The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-10-30

I scramble on, imPeIIed By one sim
gle, strong desire-te get one good,
fair shot ct that bear. e., -
/ keep ON and on. Net word
from George. At my right, Through
the leaves, I catch bright glimpses of
the lake, sleeping in the sunlight. I
slacken my pace. All is silent az q
sanctuary. "Well, the bear is Of,
and George with him. I'll keep on
slowly, cool of, and perhaps get my
second wind that we read about,
whatever that may be-" So thinking,
l cling myself up on fallen cedar
that lay breast.high across my route,
swing my legs over it, sit and rest for
a moment, then leisurely drop down
on the other side. 83 5lt
"Knar-r.r-r.r" And from under
a cedar only seven psces away. 8 mass
OF blackness springs for me. sudden
and swift. &C.
l have not time to take step.
Had time allowed, there is no oppor-
tunity. The fallen cedar is at my
back; I am pinioned between its
branches. Bat no ihoaght of retreat
or lodging enters my mind. There
ia time for but one single impulse,
and that is--shoot. My gun is in my
right hand, both barrels full cock.
Instantly 1 pitch it to Rny- shoulder,
yet in this instant the whole forest
scene, with the on-&aEhing, black
brute in the centre, is accurately
and indellibly photographed on nay
sight. Isee the beast lsaping On all
fouss, hind-quRrtsrs high, fore shout
ders low, head down and askew,
snout turned to right, lip curled up
like a snsrling dog, tasth ehattering,
and black eyes cleaning with dew
ilish light. On comes the monster
with bis vibrating, grunting 'growl,
KaGr-r-r.r-r! AS the gun swings up
to my face I glance along the barrels,
and see the swapping teeth of the
leaping brute within four feet Of nay
gun-muzzle. I fire. The beast falls
forward with heavy thud at nv feet.
I lower my gun, and, with finger
on the left trigger, press the muz2le
against the monsters head. He
moves not. Every fbre of my being
thrills with wild. intense delight.
"DeadF' yell, with savage glee.
And from up the mountain-side
comes Georges answering shout,
"BrGro, mon frere!"
And now comes George himself,
crashing and bounding down the
steep, and swinging his axe aloft. He
jumps over-our fallen foe, embraces
me, dances about like q true French
maB, shouting BrGvo, mon trers i!
6rauo mon frerei Noas Grons raincl
notre enaemi. Sacre! You old black
devil, you! Voici-heYe you are mort.
Ahal" and grasping me with both
hands, words fail us. and We give
voice to the wild JOY Of victory in one
long "Hallool" that wakes the slun-
bering echoes of the summer lake.
The veneer of q thousand years Of
civilization dropped from Us ike 8
garment, and the original savage the
fighting animal, the true man within
laughed with zest that civilization
knows not OF.
Jim bears our shout from down the
lake, catches its meaning, gleefully
halloes in reply, and paddles swiftly
to US in the pirogue.
h':Eere he is, JIM" quoth I. Veiel
Yours"
Jim peers over the shaggy brute,
locks up, takes of his hat, Rnd,- bow.
ing toward me: says, with the air OF q
diplomatic Offering q sentiment at q
royal banquet, "Cest:6ien bon. mon.
sieur, 6eaucoup de T'surOir a rotre bras,
ct meme plus votre fGsiZ."
Taking Bruin by the paws, We slid
her down the bank. --..e-.s,
"5he'il weigh about four hundred, u
said Jim, rehectively. as we lifted her
into the pirosue. ''But then they're
lean in summer. Late in the fall,
now, she'd 60 another hundred.
sure. "-Harper's Magazine.