Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1861-08-17
THE HEROINE OF BEARS HILL.
A Thrilling sketch.

The light of an October sun fell in
slanting rays of gold upon our fair gem
Of the mountain-the Winnippisseegee.
The waves rippled and curled in the soft
breeze, and famed the green Islands in
ruffling silver.
1t was glorious scene-the wide, gilt
tering lake, the clear cloudless sky, and
that eternal wall of mountains, keeping
silent watch over all Perhaps some
such thoughts fitting through the mind of
farmer Horizons good wife as she sat lels-
urely darning her husbands stocking in
the ruddy glow which came in through the
uncurtained window.
"Where can that child be? wonder !
Strange. It's nigh three o'clock, and she's
not home yet Strange enough -
Whats strange enough, Sally?' put
in q rough voice from the door way, and
Mrs. Horizons husband entered her apart
ment
"Why. sent Mary to the forty acre LOT
Win Dlil . utiiHCi "pONO WV hN''S 70 ~
and she baint come back yet. Them ap-
ples'll never be pared | don't see why
she don't come home she's had time
enough"
Mrs. Horton was in that uncomfortable
state between grief and anger, she was
troubled about the absence of her child,
fearing that evil had betallen her, and she
was inclined to be angry because she was
not back to do the work that had been as
signed her.
oval, wal, sallyl" said Mr. Horton,
good humoredly, don't be fretty; may be
she's got to picking berries; gals will be
gals, ye know, and Mary's as good as any
mans child. But he added, in strange
" altered voice, and with an unnatural
paleaess creeping over his honest counte
nance, rohich path did she take2'
"Whieh path ? ~Hy, the one over .he
hill to be sure. 1t is half a mile higher
that way"
"Good, God y exclaimed John Horton,
striking his forehead 81 feared ii! Sal
", hand me the powder horn. Quick
Quick
He snatched down the old musket which
had done glorious duty in the Revolution
and commenced loading it in frantic haste
Lawful goodnessv calculated Sally
rising in alarm, " what is it 2
"What is it? Sally seed Tom Smltl
not an hour ago, and he told me that thl
morning, as Sam and Jim were goint
over the hill, there came up bear "a bi
black savage she bear, with cubs right ou
of the bushes They didn't dare to tigh
her without guns, but they're going to ge
up crew towards night, aid kill the erl
ter if possible. Poor little Mary. kee
up good heart, wife maybe it amt
bad as fear, and shouldering his maske
farmer Horton hurried out of the hou:
. and struck into the dismal path over I'll
hill.
1t is a terrible thing to have child
- creature of your own flesh and blood
exposed to immediate danger, and
know: yourself powerless to aid, impote
to help Farmer Horton went on, te
rible fear tugging at his heart strings, al
urging him to renewed and continue
effort.
The summit of the hill was reached
in the dry sand he discovered the tootprlI
of his child, another incentive TO exertl
and he flew rather than walked do'
the pathway.
But stay, his blood freezes, his life CT
geals in horror at the spectacle
Before him lay the open field of for
acre lot. At the extremity of this stre'
of land there was huge rock, with
stunted shrubs and here and there hal
full Of sickly moss cliuging to its sides.
His crippled son Georss-disabled fr
an early attack of disease-had gone i
the field that morning with his brot
William, not because he could assist |
in his labor, but because his beautiful s
dearly loved the sweet communion OF
great hills, and the tender blue of
silent sky.
Now, looking down upon the field,
father saw his children, and like q reet
the wind he shuddered at the sight
liam lay extended upon the ground,
parently lifeless, and but few PAGES Fl
him stood Mary. Her bonnet had fal
of, and her brow6 curls we're Aoatin:
the breeze mass Of dusky gold.
right arm was stretched out towards
rock; her lsft-John Horton gave 81
stern groan as he observed it. Black
terrible in her maddened fury, monl
bear half crouched at the side Of the