"It _were_ in winter."

"Th' bears as _I_ knows don't travel in winter. They sleeps then,
leastways all but white bears."

"Well, this were in winter an' this bear weren't sleepin' much. As I
was sayin'----"

"An' he took after ye without bein' provoked?"

"An' he did an' right smart."

"Well he _were_ a queer bear--a _queer_ un--th' _queerest_ I ever hear
tell about. Awake in _winter_ an' takin' after folks without bein'
_provoked_. 'Tis th' first black bear _I_ ever heard tell about that
done that. I knows bears pretty well an' they alus takes tother way
about as fast as their legs 'll carry un."

"Now, if you wants me t' tell about this bear ye'll ha' t' stop
interruptin'."

"No one said as they wanted ye to."

"Now I'm goin' t' tell un whatever."

"As I were sayin', th' bear he takes after me wi' his best licks an' I
takes off an' tries t' load my gun as I runs. I drops in a han'ful o'
powder an' then finds I gone an' left my ball pouch at th' fire. It
were pretty hard runnin' wi' my racquets sinkin' in th' snow, which