BUTTER WICK’S BEAR.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14135, 15 February 1910, Page 6

BUTTER WICK’S BEAR.

(By Max Adder.) ‘

Buttorwick was out in Colorado last spring for a month or two, and just before ho started for tho journey home, ho wrote to his wife concerning tho probable time of his arrival. As a postscript to the letter, he added tho following message to his son, a boy about eight years old : “Toll Charley I am going to bring with mo a clear little baby bear that I bought from an Indian.” Of course that information pleased Charley, and ho directed most of his thoughts and his conversation to tho subject of tho hoar during tho next two weeks, wishing anxiously for his father to come with tho little pot. On tho night which had been fixed by Buttorwick for his arrival, he did not oomo, and tho family wqre very much disappointed. Charley, particularly, was cut up because he couldnt’ get the boar. On tho next evening while Mrs. Buttorwick and the children wore sitting in the front room, with the door open into tho hall, they hoard somebody running through the front yard. Then tho front door was suddenly burst open, and a man dashed into tho hall and upstairs at frightful speed. Mrs. Buttorwick Was just about to go up after him, to ascertain who it was, when a largo, dork animal of some kind darted in through the door, and, with an awful growl, wont bowling upstairs after tbo man. It suddenly _ flashed upon the mind of Mrs. Buttenvick that the man was her husband, and that that was the little baby bear. Just thou the voice of Buttorwick was heard culling'from tho top landing: ' “Maria ! for Heaven’s sake got out of tho house as quick as you can, and shut all the doors and window shutters.” Then Mrs, Buttorwick sent the Boys into Partridge’s, next door, and she closed tho shutters, locked all the doors, and went into the yard to await further developments. "When sho got outside she saw Buttenvick on tho roof, kneeling on tho trap-door, which ho kept down only by the most tremendous exertions. Then he screamed for somebody to come up and help him, and Mr. Partridge got a ladder and a hatchet, and some nails, and ascended. Then they nailed down the trap-door, and Buttenvick and Partridge came dqwn the ladder together. After he had greeted his family, Mrs. Butterwick asked him what was the matter, and he said:

“Why, you know that little baby bear I said I’d bring Charley? Well, I had him in a box until I got off the train up here at the depot. And then I thought I’d take him out and load him around by the chain. But the first thing ho did was to fly at my leg. and when I jumped bank I ran, and ho after mo. He would’ve eaten mo up in about a minute. That infernal Indian must have fooled me. Ho said it was a cub only two months old, and, it had no teeth. I believe it’s a fullgrown bear.” It then became a very interesting question how they should got that bear out of the house. Buttorwick thought they had hotter try to shoot him,- and he 'asked a lot of the neighbours to como around to help with their shot-, guns. When they would hear tho hear scratching at one of the windows they would pour in a volley at him, but after riddling every shutter on tho first floor, they could still hear tho bear tearing around in there and growling. So Buttorwick and the others got into tho collar, and as the bear crossed tho ' door they would fi.ve uvi through it at about the snot where they thought ho was. But tho bombardment only seemed to exnsnerato tho animal, and after each shot they could hoar him smashing something.

Thou Partridge said maybe a couple of good dogs might whip him, and he borrowed a bulldog and o. setter from Barnev (Unwin and unshed them through tho front door. They listened, and for half an how they could hear a most terrific 'coolest raging, and Magiim said he’d bet a million dollars that bulldog would eat up any two bears in the Rocky Mountains.

Thou everything became still, and a tow moments later thev could hoar tho hear eating something and cracking bones with his tooth, and Buttorwick said that the Indian out in Colorado told him that: the bear was particularly fond of dog moat, and oonld relish a litter of pups almost any time. At last Buttcrwick thought ho would, try strategy. Ho procured a Inigo iron hook with a sharp point to it tied it to a rope, and put throo or four pounds of fresh, beef on tho hook. Then he went up tho ladder, opened the trapdoor in the roof, and dropped in the bait. In a few moments lie got a bite, and all hands manned the rones and pulled, when out came Partridge’s bulldog, which had been hiding in the garret. Buttonvick was disgusted, but ho put on fresh bait and threw in again, and in about an hour the hear took hold, and they hauled hi"> out and'knocked him on tho head. Then they entered the house. In tho hall tho carnet was covered with particles of dead setter, and in tho parlour the carnet and windows had boon shot to pieces, while the furniture was full • of bullet holes. The boar had smashed tho. mirror, torn up six or seven chairs, knocked over the laron, and demolished all the crockery in tho pantry. Buttcrwick gritted his tenth as he surveyed tho ruin, and Mrs. Butterwielc said she wished to patience he had stayed in Colorado. However, thev fixed things up as well as they could, and then Mrs. Buttcrwick sent into Partridge’s for Charley and tho youngest girl- When Charley came ho rushed up to Buttcrwick, and said: “Oh, pap! where’s my little baby he'" - ?” Thou Butterwiclc gassed at him severely for a moment, looked to see if Mrs. Buttcrwick had loft the room,

and then gave Oharloy tho most terrific spanking that he over received. The Buttorwick children have no pots at present but a Poland rooster, which has moulted his tail.