|I 'LOWED ez mebbe you uns ud like ter hear thet thar b'ar story. I
reckon it's ten year this December since it all happened. I war a-livin'
up in thet house on th' edge uv th' corn fiel' 'long side th' branch,
an' ef it 't'warn't fer thet b'ar I'd be a-livin' thar yet, 'stead uv
a-settin' in th' warm corner uv Jim Ladd's fireplace.
I 'low ez yer knowed Jim didn't hev no great sight uv worldly efects
when he married Becky Crabtree; I don't reckon his daddy war able ter do
much fer him, 'ceptin' 'lowin' him the use uv thet yoke uv ole steers uv
his'n.
Thet war afore they moved th' mill out'n th' holler yander, so it war
right handy fer Jim ter haul his logs ter, an' he jes' worked hisse'f
plumb nigh ter death a-gettin' up thet leetle log house uv his'n, an'
a-plantin' fruit trees an' sech, an' all summer Becky worked jes' ez
hard a-berry pickin', tendin' her truck patch an' a-peddlin' up ter th'
station.
An' in th' winter time when Jim war a-makin' dish shelves an' a-puttin'
some new splits inter th' bottoms uv them ole chiers his daddy give him,
Becky war a-peecin' quilts an' a-spinnin' cloth fer dresses. Waal, in
th' spring they war married an' went ter live in ther house on th' side
uv th' mounting, out'n no neighbors, 'ceptin' me, fer a mile or more
down th' cove.
Thet war th' spring I war tuck so bad with this misery in my back an'
afore summer I war so cript up I warn't no 'count whatever.
One mornin' jes' ez I war a gettin' up from afore the fire whar I hed
been a-eatin' a snack uv breakfast, Becky walked in, lookin' ez fresh ez
a fiel' uv early corn, and sez:
“Uncle Duke, I 'lowed I'd come in an' see how you war an' rid up a
leetle fur yer.”
I h'ant never been used ter wimen folks, an' I could'nt git th' consent
uv my mind ter set by an' see every thin' pot out'n its nat'ral place,
so I reched my stick an' out'n sayin' nothin' I riz up an' went out
under th' big gum tree.
It warn't long afore Becky kem out with her bucket on her arm, an' sez:
“Good-bye, Uncle Duke. I reckon I'll be a-gittin' along ter th' berry
patch yan-der.”
I sed, “Thank yer, Becky. Don't yer come no more ter tend ter me. I 'low
you's got a plenty ter do 'out'n a-doin' thet.”
Yer see, I didn't want ter be pestered with her fixin', yit she was so
obleegin' ter everybody I didn't want ter 'fend her by axin' her ter
stay ter hum. Waal, when I went in an' seed how piert things looked, I
jes' wished I'd a-kep' my pipe in my mouth 'stead uv a-jawin' her. Spite
uv my sayin' time an' ag'in fer her ter rest when her own work war done,
she kep' a-comin'. I 'lowed she seed how much I enjoyed havin' things
liken white folks lived in the house.
I 'low she war jes' ez bright an' happy thet year ez enny woman in the
cove ez hed a plenty.
An' summer an' winter she 'peared ter be always a-workin'.
Waal in th' middle uv March leetle Jim kem, and I reckon thar warn't
no two happier people in th' world. They war proud uv thet baby, an' no
mistake.
The fust time I seed Becky arter it war born, she pulled a leetle hand
out'n from under th' kiver an' sez:
“Uncle Duke, some day thet leetle han'll chop wood fur his mammy.”
Waal, it did'nt look much like handlin' an axe thin.
Thet summer she use ter roll th' baby up in her daddie's ole army
blanket an' take it with her berry pickin' an' peddlin' an' everywhars;
it 'peared like she didn't think its weight nothin', un' she'd go
'long th' road talkin' ter it like ez ef a baby four months ole knowed
ennythin'. With th' money from her berries she bought th' winter
clothes--mostely things fur th' baby an' flannel shirts fur her
man--'peared like she thought th' cold wouldn't tech her.
It war th' last uv th' next June thet th' twins war born. This time
Becky didn't seem ter git 'long so piert--jes' lay still an' pale like,
an' a lookin' at the baby gals sad an' pityin'. I reckon she war a
wonderin' whar th' warm winter clothes they'd need by' an' by' war
ter be got from. It warn't in reason ter 'spose a woman could tote two
babies an' do much at pickin' berries.
