The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-07-09

daughter Of sxkachcia1ka, daughter of
noble. in person, language and habits ),
she knew not:how toWsrk. They beat
her, despised her. AT fifteen years of
age . peasant. from Skole, observing her
beauty, asked her to marry him. Z She,
Was dying Of hunger. and accepted him.
It was reported in the village, she did
not love her husband. Now. that the ice
was broken, Stepan, who had become
very confidential, conf, med this story.
His liasoa, with the young wife had con.
tinued year. ,'"And the husbands" /
asked. .>,,,...I,.f, ].
ooh Batko, husbands !''s'. sz'F5'',z7 =.
What profundity in this exclamation !!
Everywhere the. same. Oh! the good
and honest thing-husband! J.. ....,u =
t'Besides. he is my neighbor and my
friend, p After . moments silence he
added ~. .tsss7 L:~:.a : u. IT,. ~: ~
:" "Iwould give my life if he were neither
my neighbor nor my friend =:.3s,
He told me that since he had kept
watch near my fire, Lonba came onto tho
mountain every night to see him. - ,.
., '"Be prudent, Stepan.
E sit, is needless, little father,'' and he
repeated with peculiar emphasis and con.
fidence, the words: 'Fedor is my
neighbor and my friend
!. Time passed, and I lived very happily
in this rugged and inharmonious ceun-
try. but full of contrasts capable of NOV
i"g one deeply. They are many; some-
times long hours under the radiant i'm.
mobility of the heavens, before one,
around one, everywhere. the contagious
impassability of the calm horizon, some
times storm, whirlwind pursuing the
black clouds along the mountain. sides,
the thunderbolt which 5:plows the sum.
mits, waking dull echoes in the savage
breast. Toward the end of August the
weather changed. For eight days 4 gray
mist like spider.web spread over the
valley, and moderated the air to moist
warmth. The :thrushes sang; the, sun
set red and rayless. One morning the
sky was overcast, and the rain fell in
torrents. IL must DEPART I said to
Stepan. 49,.
"Wait little, Batko; this will not
last; and you shall kill Dear in the
new NOON" He informed me that for
some time bear had visited the inclo..
sure Of his neighbor in the dusk Of eve.
ming to steal the honey there. eve are
going to lie in wait for him, and Fedor
has appointed me to invite you to 60
with US, if it will be agreeable to you
I accepted immediately, and imme.
diately We set about cleaning nv two
barreled shotgun and rifle. Toward 5
o'clock the rain abated, and only from
time to time few large drops fell. At 7
O'Clock the wind had swept the sky. and
the same evening twas bright moonlight.
We went down to Fedor's cottage, who
was expecting us. e
He was = short, ssuatty man, with fea.
lures corresponding to his figure, with an
insignificant expression. l. think T OBJ
served that his orchard extended up the
mountain to where it met the wood. At
the highest point. sheltered by . rock,
the hives were ranged in line. Fedor
pointed out to me a fruit tree which
which would shelter me, conducted Ste
pan about hundred steps to- buck tree
and returned toward me in an obliquc d.
rection, q little to: the left. When he
had taken his position I noticed that We
were upon the same plane, separated by
the hives only. Stepan, occupied tie
summit of the sharp angle whose sides
ended at our station. WITNESSED this.
with astonishment. l also observed that
tStepan was in the direction of the wind,
an extremely ,perilous position: for the
hunter. / remarked upon this to Fedor.
He calmly explained that the bear usually
followed along the edge Of the rock; tina =
be would 60 direct to the hives, and if
my, shot or his failed, he would very Ger.
%tain1y retreat in the direction of the for.
est, thus presenting himself to Stepan,
who would cut of his retreat: A half:
hour passed, then an hour. l became
too cold to remain thus motionless, and I
moved. ,..>:s' il T.. /
'.Patience. Batko. ~ .: whispered Fedor.
Soon he leaped to my side. s.Look y he
whispered. I followed his glance. A
bear was moving right toward Stepan.
He came from the opposite direction to
that from which. I expected him-from
that which Fedor had indicated to me.
Suddenly he, stepped, raised his head,
snufFed the air, and again took. up his
march, uttering little grunts. From
time to time he opened his jaws, showing
small arsenal Of teeth and breathing
noisily, like! = cat quarreling with . dog.
l inspected alternately Stepan, the bear,
and my Weapons. The bear was ne more
than six or seven meters from Stepan..
The attitude of the peasant appeared to
me admirable; he had not yet even
raised bis rifle. }s|Si*>'
" BE viii kill the bear close to the mug.
zle - aaid in = low vn;cs - ;Cedo. srhoe