Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1890 — A Fatal Improbability. [ARTICLE]

A Fatal Improbability.

Lewiston Journal. One of the hands on board the steamer Penobscot of the Bangor line lias gained a wide reputation as a story teller. It was recently that this famous raconteur favored a select audience with this reminiscence; “It was a beautiful afternoon in July,” said he. “The sun was pouring down through the hay fields, apejb as we toiled with scythe and rake we felt tired and weary. Coming suddenly I upon a patch of strawberries, we sat down and feasted upon the luscious! fruit, the single berries being as large -round as your fist. While we sat enjoying this delicious repast, we sud-' denly saw a bear come out of the woods on the other side of the meadow and make for us. You can bet we ran for our lives. I, being the fattest fellow, could not keep up with the rest,, and more than once the nose of the bear grazed my legs as I flew along. Reaching the river about two miles from the field we rushed out upon the ice. It was so slippery that the bear could not keep up with us, and we made our escape. ” One of the fellow’s hearers innocently remarked that he would have believed the story • ‘if the critter-hadn’t lied so about the size of the strawberries.”