Jim worked ez hard ez enny man could, but his ole mare died jist at
fodder pickin' time, an' he couldn't do much out'n a critter, so a right
smart uv his crap war lost. Becky didn't seem ter get strong ez she did
afore, an' her sister up an' left her sooner 'en she oughter. She seemed
tar be kinder mad all th' time ter think Becky had gone an' hed twins,
an' she didn't keep her 'pinions hid. I reckon Becky warn't sorry when
she went back ter her man.
Ez I war a-sayin', it war ten year ago this December, an' a right smart
uv snow on th' ground, when Becky came by my house one mornin' ter ax me
ef I'd go down an' watch th' fire an' leetle Jim fer a spell. I seed she
war lookin' anxious like, an' I axed her what war th' matter.
“Jim went a-rabbit huntin' yesterday evenin',” she sed, “an' he ain't
kem hum yit; I reckon somethin' hes happened ter him, an' I 'lowed I'd
go an' see. The babies ez both asleep an' I speck ter be home afore
long.”
She went on up th' mounting path a-makin' fur the top, a-holpin' herse'f
over the sleek places with that hickory stick uv her'n.
I went on down ter th' house an' found leetle Jim a-noddin' afore th'
fire. It war about'n th' time he always tuck his nap. Pretty soon he
war ez sound asleep ez ef he war on th' biggest feather bed in th' cove,
'stead uv jes' his mammy's cook apron under his little yaller head.
I pot on a fresh log an' was mighty nigh asleep myse'f when one o' th'
babies waked up an' cried a leetle.
Somehow I got th' cradle in an awk'ard place acrost a plank ez war all
warped up an' th' churnin' back an' fore waked up th' t'other 'un.
She jes' lay thar a-look-in' fust at me an' then at her leetle sister,
kinder onsartin whether ter cry or not.
By an' by I thought I'd holp her back ter sleep, so I tuck her leetle
han' an' tried ter pot her thumb in ter her mouth, but thar warn't
nobody knowed enny better thin thet thar baby thet she didn't want no
thumb feedin'. I got up an' went fur some milk, fust a-lookin' out'n th'
door ter see ef Becky war a-comin'.
Seein' ez thar warn't no sign uv her no-whar, I 'lowed I try ter feed
th' young uns, beein's th' both uv them war a-doin' ther best at cryin'.
They didn't seem ter take much ter my feedin'; I reckon thet war 'cause
I didn't set th' milk afore th' fire fust, an' somehow it 'peared like'
th' milk most in general went down th' outside uv ther necks; an' Annie
(that war th' little un) kept a chokin' tell I had ter take her up. Jes'
ez soon ez thet leetle critter got whar she could look 'round an' sense
things, she 'peared quite satisfied.
I managed ter git t'other un (Fannie) out'n the cradle. They jumped an'
twisted tell I thought I'd die uv the misery in my back, but whin I pot
them down they yelled like hallelujer!
'Peard like they'd kept me a-dancin' a powerful long time, whin I heerd
voices an' I 'lowed Becky war come, but it turned out ter be Mitch
Pendergrass an' Sonk Levan, with some rabbits an' ther guns. They hed
stopped by ter git warm.
Whin they seed me a-settin' thar nussin' two babies ter onct they bust
out larfin'. Fannie hed holt uv my left year an' the leetle hair I hed
on my head. Annie war a-sittin' on my knee a gazin' at Sonk an' Mitch,
a-wonderin' why they war a-larfin'.
“I 'low, Uncle Duke,” sez Sonk, “ez yer've tuck ter lamin' nussin' late
in life. It shows yer pluck ter commence on two ter onct. Whar's Becky?”
“She air gone ter look fer Jim,” sez I. “He went out a-huntin' last
night an' he ain't never come hum this mornin'. She war oneasy 'bout him
an' went out ter look fur him. 'Lowed ez she'd be hum afore this.”
Mitch went ter the door an' looked out an' thin cornin' back ter th'
fire, sez he:
“It's arter twelve o'clock, nigh ez I kin calkerlate. Thar seems ter be
a big black cloud a-hangin' over th' Top.
“Becky ought'en ter be out in no sich. I reckon we'd better be a-movin'.
Mebbe Jim's happened ter an acci_tent_ an' she's a-tryin' ter holp him
by herse'f.
“She's plucky, _she_ is.”
“Waal,” sez Sonk, “Mitch, you give Uncle Duke a lesson in baby feedin'
(the father uv ten ought'n ter know somethin' bout'n thet business);
I'll tote in enough wood ter burn a spell, an' thin we'll light out'n
hyar an' hunt up Becky an' Jim.” Arter Mitch's learnin' me ter hold th'
spoon un' ter warm th' milk an' ter pot in sweetenin' me an' th' babies
got on fine. Soon I hed them both sleepin', kivered up ter th' years,
an' th' cradle sot in a warm place. Then I began ter feel powerful
hungry, an' leetle Jim, though he ain't sed nothin', hed been a-watchin'
thet thar spoon an' milk cup while I fed th' babies, an' a openin' his
mouth long side uf them.
