“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do,” he said, with that sudden resolution which seemed to have become a part of him. “I’m going to chase Michael Moran out of Diversity County.”
“Um! Hain’t you perty busy savin’ your own goods from the fire?”
“I’ll keep mine and add something of his,” Jim said, grimly.
“Wa-al, sich things has been done. Ever hear tell of Watt Peters and his bear? Watt he was campin’ with a crowd back in the timber, huntin’ bear. One day he was cruisin’ round and come on to a old he-bear consid’rable more sudden than he calc’lated on. Watt he never got famous for boldness, so this time he clean forgot he was huntin’ bear and turned and run for all was in him. Seems like he irritated that bear somehow, for he turned to and chased Watt ’most to camp. Watt he tripped over a root and like to busted his neck. Old bear he kept a-comin’. Wasn’t anything for it but to shoot, so Watt he up and shot. Dummed if he didn’t kill that there bear deader ’n a door-nail. Fellers in camp came a-runnin’ out.
“‘’Most catched you, didn’t he?’ says a feller.
“‘Catched me!’ says Watt. ‘What you mean, catched me?’
“‘He was a-chasin’ you, wasn’t he?’
“Watt he looked scornful-like and answered right up:
“‘Think I want to lug a bear two mile into camp?’ says he. ‘No, sir, I lured this here bear in so’s I could kill him handy to where I wanted him. I jest figgered to make him carry himself into camp,’ says he. Wa-al, young feller, things does happen that way sometimes, but it looks to me right now like the bear was chasin’ you.”
“I know Moran is in with Welliver and his bunch. I know Moran is at the bottom of the trouble we’re having at the mill. He’s having our logs spiked, and a man of his is tampering with our machinery. I know it, but I can’t prove it even to myself. The first thing I do is to make certain.”