Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-07-10

w WV iNNN'' WV WV '''''''N' W.
cd with q fearful howl, aud as lhC
door was closed against him he struck
II with one Of his huge paw shaller
Ing II into splInters,
II feared this, Fire, but bo careful
aud not inluve my childT cried the
father
lIo discharged his own piece, aud
at the same time u dozen other rlilei
rang out, The bear gave u mosI
fearful howl, turned upon his enemies
glazing upon them with eyes OF fire
aud seemed Just on the point Of
springing upon them, Suddenly how
ever the beast appeared to change his
mind. Tuning quickly around, the
monster entered the cabin, A shrek
was Instantly heard, aud the father
rushed forward, knife in hand to save
his darling, But he was too late, ioI
with n bound the beast had dashed
through the window, holding Eva in
his teeth,
or he ran with all hls speed toward
the highest mountain peak, while the
cries Of the little one came back 10 the
ears Of the hali,frartic father,
And now the monster began its
ascent, bearing its precious burden
Onward it went aud upward, climbing
forward, as rocks towering above
rocks arose 10 obSlruc' hls pathway
All this time it kept up i,s fearful
bowling, and for time the walls were
heard bat they became fainter aud
fainter, until the sound could no longer
be distinguished, At length it dis
appeared from view behind q juttlng
ledge.
When the intention Of the animal
was first made apparent kind oi
terror seized upon every heart and a
cry of agony burst from every Up.
And well they might have shuddered
for they knew full well that the
ferocious animal was she.bear, and
that she was carrying the child to her
eyrle den as food for her cubs.
For time the father had stood
with face blanched with despair, and
with form trembling like the Drowned
leaves which still clung to the trees
around him. But that weakness was
only momentary, for he became
again the invlnclble father; and with
the speed Of an antelope he rushed
'''N
for the cliffs, his eyes fixed upon the
bolnt where the bear had disappeared
with his loved darling.
To any but the father, and to him
under any other circumstance, the
Journey would not only have been a
weary. but almost an impossible one.
But the anxious parent paused not for
an instant. Indeed, he seemed to gain
new strength and courage at every
step. Now fearful rocky ledge would
obstruct his way, but he would mourt
upwards, making ladder of the frail
twigs which hung to their sides.
Onward and upward until the giddy
height upon which be stood was
horrible to contemplate. But he did
not look back. His child was further
on.
And now the point was reched where
the bear was last seen.
AT this instant strange sound fell
upon the ears Of the father. AT first
it was only the cry Of a child. Then
with it came the fierce growl
of the she. bear, and followed this,
the yelpiug of cubs. Oh, what agony
filed the fathers bosom at that
moment Could it be possible that
the laving beasts were already IN the
act of devouring his treasure?
Dick sank upon the solid rock,
while the perspiratlon rolled in streams
from his face and body. A blindness
came over him, and he felt himself
unable to move.
Then came a voice from below.
It exclaimed, "Courage, Dick, III be
With you soon, and will yet save your
,hild."
"Child child!' murmured Dick as
,e started up. eyes | must not give
way to this weakness so long as my
,hld yet lives and | can hear its
,olce even now
The poor father became strong
,pain. He moved forward few steps
md paced around a point OF rock,
rom behind which came the sound.
A terrible sight met his gaze. /
A little girl was lying upon her back
lpon the rock. The monster was
,ear her, holding her down with one
If his huge paws, which rested upon
Ter breast. The little one had ceased
,,r,orI;nos .yifontly in desnair