I skun one uv Sonk's rabbits, an' it warn't no time tel th' corn bread
war a-cookin' in th' bake pan an' th' rabbit a-jumpin' up in th' grease.
Arter dinner Jim set on my knee jes' ez quiet, never axin' fer his mammy
onct, an' thim babies slept on jes' like they knowed they war twins
an' ther mammy gone. Pretty soon it began ter get dark an' th' snow war
a-fallin' ag'in a leetle. Jim went ter sleep an' I pot him ter bed. The
time 'peared ter go powerful slow arter that, an' I began ter nod.
It must have been eight o'clock whin voices in th' yard waked me. I
opened th' door an' Mitch called out:
“Stir up the fire an' give us a leetle more light. Thar ain't no bones
broke, but Jim don't feel egsactly piert.”
They brung him in an' his face war jes' ez pale an' he looked powerful
weak.
Most of his coat war tore of'en him an' th' blood war a-droppin' from
a place in his arm. Becky looked plumb wore out, but th' fust thin' she
did soon ez Jim war on th' bed war ter lean over th' cradle an' sez:
“Uncle Duke, war my babies good?”
“Jes' ez good ez two leetle angels,” I sed, spitin' th' fact th' side uv
my head war pretty sore from ther pullin' an' scratchin'.
She helped ter git Jim's arm wrapped up an' him warm in bed, an' thin
began ter get supper, like nothin' hed happened out'n th' common. Whin I
seed how pale she looked, I sed:
“Jus' yer git out th' plates an' I'll tend the fire. I 'low arter
cookin' fer nigh thirty year, I kin git a snack yer can eat.”
It twarn't long until another rabbit war in th' pan an' th' coffee
a-boilin'. Jim looked up whin he smelt the cookin' an' sez:
“I reckon we'll hev a little bigger meat fer to-morrow.”
I war jes' ez curious ez enny ole woman, but everybody was so tired an'
hungry I didn't ax anny questions.
Becky war a-sittin' in a low chier afore th' fire with leetle Jim on her
lap a-warm-in' his leetle feet in her han'. I could see th' tears war
a-chasin' each other down her face.
Mon! but they did eat. Jim, too, and I had' ter git th' cold meat left
from dinner ter hev enough.
When they hed got up from th' table Sonk sed:
“Mitch, your wife'll need you with all thim chil'n; I 'low you'd better
be a-goin'. I reckon I'll stop hyer; step by an' tell Sallie ter hev
breakfast early, an' tell leetle Lular pappy'll be home in th' mornin'.
You hev th' mules ready early; I am afeard uv th' varmints a-gittin'
Becky's game.”
Arter Mitch war gone an' things picked up they told me ther story.
'Pears like thar warn't no trouble in a trackin' Becky up ter th' top,
an' they found her a-tryin' ter work Jim out'n a hole in th' bluff.
Th' night afore, jes' ez Jim war a-makin' fur hum with his game, he hed
run agin' a big b'ar. He up an' fired, but missed, it bein' most dark.
The b'ar war on him afore he could load agin, an' makin' a pass at him
with its big paw, knocked th' musket out'n his han's an' bruck it plumb
in two. Jim hed jes' time ter make up a saplin' an' Mr. B'ar set down
under him ter bide his time.
He sot thar a long spell, an' it war most midnight, nigh ez Jim could
tell, whin the b'ar made off an' lay down, seein' Jim warn't willin' ter
come down an' be et. Waal, Jim decided thin he would come down an' run
fur it, 'lowin' a hot chase war better'n freezin' up thar. So down he
dumb an' lit out, Mr. B'ar arter him. Jes' ez they struck the bluff path
the b'ar got so near thet it riz up an' grabbed him. Jim bein' quick
got away, leavin' Mr. B'ar most uv his coat ter 'member him by, but in
backin' away he wint too far an' fell inter a crack in th' bluff.
It warn't very nice failin', but the crack warn't over four feet deep
an' full uv leaves at the bottom, so bein' out'n the wind they made a
more comfortable place ter spend th' night in then th' saplin'.
Pretty soon Jim hed occasion ter know he war hurt some.
The bar had tore his left arm right smart an' in fallin' his face hed
got skun up dreadful. Th' b'ar walked up an' down, a-smellin' down thet
crack sorter much like, but by-an'-by he went off a leetle an' lay down,
I spect arguin' with hisse'f thet Jim would come out'n th' hole liken he
did out'n th' saplin.'
