The Portland daily press., 1881-06-25
aAbp'' he exclaimed suddenly. s.bf

nOOd. lnlS ne JnrcW ABOUT his F1nnlSh
friend, calling him to 'standup." ''He will
be the very figure to enter as bear. There
is upstairs a very fine complete skin of big
bear my father shot, We will disguise him
in it. We must have no confederates-only
we three. 1t might mrscarry else. Him
there and handkerchief with chloroform
you have heard of chlorofOrm?
we make our simple, harmless means. Is
it not good idea?"
81 do not quite understand"
''Here, sluggish head! We write at once
to our friends all around to meet me at once
in Moscow and wait. In few days after
the Gar has come and settled himself COM
fortably with the Zeiadoffs, we are sure to
be invited to join hunt. You and are
both known as good hunters. Presently we
get the Little Fathers ear. He likes an ad-
venture, does he not?''
"He does.'
"We whisper him that we know of most
huge bear across our way In the forest, and
get him to draw himself away from his at
teudants and the rest, that we may have
good shot all by ourselves. He'', pointing
to his friend, "shall be our great and tight
hugging bear. Oh, do not fear, little one;
our rifles shall be without ball, and we shall
see that the Little. Fathers is the same
This bear shall be in pre-arranged difficult
spot-that bit of defile fifteen versts from
here is best-you know it? We shall let the
Little Father advance to give the shot; the
bear, of course, comes on; we shoot; the
bear comes with rush and hugs the Little
Father, lets him smell his handkerchief, and
we carry him insensible to the sledge we
have in waiting, and away through the for
est to Moscow. Does it please you?'
''It is perfectp' exclaimed Feodor.
Sand 1 am to be the bear?' said the
friap6 with chrauyd tniply1a ssT porct
practice hugging. Have you amy"
''No, no, little onep' cried Olgaroff.
''Not that"
There was shutting In the passage,
fumbling at the door, and Ivan appeared
and said ''Dinner."
In the still, hard winter, travelling is much
more rapid than at any other time of the year.
Friends were quickly communicated with,
and advised to rendezvous by a certain time
at Moscow and wait, and they would see
what they would see. I have had no pre-
else information as 10 how long this took, or
how long it was before the invitation came
to the two chief conspirators to join the I'm
perial hunt; but 1 have understood it all fit
ted well with their expectations. The Fin
nish bear was at his savage post in the head
Of the stiff little defile, and the sledge wait
ted withdrawn some little way in the forest.
The Gar always fretted against the cere-
monials of attendance" The Zeliadoffs
were particularly Obsequious and trouble
some in these respects, and the Gar, when
he CHANGED to overhear las he was meant to
do) one famous bear-hunter, Demidoff, say
to another, Olgaroff, ST wish we could let
the little Father know, without any one else
knowing, of that big brute over our way in
the forest. Wouldn't it be grand sport?'
"Ah, what's that?" said he, aside.
"a great bear, SIR" whispered Demidoff,
1--WE would like you to get shot at. Only,
sir. we think there would be- no adventure
nor sport in it if we go to find him in a
crowd"
Eyes; let us go away, Demidoff," said
the Gar. "ButI should have my trus-
ty old huntsman with me, should not?'
"If you had him with you, sir, how could
you slip away from the company? You and
he both absent, they would soon miss you,
and come hallooing about and spoil the
whole game; and we have an old man with
us, the finest bear-hunter in the country
See, there is Berinsy, something like you,
sir, and keeps always well in front of the
hunt; tell your old huntsman to attach him
self to him, then they will think there you
are in 'front.'
ga good idea. So, gentleman, am with
you," said he, with the zest of a school-boy
to get out of bounds. II will slip away
among the trees-this way, is it not-as
soon as ever l can"
Olgaroff stood a little aloof, gnawing his
finger.
When the hunt was well started into the
forest they observed the Gar at favorable
moment slip behind tree, and then, when
the hunt had passed on, from tree to tree in
to the haze of the forest. They-Demidoff
and Olgaroff, that is, with their stolid ten
dant, Ivan Ivan'itch-hurriedly followed.
When fbQu nv wit, fha I,
laughed cheerily like school boy, and
seemed not little surprised at their glum
looks.
''Think it Is rather rash adventure after
all, perhaps, eh?'
ooh, no, sir" said Demidoff; 1--WE are nu-
merous enough and strong enough to face
and kill the fiercest bear that ever trod the
forest. Only we must get on the track quick
" and quietly; the place where we last saw
him is not far off. Permit me, sir, to look
to the loading of your gum"
''Feodor,'' whispered Olgaroff, 81 don't
like it at all. It's mad. Is there no way of
getting out of it?''
"Eh?" said the Gar with a turn.
"Olgaroff was saying, sir, am 1 sure am
not getting out of the way? See, here is the
track, the marks of his big Cushions
Peace, little one; peace, child ;''-to the dogs
Ivan held in leash, which were growing
restless, shifting and whining.
Demidoff snnnortin~ vol tbo nro+enon -
tracking the hear Gloaroff scarcpir 81 Oh u
On and on .m noa' ,be .raas 0oaaoey a. al,
hard snow till thev neared t bee, de eI S'oo'n
Iua TG Guan ~, ~ n 1oaS;n one pene
stonrod ana , ,Mot DO io ~ ny iesen'iy no
ton He laid his ear to tho gronnd ". va oIoR'
most immediataIv rose W Inoligo s s,,u a.
his doas He no;nted forward 20 q" ~ a., 90
which Seemed 70 have hean ~ Tne uola,
,r;de orooiaJ w 1 G VI iaaiiy mere
biloc amd - :. ha On u hiss Ssue III rougnis1
and WON hv +bn 1veotbo H." IS oaa4s,r, ~iu9neu
led ON into . tnrn ;n tho ~ Jofio n nsan
from, haI;oS 4rno Ell - uonto' Ieeplhs
Ia ,-h's,,anoa "., Sh"S &c" a. ene angie,
What an "ntiJa I" IS ~ 1oty M1.neI,
Rather stond heI;nS III ~ ooMo: Ltt,e
Ha Iools tarr;hl1, rn,,se ID. 80. O,So =. - cuu'
HarLi MOL fo t tIa LEI an stuwls qeep.
Rather . Iittie behind ' - 'H q" LILLE
for Won NV bio bIacL bra%or ~ oo' 'nefe'
uTnsh ~ ex5cla;1nad ~ tell ro.,,
sMissedi Re- on;cl frienG. 1 or;od r.
tilv re.laad;no The q comn, III 1,ieu ne' mas
The siobt 81 tho roIoad;nsg I'll r;t ap@I ~,
course and tho sonnd of Will LIZ Iail, VI
Srou s amu Ino suuu o. sne pears deep
neaI.. ,
ba to Denidoss , rto ii,u, o, one' Mhispeieu