The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-05-21

by the name of Rush, was one day chop
ping in the woods about half mile
from his house when bis wife went out
to carry him his luncheon. She left two
children at home, a boy about FIVE years
old, and a baby just big enough to
toddle around.
The boy had often been told that If
he strayed into the woods with his
brother that bear might carry them of,
and she c-arged them again that fore
noon not to go away from the house;
but he was au enterprising little fellow,
and when the sun shone so pleasant and
the woods looked 30 inviting be wasn't
to be afraid of bears.
The woman stopped to see her hus.
band fell big beach he was cutting,
and then went back to the house, but,
Just before she got there, she Eaw the
Oldest boy coming out of the woods on
the other side He was alone He was
white as a sheet, and so frightened at
first that he couldn't speak.
Johnny" said she, catching hold OF
him, what is the matterp'
"a bear" he gasped out at last.
Where is your little brother p was
the next question. TIL
!" / don't know said he, too much
frightened to know nything Just then.
Where did you leave your brotherp
said she.
Then he seemed 70 have gotten his
wits together little. "a bear took
him n said he.
You can guess what sort of agony
the mother was in.
"Oh, Johnny, tell me truel Think
| Where was it9e
"In the woods" he said. Bear
came along-I run"
She caught him up and hurried with
him into the woods. She begged him 10
show her where he was with his little
brother when the bear came along. He
pointed out two or three places. In one
of them the earth was soft. There
were fresh tracks crossing it--bear
tracks. There was no doubt about it.
1t was a terrible situation for q poor
woman. Whether to follow the bear
and try to recover her child, or go at
once for 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
sbe had had her wits about her.
She 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 hostler, ]
| needn't try to describe what followed.
They went back to the house, and Rush
took his rife 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 bour ard half a
dozen men, with their dogs, were on the
track with Rush. 1t was so much troli-
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 dogr
got up with him and one, the only one
that could follow a scent bad his back
broken by stroke of his paw. After
that it was almost impossible to track
him, and one after another the hunters
gave up and returned home.
At last Rush was left alone, but
Il
He shot some small game in the noun
tains, which he cooked for his supper
slept on the ground and started on the
trail again in the morning. etI !a5I
Along in the forenoon he came in
sight of the bear as he was crossing q
stream. He had good shot at him al
he was climbing the bank on the Other
side.
The bear kept on, but it was easier
tracking him after that by his blood.
That evening hunter, baggard, hi
clothes all in tatters, found his way to
backwoodsman'g hut over in Whit,
Valley. 1t was Rush. He told hi
story in a few words as he rested on ,
stool. He had found no traces of hi
child, but he had killed the heary !
was old Two Claws. He had,left him oil
the hills and come to the settlement fo
help. vt Ysf SfFan ~
The hunt had taken him a round
about course, and he was then not NOR
thar seven miles from home. The mex
day, gun in hand. with the bearskil
strapped to his back-the carcass hat
been given to his'friend, the backwoods
mamie started to return by an easie
way through the woods, a..
Itwas sad revenge he had had, bu
, there was a grim sort of satisfaction il
bringing home the. hide OF old Tw
Claws. H#E 4
AS he came in sight Of his log hoass
, out ran his wife tgrmeet him, with
what do you suppose 3-little Johnn
dragging at her skirt, and the lost chill
E in her armsl
, Then, for the first time, the ma
dropped, but he didn't get down an
/, further than bis knees. He chung I
: his wife and baby and thanked God fc
the miracles " Ef
9 But it wasn't much Of miracle, afte
e all. A9s's7 ia .'''' * s''s''sfsti st ~
o LittleJ Johnny had been playing aroun
the door, and lost sightof the baby
and, maybe, forgotten all about him
8 / when he strayed into the woods and sa
- l. \ NJ IL.