time," and he chuckled and wagged his head.
"Wal, mebbe I was sixteen; mebbe seventeen. Boys up here in the
woods have to cut their own vittles pretty airly. I was doin' a man's
labor when I was 'leven. Ya-as, Miss! Had to work for me an' marm.
"And marm worked, too. One day I started for Drownville with a big
bundle of aperns marm had sewed for Mis' Juneberry that kep' store at
Drownville. She got two bits a dozen for makin' them aperns, I
remember. Wal, it was a wilder country then than it is now, and I
never see a soul, nor heard the sound of an axe in walking four
miles. Just at the end o' them four miles," continued Long Jerry, his
eyes twinkling, "there was a turn in the road. I swung around it--I
was travelin' at a good clip--and come facin' up an old she b'ar
which riz up on her hind laigs an' said: 'How-d'-do, Jerry Todd!'
jest as plain as ever a bear spoke in its e-tar-nal life!
"Why," said Long Jerry, almost choking with his own laughter, "by
the smile on thet thar b'ar's face and the way she spread her arms
wide to receive me, it was plain enough how glad she was ter see me."
"I should think you'd have been scared to death!" gasped Ruth,
looking down at him.
"Wal, I calculate I was some narvous. I was more narvous in them
days than I be now. Hadn't seen so much of the world. And sure hadn't
seen so much o' b'ars," cackled Jerry. "Not bein' used to b'ar
sassiety I natcherly balked when that ol' she b'ar appeared so
lovin'. I had pretty nigh walked right into her arms and there wasn't
much chance to make any particular preparations. Fact was, I didn't
have nothin' with me more dangerous than a broken jack-knife, and I
don't know how it might strike you, Miss, but to me that didn't seem
to be no implement with which to make a b'ar's acquaintance."
"I should think not!" giggled Ruth. "What _did_ you do?"
"Wal, first of all I give her marm's bundle--ya-as I did! I pitched
that there bundle of aperns right at her, and the way she growled an'
tore at 'em was a caution, now I tell ye! I seen at once what she'd
do to me if she got me, so I left them parts, an' left 'em quick! I
started off through the woods, hittin' only the high spots, and
fancied I could beat the old gal runnin'. But not on your tin-type!
No, sir-ree! The old gal jest give a roar, come down on all four
feet, and started after me at a pace that set me a-thinkin' of my sins.
"Jest as sure as you live, if I'd kept on running she'd had me
within thirty yards. An' I knew if I climbed a big tree she'd race me
to the top of it and get me, too. Ye see, a small-round tree was my
only chance. A b'ar climbs by huggin' their paws around the trunk,
and it takes one of right smart size to suit them for climbin',
"I see my tree all right, and I went for it. Missus B'ar, she come
cavortin' an' growlin' along, and it did seem to me as though she'd
have a chunk out o' me afore I could climb out o' reach. It was jest
about then, I reckon," pursued Long Jerry, chuckling again, "when I
believe I began to grow tall!
"I stretched my arms up as fur as I could, an' the way I shinnied up
that sapling was a caution to cats, now I tell ye! She riz up the