The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-14

her husband, or alarm the neighbors;
what to do with Johnny meanwhile-all
that would have been hard enough for
her to decide even if she had had her
wits about her.
EShe hardly knew what she did, but
just followed her instinct, and ran with
Johnny in her arms, or dragging him
after her, to where her husband was
chopping.
"Well," continued the one-eyed hos
tier, 81 needn't try to describe what fol-
lowed. They went back to the house
and Rush took his rifle and started
on the track of the bear, vowing that he
would not come back without either the
child or the bears hide.
"The news went like wildfre through
the settlement. In an hour and half a
dozen men with their dogs were on the
track with Bush. 1t was 50 much trou-
BILE for him to follow the trail that they
soon overlook him, with the help Of the
dogs
"But in spite of them the bear got into
the mountains. Two of the dogs came
up with him, and one. the only one that
could follow scent, had his back broken
by stroke of his paw. After that it
was almost impossible to track him, and
one after aaother the hunters gave up
and returned home.
"At last Rush was left alone, but moth
ing could induce him to turn back. He
shot some small game in the mountains
which he cooked for his supper, slept on
the ground and started on the trail again
in the morning
"Along in the forenoon he came in sight
of the bear as he was crossing stream.
He had a good shot at him as he was
climbing the bank on the other side.
'The bear kept on, but it was easier
tracking him after that by his blood.
"rhat evening hunter, hnggsrd, his
clothes all in tatters found his way to a
backwoodman's hut over in Whites Val
ley. It was Rush. He told his story in
a few words as he rested on a stool. He
had found no traces of his child, but he
had killed the bear. 1t was old Two
Claws. lie had left him on the hills, aud
come to the settlement for help.
"Ihe hunt had taken him round
about course, and he was then not more
chan seven miles from home. The next
day, gun in hand, with the bearskin
strapped to his back-the carcass had
been given to his friend, the backwoods-
mamie started to return by an easier
way through the woods
"It was a sad revenge he had had, but
there was grim sort of sati faction in
Juggling home the hide of old two
Claws.
Gas he came in sight of his log house,
out ran hi, wife to meet him, with-wha
do you supposeY-little Johupy dragging
at her skirts, and the lost child i'm her
arms.
"Ihen, for the first time, the man
dropped, but lie didn't get down any
further than his knees. He clung to his
wife and baby and thanked God for the
miracle.
"But it wasn't much Of miracle, after
all.
'Little Johnny had been playing
around the door, and lost sight of the
taby-and maybe forgotten all about
him-when he strlyed into the woods
and saw the bear Then he remembered
that he had heard of the danger of being
carried of and enten, anil of course he
had a terrible fright When asked about
his little brother he didn't know any
thing about him, and 1 suppose really
imagined that the bear had e0t him.
"But the baby had crAwled into snug
place under the side of the rain-trough,
} and there he was, FIST asleep all the
while. Then he woke up two or three
hours after, and the mother heard him
cry; her husband was far away on the
hunt.
'True-this story I've told your add.
} ed the one-e~cd hostler, as some one
questioned him. Every word of It'll"
> "But your name is Rush, isn't it?' ]
said.
The one eye twinkled humorously.
"|My name is Rush. My uncle''
brother-in-law was my own father"
sand your" exclaimed bystander.
e a." said the one-eyed hostler, tam tht
j very man WHO wrn't eaten by the beal
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