St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-01-08

tuC uOibc maui III my OcSCcuU, CHluc
around and smelt. Of me, uttering a
mourning noise, taking me at,first, no
doubt, for their dam but after little
examination, snuffing and snorting as
if alarmed, they quietly betook them
selves to- their couch on the moss, and
left me TO my own gloomy reflections.
| knew they were too young to do me
any injury, but with that knowledge
came the dreadful certainty that the
mother, whose premises had sd heed
lessly invaded, was quite a different
parsonage and that my life would
date but short period after she ar
rived, as arrive she certainly would
before many hours could pass oyer my
head. 0.'5 go saah '3aosfi'd IaSttE'aS
The interior of the den grew more
visible after my eyes became accus-
toned to the darkness ; and aided by
a little light from the top, / discov
cred that the den was circular, and on
the ground was five or six feet in di-
ameter, its circumference diminishing
at the height of seven. or eight feet, to
diameter of less than three, owing
to the singular formation Of the trunk,
as l have before remarked. All my
attempts to reach the narrow part Of
the hollow, in the hopes of working
my way out, as chimney. sweep
might have done, were fruitless. Ny
escape in this way, therefore, was i'm
possible. To cut through the trunk
hole sufficient to let out my body with
a small pocket knife, the only one /
had, would have been the work of
weeks and even months, as from the
examinations which l had made of
both the exterior and interior, l knew
that it could not be less than foot
thick. The knife was the only weap-
ON which / possessed, and a hug of my
tremendous adversary would deprive
me Of the power to use even SO con-
temptible an implement; and even if
l succeeded in killing the bear-which
was not to be expected--my case was
equally hopeless, for l should only ex-
change sudden death for one, if pos
sible, even more horrid, lingering
one Of famine and thirst for my
tracks in the snow knew were long
since covered by the drift, and there
was no possibility of my friends find
ing me, by searching in wilderness
Of many miles in circuit.
My situation was indeed hopeless,
and desperate. As the shades Of eve-
ming were now fast approaching, i
thought of my cheerful home my
wife, seated by the fire with our chill
dren in her arms, or preparing our
evening meal, looking out anxiously
from time to time, expecting my're-
turn. These and many more such
thoughts rushed through my mind,
and which way soever they turned,
you may suppose that they We're teem-
ing with horror. At one time had
nearly determined to wreak my feel.
ings upon the cubs by destroying them,
but the wanton and useless cruelty Of
the act, as they could be of no service
to me then, prevented me. Yes, II
would be merciful. Oh! you know
not how merciful one is, when he feels
that he himself would willingly be an
object of mercy from others. =
Two hours had probably elapsed,
and to me- two Of the longest that l
ever experienced, when suddenly the
little light which had illuminated me
from above was gone. / looked up|
and could no longer see the sky. Ny
ears, which at the time were peculiar
ly sensitive, were assailed with low,
growing noise, such as bear makes
on discovering an enemy, and prepar-
ing for an attack. l thought that my
fate was at hand, as this was the moth
er descending to her cubs, having, by
her acute organs of smell, discovered
that her den had been entered by some
enemy. From the time l had ascer-l
tainel my true situation, l had open
ed my knife and held it ready in hand
for the encounter, come when it would.
l now, therefore, braced myself for
death grapple with my terrible antag-
onist, feverishly awaiting her descent.
Bears always descend in the same
manner as they ascend trees that is,
the head ais always. upward; conse-i
quently, her. most assailable, or, rath-.
er, least formidable part, was opposed
to me. A thought quick as lightning
rushed through my mind, that escape
was possible, and that the bear might
be the means. No time could be af-
forded, nor was necessary, for deliber-
alton. afaas ass se E..a.ss a.&fsggi
just as she reached that part where
the hollow widened, and where by
jump l could reach her, | made q des.l
perate spring and with both hands
firmly caught hold of the fur which
covered her extremities, giving aat the
same time q scream, which, In this
close den, sounded . thousand times
louder than any human voice in the