Stories of William Ephraim Wiygul, part four (conclusion)

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The following is the last of four serial posts.  The July 2, 1986 edition of the Itawamba County Times contained a collection of stories that were written in November 1925 to his grandchildren by William Ephraim Wiygul, one of the earliest settlers in Itawamba County.  Wiygul's written recollections were transcribed by his great-granddaughter, Joana Y. Swanson, exactly as written by Wiygul. 

(as continued)

I am now going to tell you a Bare Story that is about my Grate Granfather Mayfield, which was Gramma Wiygull's father.  He was an old man thin and was a criple.  He come up to visit Granpa and Gramma, so they wanted to Shoe him a good time.  So Granpa got Judge Boland and they went a bare Hunting.  Boguefalaw Bottom was full of Cane and Large Cane at that.  So they put Granpa Mayfield just a cross the Creak East of Bro. Ikes.  Granpa has shoed me the Place lots of times whin Him and I would be fishing.  It was in the Fall of the year and they Put him in an old Pon that had dried up, where they felt like the old Bare would Run.  Granpa Mayfield was not a stout Man and was a Criple but he Killed Bare and Killed him with a Small Pocket Knife.  Stop Now and guess how he Killed him with a small pocket Knife -- and it was a verry large Bare....

Judge Boland twok the Dogs and went up to the Bottom to Make the Drive.  Granpa went out about two Hundred yards East of Granpa Mayfield.  So Judge Boland Did not go Moore than one half mile till the dogs Jumped a Big Bare.  So here came the Bare right Down the Creek and passaed Boland and He Shot at him and wounded him Pritty Bad.  But the Bare kept Going Down the Bottom.  So he run into the Dried Up Pond where Granpa Mayfield was Standing.  So he Shot at him and Hit him.  The Bare fell but swone got up and went right on Down the Slue.  So Granpa just as Soone went to Loading his Gun.  He Put his Powder in his Gun and Paper Wad -- there was the Bare right there -- So he did not have time to put his Shot in.  So he run his hand in his Pocket and got his Knife and Droped it in the Gun.  The Old Bare had got Close enough till he Rared up on his hind feet to Grab Granpa so he through his gun against the old Bares Brest and shot his Knife Clear through the old Bare and Killed him Dead.

These things I am Telling you I remember Just as well as if Granpa was a live and had told me last week.  Whin Granpa told me these storeies I was about eight and ten years old and he Shoad Me where they Happened.  It was about one mile above where we lived.  Granpa, Judge Boland and three other Men -- I have forgot there names -- They all made there arrangements to meet at a Certin Plac eon a Certin day (Granpa has shoad me the Place ) about Day (break).  So by Daylight they were all There.  They Made them up a fire.  They used Flint Rocks to start there fire, as they had no matches then.  So they got there fire started to fix there Brecfasta.  So three of them Desided they would walk around a little.  So they walked off East and got about Two Hundred yards to the edge of the Hills.  They came to a washed out Ditch, but struck a log that had fell across it.  So they Crossed over it and on they went.  But they Did not go fare till they saw a big old Indian Man coming Down hollow walking Pritty fast.  So they startid back as they had nothing to fite the Indian with and they new he had his Tomahawk (what we call a hatchet) and a Buaknife.  The old Indian begain to Run.  So did they.  They Run till they got to the Ditch but Missed there Log.  The one in frunt Jumped the Ditch allright.  The next man Jumped but was not as good a jumper as the first.  He jumped as far as he could but he was luckey - he grabed some weads and Grass and pulled out.  The third man was a man gitting a little old, Granpa said.  So he fell back in the Ditch.  By that time the Indian was right at the Ditch.  So the older man startid running Down the Ditch looking for a place he could Get out.  The Big old Indian running right along by him on the bank of the Ditch after him.  There had binn a Big old Hollow tree standing on  the bank of the Ditch But it had fell Down.  Granpa said it was a verry large tree and there was room for the old Indian to run between the Mouth of the old tree and the stump -- (now here it comes) -- Just as he went to run between the Stump and the Mouth of the old Hollow tree out Jumped a verry large Momma Bare out of the old hollow log.  The man that was running from the old Indian heard an awful racket and he looked back and saw the Indian and the old Bare fighting.  The old Bare was standing on his hind feet and had his fore legs Raped around the old Indian and was Biting him all he could.   The Indian as Fighting the old Bare with his Tomahawk and Buey Knife.  But the Man in the Ditch Did Just Like You or I would have done -- he kept running, but he did no but a little till he found a place that he could get out of the Ditch.  So out he got.  Whin he got out he could see the camp fire so he never stopt to see how the Bare and Indian come out.  Whin he got to camp he told his crowd about it.  So they all got there gunes and started with the Man leading them to the Place.  So whin they got there They found the old bare and the Indian both Dead.  The old Indian had killed the old Bare with his hatchet and knife and the old Bare had tore the old Indian up with both mouth and forePaws and they was both Dead.  So they crossed the ditch and looked in the Hollow of that old tree and there they found Two little Bares.  The man the old Bare had saved by killing the Indian got the Two little Bares and carried them home with him and raised them till they was about groin and he thin turned them Loose in the Bottom and Granpa said that man would never kill another Bare after that.  They left the old Indian and Bare there on the Bank of the Ditch for the Buzzards.

I forgot to Write a Bare story that happened after he moved up to where Alfert Now lives.  Alfret sayes he can remember Granpa telling about the same bare story.  Granpa always seamed to Injoy Telling it better than any of the others.  My Father thin was about 7 years old.  It was Summer and they slept with the Frunt dore opin.  So they went to bed one night.  Father slept in the Middle - a little Boy.  After nine o'clock Gramma heard something turn the water barrel over that she had settling under the Drip of the home to ketch water to work with.  She called Granpa and waiked him up and said, "Alfert, Something has turned my water Barrel over!  Get up and go see about it."   He said, "It is an old Bare and I dont want to go out there."  So they laid on the frunt barander and in a minuet it come in the dore of there roome.  Granpa said in a whisper, "Nancy, dont Say a word, nor dont Move."  The Moone was shining Bright.  They see and here him walking around in the roome.  After a little he Laid Down int he roome and lay there a few minets and got up and walked out.  Just as soone as he got out Granpa got to the dore and shut it and locked it and never opined it any moore until daylight Next Morning.  "I would have done the Same thing, wouldin you?"

[Conclusion]


Part One - click here
Part Two - click here
Part Three - click here