an' the trigger set. 'Twan't no small lift to get up the big log, but I managed it wi' a lever I had made, though it took every pound o' strength in my body. If it come down on the bar I knew it would hold him.

"Well, I had all ready except layin' the bait; so I crawled in, and was fixin' the green yeers and the 'la.s.ses, when, jest at that moment, what shed I hear behind me but the `sniff' o' the bar!

"I turned suddently to see. I had jest got my eye on the critter standin' right in the mouth o' his cave, when I feeled myself struck upon the b.u.t.tocks, and flattened down to the airth like a pancake!

"At the first stroke I thought somebody had hit me a heavy blow from behind, and I wish it had been that. It war wusser than that. It war the log had hit me, and war now lying with all its weight right acrosst my two leg's. In my hurry to git round I had sprung the trigger, and down comed the infernal log on my hams.

"At fust I wan't scared, but I war badly hurt. I thought it would be all right as soon as I had crawled out, and I made an attempt to do so.

It was then that I become scared in airnest; for I found that I couldn't crawl out. My legs were held in such a way that I couldn't move them, and the more I pulled the more I hurt them. They were in pain already with the heavy weight pressin' upon them, and I couldn't bear to move them. No more could I turn myself. I war flat on my face, and couldn't slew myself round any way, so as to get my hands at the log. I war fairly catched in my own trap!

"It war jest about then I began to feel scared. Thar wan't no settlement in the hul crik bottom but my mother's old shanty, an' that were two miles higher up. It war as unlikely a thing as could happen that anybody would be pa.s.sing that way. And unless some one did I saw no chance of gettin' clar o' the sc.r.a.pe I war in. I could do nothin'

for myself.

"I hollered as loud as I could, and that frightened the bar into his cave again. I hollered for an hour, but I could hear no reply, and then I war still a bit, and then I hollered again, an' kept this up pretty much for the hul o' that blessed day.

"Thar wan't any answer but the echo o' my own shoutin', and the whoopin'

of the owls that flew about over my head, and appeared as if they war mockin' me.

"I had no behopes of any relief comin' from home. My ole mother had n.o.body but myself, and she wan't like to miss me, as I'd often stayed out a huntin' for three or four days at a time. The only chance I had, and I knew it too, war that some neighbour might be strayin' down the crik, and you may guess what sort o' chance that war, when I tell you thar wan't a neighbour livin' within less than five mile o' us. If no one come by I knew I must lay there till I died o' hunger and rotted, or the bar ate me up.

"Well, night come, and night went. 'Twar about the longest night this child remembers. I lay all through it, a sufferin' the pain, and listening to the screechin' owls. I could a screeched as loud as any of them if that would a done any good. I heerd now and then the snuffin'

o' the bar, and I could see thar war two o' them. I could see thar big black bodies movin' about like shadows, and they appeared to be gettin'

less afeerd o' me, as they come close at times, and risin' up on their hind-quarters stood in front o' me like a couple o' black devils.

"I begun to get afeerd they would attack me, and so I guess they would a-done, had not a circ.u.mstance happened that put them out o' the notion.

"It war jest grey day, when one o' them come so clost that I expected to be attacked by him. Now as luck would have it, my rifle happened to be lyin' on the ground within reach. I grabbed it without saying a word, and slewin' up one shoulder as high as I could, I was able to sight the bar jest behind the fore leg. The brute wan't four feet from the muzzle, and slap into him went wad and all, and down he tumbled like a felled ox. I seed he war as dead as a buck.

"Well, badly as I war fixed, I contrived to get loaded again, for I knowed that bars will fight for each other to the death; and I thought the other might attack me. It wan't to be seen at the time, but shortly after it come upon the ground from the direction of the crik.

"I watched it closely as it shambled up, having my rifle ready all the while. When it first set eyes on its dead comrade it gave a loud snort, and stopped. It appeared to be considerably surprised. It only halted a short spell, and then, with a loud roar, it run up to the carca.s.s, and sniffed at it.

"I hain't the least o' a doubt that in two seconds more it would a-jumped me, but I war too quick for it, and sent a bullet right plum into one of its eyes, that come out again near the back o' its neck.

That did the business, and I had the satisfaction to see it cowollop over nearly on top o' the other 'n.

"Well, I had killed the bars, but what o' that. That wouldn't get me from under the log; and what wi' the pain I was sufferin', and the poor prospect o' bein' relieved, I thought I mout as well have let them eat me.

"But a man don't die so long as he can help it, I b'lieve, and I detarmined to live it out while I could. At times I had hopes and shouted, and then I lost hope and lay still again.

"I grew as hungry as a famished wolf. The bars were lying right before me, but jest beyond reach, as if to tantylise me. I could have ate a collop raw if I could a-got hold of it, but how to reach it war the difeeculty.

"Needcesity they say is the mother o' invention; and I set myself to invent a bit. Thar war a piece o' rope I had brought along to help me wi' the trap, and that I got my claws on.

"I made a noose on one eend o' it, and after about a score o' trials I at last flung the noose over the head o' one o' the bars, and drew it tight. I then sot to work to pull the bar nearer. If that bar's neck wan't well stretched I don't know what you'd call stretchin', for I tugged at it about an hour afore I could get it within reach. I did get it at last, and then with my knife I cut out the bar's tongue, and ate it raw.

"I had satisfied one appet.i.te, but another as bad, if not wusser, troubled me. That war thirst--my throat war as dry as a corn cob, and whar was the water to come from. It grew so bad at last that I thought I would die of it. I drawed the bar nearer me, and cut his juglar to see if thar war any relief from that quarter. Thar wan't. The blood war froze up thick as liver. Not a drop would run.

"I lay coolin' my tongue on the blade o' my knife an' chawin' a bullet, that I had taken from my pouch. I managed to put in the hul of the next day this away, now and then shoutin' as hard as I could. Towards the evenin' I grew hungry again, and ate a cut out o' the cheek o' the bar; but I thought I would a-choked for want o' water.

"I put in the night the best way I could. I had the owls again for company, and some varmint came up and smelt at the bars; but was frightened at my voice, and run away again. I suppose it war a fox or wolf, or some such thing, and but for me would a-made a meal off o' the bar's carca.s.s.

"I won't trouble you with my reflexshuns all that night; but I can a.s.sure ye they war anything but pleasant. I thought of my ole mother, who had n.o.body but me, and that helped to keep up my spirits. I detarmined to cut away at the bar, and hold out as long as possible.

"As soon as day broke I set up my shoutin' again, restin' every fifeteen minutes or so, and then takin' afresh start. About an hour after sun-up, jest as I had finished a long spell o' screechin', I thought I heerd a voice. I listened a bit with my heart thumpin' against my ribs.

Thar war no sound; I yelled louder than ever, and then listened. Thar war a voice.

"`d.a.m.n ye! what are ye hollowin' about?' cried the voice.

"I again shouted `Holloa!'

"`Who the h.e.l.l's thar?' inquired the voice.

"`Casey!' I called back, recognising the voice as that of a neighbour who lives up the crik; `for G.o.d's sake this way.'

"`I'm a-comin',' he replied; `'Taint so easy to get through hyar--that you, Redwood? What the h.e.l.l's the matter? d.a.m.n this brush!'

"I heard my neighbour breakin' his way through the thicket, and strange I tell ye all, but true it is, I couldn't believe I war goin' to get clar even then until I seed Casey standin' in front o' me.

"Well, of coorse, I was now set free again, but couldn't put a foot to the ground. Casey carried me home to the shanty, whar I lay for well nigh six weeks, afore I could go about, and d.a.m.n the thing! I han't got over it yet."