Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-04-10

After while Betty woke up and re.
that she was lost in tho woods.
just ct that moment she felt the great
paw over her shoulder, and saw mon.
strous black bear lying close by her
side. Her first thought was to get away,
but when she tried to move tho bear
growled and put his paw down more
heavily upon her, and 80, from very
fright, she dared not stir. But she |
couldn't help crying and trembling dread
fully. Tho boar seemed to und erstand
her case perfectly. Perhaps it was Il
mother bear who pitied her US she would
its way.
Sho patted her with her paw, licked
her face aud hands with her ton que, and
did everything in her power to calm the
poor child's mind, and sootho her off to
sleep again. Strango to say, she did 90
to sleep and was calm and almost happy
too.
But where was Tommy all this timo ?
With his pals and berries Tommy
trudged along at "dog trot," thinking
Of nothing but how quickly he could get
home, and what nice bowl of bread and
milk he should have. When he reached
the house he showed the full pals to his
mother, and she praised him, and set
them away for the night.
"Whore's Betty ," ut last asked tho
father.
"Down the road a piece. She's com.
ing," answered Tommy.
But it grew darker and darker, and
Betty did not come.
"Tommy, 60 and find your sister," said
his father quite sternly.
Tommy hurried down his last bit Of
bread and milk and ran to the bars. lie
went over with one spring and ran up
the wood path, calling Betty! Bettyl"
NJ little sister answered, aud then the
boys heart, which was all in flutter be-
fore, began to beat fearfully, and he felt
that his own sel6shness was the cause of
all this, and that little Betty was lost.
He fastened back to his home with O
sad heart, and told his parents that Bet.
ty had lost her way-for he now telt quite
sure of it.
No time was to be lost. Father couldn't
even stop to reprove the thoughtless boy,
who perhaps, after all, was being sufficient.
ly punished by his own thoughts.
"Pierre Jerome is the man to help
mel" said the distressed father, Selling
his gun and hurrying from the house.
Pierre was hunter and trapper, q
queer, thong h kind hearted man, who led
q lonely life, living quite by himself in o
small log cabin mile from the nearest
neighbor. He had retired for the night
when his friend reached his hut, but he
sprung from his bed Of spruce boughs as
he heard the sad story, seized his gun, put
on his moccasins and hat, and the two
men fastened away together.
They followed The usual path to the
huckleberry field, watching carefully by
the way fer something to reward thor
search. Nothing was seen OF Betty in all
this long walk, and the father was almost
linking with despair, when Pierre told
him that they must search tho forest;
especially 60 to the parts most visited by
animals, the ponds. and little lakes, for
possibly some wild creature had found
the child and Dragged her to his retreat.
This was distressing to hear, but there
was nothing to do but search as rapidly
and thoroughly as possible.
Nearly I'm hour passed in this way
when at last, coming towards great pine
tree, the men were startled by seeing I'm
immense black bear lying upon the
ground, with something near him, upon
which he seemed to be feastipg. A sud
den faintness came over Pierre's compan.
ion, and no would have fallen had not
the hunter grasped him resolutely and
bade him have his gun ready.
Creeping slowly up towards the tres,
the form of little Betty was distinctly
seen, and just at that instant the bear be.
came aware Of intruders and spranq to
her feet. Selling the child in her mouth
she ran upon q log which lay across lit.
tie pond, and turning around angrily and
defiantly, faced the two n,en.
1t was moment into which great deal
was crowded.
1t was not time for tainting or weak
ness on the part of the men, hut one into
which was crowded all the Judgment,
GOODNESS, and determination of lifetime.
Inc poor father instinc'ively raised his
gun, but Pierre resolutely made him put
it down, while he himself, with every
nerve strained, instantly took one stop
forward, raised his gun, aimed as only he
could, fred, and the bear fell dead into
the water. With loud CRY, the father
rushed to the spot, plunged into the water,
and seized the beloved child. She was
alive, safe, and unhurt!
Terribly frightened, poor Betty c]unp
to her father, shivering and crying, and he
bug.ged her tight in his arms, and he and
Pierre hurried home with the precious
burden.
ltw Guild be hard to tell you what the
mother said as she held her darling in
her arms, undressing and warming her,
.hearing all the while of the terrible
thing from which she had been 60 wonder.
fully saved. Betty's little body was with
out a scar, save on the right arm, and there
were tho deep marks of the BEARS teeth
as she held the child while she stood upon
the log in the water.
That was q night long to be remember
cd. Tommy has never forgotten it, and
am quite sure Betty never will.
After this long story. sometimes little
Fred and his mother would give each
other dear, loving kisses, and mother
would whisper something which is not
written here, and sometimes little Fred
would be 80 sleepy that he could only
listen until Betty arrived at the huckle-
berry field, SO the next night the rest
would come on and ret finished when it
could. Do you like I" Little Fred's Favo-
rite Story"
Mirarnlnns Esrano