The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-11-08
began the LIST of March, and ended about

DeShil the lst OI Marcn, ana enueu aDOul
the middle of May.
After the term closed the following
spring, went up to Bens again, partly
on visit, and partly to get the school
there. for the next winter.
L still took an interest in gathering
specimens for my collection, and went
up to Ben's diamond LEDGE again, on
foot this time. From there / vent
across to another mountain, mile or
more to the eastward, and was returning
through partly-cleared pasture lands,
when l came suddenly upon a little wee
club OF creature, with a yellow face,
sharp ears, and brownish back and sides
Twas bear cuba little sucking 1t
ran few steps, and hid itself beside a
stump. / played with it while and
found that it wouldn't bite, and then
thought l would carry him home, to
Ben's boys.
So / picked him up, took him under
my arm and started. The little chap
whimpered some, and soon began to
squeal. l was afraid the mother-bear
might be about, and so started to run.
There was "sheep-path there which
wound in and out among the bush
clumps. hurried along this path, and
had got twenty or thirty rods, when
round one of the hazel-clumps / met
the old bear coming up the path-iked
to have run plump against her.
My first impulse was to drop the cub I;
but, as suddenly recollecting that L had
heard Ben say that bear would not
touch a person so long as he held her
cub in his arms, clasped the little fell
low close and stood still, though not
little frightened, must needs confess.
Never shall forget the expression on
that old creatures face, as she stood
there not six feet from me, with her
eyes fixed on mine, studying my every
movement. 1 backed off few steps.
She followed each step. l then adj
vanced stAp, and she fell back, always
with her eye on mine. If L put down
the cub, l had little doubt that she
would fly at me.
L walked round there for some min
utes, holding the cub. Now that his
mother was there, the little fellow did
not seem to be so scared. The old bear
kept right round with me, always facing
me.
L thought of climbing tree, and
then dropping the cub; but there were
no trees Whereabouts which could climb
and hold the cub, too.
While l was looking about, happened
to spy the roof of shanty, built of
logs, in hollow by brook down to
the west of me. For this l started,
making my way along by zigzags. On
getting nearer, / saw that it was an old
deserted howell; but / went on to the
door, which had large wooden button.
AS we came closer, the bear seemed to
divine some stratagem on my part, for
she placed herself directly in front of
the door and would not bulge an inch.
BY going round the shanty, however, /
drew her after me, and, making quick
run from the back side, l opened the
door and whipped in, hoping to shut
out the bear. But SO closely did the
brute come at my heels that she showed
her way in despite all my celebrity.
We were now all inside together, with
no better prospect of getting apart than
before that l could see.
But there were two old barrels in the
shanty. began to walk round these,
and tip them toward the door, and at
length, getting them about where
wanted them, l kicked them over in
front of the old bear as she trotted
round after me, and, suddenly dropping
the cub, jumped out at the door and
buttoned it. then took myself off as
fast as l could run.
On reaching Ben's, / told him of my
adventure. He loaded up his gun, and
went back to the shanty with me- but
the old bear had burst off the button
and gone with her cub.-Yoalth's Com
pdnion.