Haught was a great teller of tales, and his first story of the evening happened to be about his brother Bill.  They had a long chase after a bear and became separated.  Bill was new at the game, and he was a peculiar fellow anyhow.  Much given to talking to himself!  Haught finally rode to the edge of a ridge and espied Bill under a pine in which the hounds had treed a bear.  Bill did not hear Haught’s approach, and on the moment he was stalking round the pine, swearing at the bear, which clung to a branch about half way up.  Then Haught discovered two more full-grown bears up in the top of the pine, the presence of which Bill had not the remotest suspicion.  “Ahuh! you ole black Jasper!” Bill was yelling.  “I treed you an’ in a minnit I’m agoin’ to assassinate you.  Chased me about a hundred miles—!  An’ thought you’d fool me, didn’t you?  Why, I’ve treed more bears than you ever saw—!  You needn’t look at me like thet, ‘cause I’m mad as a hornet.  I’m agoin’ to assassinate you in a minnit an’ skin your black har off, I am—­”

“Bill,” interrupted Haught, “what are you goin’ to do about the other two bears up in the top of the tree?”

Bill was amazed to hear and see his brother, and greatly astounded and tremendously elated to discover the other two bears.  He yelled and acted as one demented.  “Three black Jaspers!  I’ve treed you all.  An’ I’m agoin’ to assassinate you all!”

“See here, Bill,” said Haught, “before you begin that assassinatin’ make up your mind not to cripple any of them.  You’ve got to shoot straight, so they’ll be dead when they fall.  If they’re only crippled, they’ll kill the hounds.”

Bill was insulted at any suggestions as to his possible poor marksmanship.  But this happened to be his first experience with bears in trees.  He began to shoot and it took nine shots for him to dislodge the bears.  Worse than that they all tumbled out of the tree—­apparently unhurt.  The hounds, of course, attacked them, and there arose a terrible uproar.  Haught had to run down to save his dogs.  Bill was going to shoot right into the melee, but Haught knocked the rifle up, and forbid him to use it.  Then Bill ran into the thick of the fray to beat off the hounds.  Haught became exceedingly busy himself, and finally disposed of two of the bears.  Then hearing angry bawls and terrific yells he turned to see Bill climbing a tree with a big black bear tearing the seat out of his pants.  Haught disposed of this bear also.  Then he said:  “Bill, I thought you was goin’ to assassinate them.”  Bill slid down out of the tree, very pale and disheveled.  “By Golly, I’ll skin ’em anyhow!”