The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-03-18

The Scriptures cannot believe,
II right wrong can't conceive,
Although my name therein Is found,
They are to me an empty sound,
And when my friends these lines you read,
es Go search the Bible with all speed, A
And II my name you can't find there,
" II will be strangeI must declare
The Rear and the Horse.
s The bear was slowly climbing out Of the
ravine, and when first saw him be was drag
ging his huge body over the escarpment Of the
cliff. In moment he stood erect upon the
open plain. was filled with new conster-
nation; saw too clearly that he was about to
attack my horse.
q The latter had already observed the bears
approach, and seemed to be fully aware Of his
danger. Ihad staked him at the distance Of
about four hundred yards from the barranea,'
and upon lasso Of twenty in length. At
sight of the bear he had run out to the end Of
his trail rope, and was snorting and plunginE
with alright. e9
Thus new dilemma arrested my steps, and
stood with anxious feelings to watch the re-
suit. had no hope Of being able to yield the
slightest aid to my poor horse-at least, none
occurred to me at that moment.
The bear made directly toward him, and
my heart throbbed wildly as beheld the
fierce monster almost within clawing distance.
The horse sprang round, however, and gallop-
ped upon circle Of which The lasso was the
radius. ! knew, from the hard jerks he had
given the rope, that there was no chance Of
its yielding, and setting him free. No; it was
a raw-hide lasso of the toughest thong.
knew its power, and remembered how firm
ly had driven home the picket-pin. This
had now cause to regret. What would not
have given to have drawn the blade Of my
knife across the rope?
continued to watch the struggle with pain
full feeling Of suspense. The horse still kept
out of reach by galloping around the circum-
ference Of the circle, while the bear made his
attacks by crossing it's chords, running in cir
cles of lesser diameter, The whole scene
bore resemblance to an act at the Hippo
drome. the bear taking the part Of ring-mas-
ter. E.,F s..s t..,..
Once or twice, the rope circling round, and
quite taut, caught upon the legs Of the bear,
and after carrying him along with it for some
distance, flung him over upon, his back. This
seemed to add to his rage, and after rising
each time he ran for the horse with re-doubl-
ed fury. I might have been amused at the
singular spectacle, but my mind was too pain
fully sgitated about the result.
The scene continued for some min-,tes with
out much change in the relative position of the
actors. began to hope that the bear might
be bafied, after all; and, finding the horse too
nimble for him, would give over his attempts,
particularly as noticed the latter administer
several kicks that might have discounted any
other assailant but these only rendered the
bear more savage and revengeful.
Just at this moment the scene assumed a
new phase, likely to bring about the denou-
mentf The rope had once more pressed
against the bear but this time, instead OF trv-
ing to avoid it, he seized it in his teeth and
paws. thought, atfrst, he was going to cut
it. and this was exactly what wished TO- /;
but no--to my CONSERVATION, saw that he
was crawling along it by constantly renewing
his hold, and thus gradually and surely draw
ing nearer to his victim. The horse now
screamed with terror.
Icoud bear it no longer. / remembered
that I had left my rife near the edge Of the
barranca. Iran forward to the cliff, and DASH
ed madly down its face; climbed the oppo-