Jim wrapped up his arm the best he could with a piece uv his shirt
sleeve.
It war daylight when he waked an' th' fust thin' he seed war th' head uv
thet thar b'ar a-lookin' down at him.
He knowed it war'n't no use ter holler, so he jes' lay thar thinkin'
'bout Becky an' th' babies an' leetle Jim--wonderin' ef she'd think he'd
quit her.
The thought uv Becky's thinkin' enny bad uv him made him groan with a
new kind uv pain, an' whin he moved a leetle he fainted away. I reckon
thet war jes' 'bout'n th' time Becky got thar, fer she said she heerd a
groan down in thet hole an' thin all war still. She war jes' a-goin' ter
call whin she spied thet b'ar a-lookin' down inter th' crack.
'Bout ten foot to th' left uv whar Jim war fust the mounting breaks
away, leavin' a pres'pus uv forty foot or more, but thar's a leetle
ledge at th' top whar you kin look inter thet crack in th' bluff.
It war fur thet leetle ledge the b'ar made jes' ez Becky halted. When
it clumb down she made sure it would git ter Jim (she war sure he war in
thet crack), so she follered quiet ez she could, an th' snow bein' soft
kept th' b'ar from hearing her--until she war right behind it--whar it
war leanin' down over th' edge a-tryin' ter git inter th' crack. 'Fore
it could turn on her she gave it a powerful push with her hickory stick,
an' being so fur over an' so heavy the b'ar lost hisse'f, an' down he
went with a crash into th' underbrush.
Becky'd gone too, only her dress war caught in some bushes an' thet
saved her.
She couldn't do nothin' but lay on th' ground an' rest a spell, thin she
crawled ter th' edge an' looked down ter make sure th' b'ar war dead.
Hearin' Jim groan agin she got up an' went ter him.
He war clean gone in a faint agin before she could get down ter him.
When she got him to again she gave him th' flask uv milk she hed
brought.
She worked with him ter keep him warm, but she couldn't do much,
th' place war so norrow. It seemed an age before he got so he knowed
anythin', an' she had made up her mind ter leave him an' go fur help
whin Sonk and Mitch got thar. An' 'twixt 'm they soon got Jim out an'
laid him on the ole army blanket I hed sent, an' they axed Becky how
come he thar. She told them what she knowed, but they wouldn't believe
about th' b'ar until she showed them whar it lay. Whin Mitch looked over
an' seed fur hisse'f he jis' sed 'By Gosh!' an' runnin' back to whar he
could scramble down made down th' side like a coon. Sonk war about ter
follow, when he stopped an' turned ter Becky, tellin' her ter see ter
Jim till they could come up agin. He give her a bottle uv applejack
out'n his pocket, which he said he carried fur snake bite. Becky never
said nothin' 'bout'n snakes most in general stayin' in th' ground in
winter time, but gave a little of the liquor ter Jim an' tuck a leetle
dram herse'f.
I reckon ef it hadn't been fer Sonk's snake medicine, they both a-been
down sick from th' cold an' wet.
Ez soon ez th' men could git a good kiverin' uv snow over th' b'ar ter
keep wild cats from pesterin' it, they kem up an' took up th' ends uv
Jim's blanket ter fotch him hum. It war slow work, th' path bein' steep
an' norrow, an' Jim heavy, so it war eight o'clock afore they got down.
Waal, th' next day they got th' bar down, an' mon! he war a big 'un.
They skun him an' put th' meat up fur sale at th' store. A young fellar
from th' North ez war a-stayin' at th' station give Becky $12 fur th'
hide, ter take home ter his gal, I reckon.
The meat sold well, an' altergether I reckon Becky never seed so much
money at one time afore in her life. She wanted ter divide with Sonk
an' Mitch, but they wouldn't hear to it, an' she couldn't make them took
nary cent. Afore th' week war out she went ter th' station an' bought
shoes an' warm clothes fur all an' enough ter last two winters, an' soon
Becky's fingers war busy. She made some red flannel shirts fur me,
'cause she sed they be good fer th' misery in my back.
An' whin I sed my fire hed been out a week an' I'd eat enough uv other
folks' corn bread an' coffee, Becky up and sed:
“I 'low ez yer'd better stay, Uncle Duke; I've got a sight uv sewin'
ter do an' yer got ter be so handy with th' babies I can't hardly spare
yer.”
Arter thet we jined corn fiel's an' next year war a powerful good one
fer craps an' fruit.