The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-03-04

could not Dear lie silgllesl expo.
sure; to plunge into this food would be
certain illness-perhaps death. And for
no purpose but to crafty the pride Of a
vaporing idle fellow.
Come, comel cried Bund. AFRAID,
ehP"
The lads and girls looked at Voss
even Jeanette's eyes were fixed curiously
on him.
am not going TO swim"
II he had bluffed it out in a strident,
iocular voice, he might have carried the
day. But he was painfully conscious
that they all thought him a coward.
He was sensitive lad, and it cut him to
the quick.
Afraid afraid" laughed Bund, in
solently. "Well, Voss, 1 wanted to do
you good turn, and let the girls see
that you had the making Of a man in
you. But no matter" turning away
contemptuously. "a pity he could not
wear gowns and a bonnet" he said to
Jeanette, loud enough for Voss to
hear.
Voss turned away and went hastily
down the road. He was bitter and
angry, and would not 60 home to his
old father in that mood. He went to
the bear pits. Now, everybody knows
that bears are sort OF sacred animal to
the Bernese, and Nicholas, like his
neighbors, took keen delight in watch
ing the great sluggish beasts in their
pits. But he had no pride in them now;
in fact, though he leaned over the bar.
rier and looked with the crowd, he did
not see them at all.
There were many strangers there that
day, principally English travellers and
Americans. Their children were climb
ing about the edge of the pit, as no Ber-
nese child would dare to do.
Take care, youngstersw cried a
workman. They are ferce-those
monsters down there. An English Off
Ger fell in last spring, and though he
fought for his life, that big fellow killed
him."
"Ach! See bis red eyes, the murder
erI" cried woman.
All the people stretched their necks to
look where he lay blinking up at them
and stupid nurse-maid, with child
in her arms, stood on tiptoe to lean fur.
ther over. There was a push-a
scream.
"The child! Ach G OFT! It is gonel"
The crowd surged and pressed against
the barrier. Voss was almost crushed
upon its edge. For a moment there was
asilence like death as people looked with
straining eyes into the darkness below.
Then they saw the little white heap close
to the wall of the pit. Two of the
smaller bears were shutting it curiously.
The monster that had killed the Eng
lishman was slowly gathering up his
fore-legs and dragging himself toward
it.
There was scarcely any sound in the
crowd. Men grew pale and turned
away sick. A woman who had never
seen the child before fell in dead faint
on the ground. But its mother stood
quite still, leaning over the pit, her
hands held out to it.
There came wild cry from the crowd.
A man had jumped into the pit. The
bear turned, glared at the intruder with
sudden Jury, and then rushed upon him.
He dealt it blow straight between the
eyes; but it fell like a feather on a
stone wall.
He leaps over himT
"The others are coming on HIM"
Zach, what blows!"
Well struck l'' Again, again !"
shouted the Englishman.
But he can do nothing. He will be
torn to pieces ~
"Oh, the poor boyi"
See, the bear has torn his 6eshl"
"He has the child! Helas the child
A ladder! A ladderw
But there was no ladder to be found,
nor weapons of any kind. The mass Of
people leaned over, praying, shouting,
sobbing, while the struggle went on be-
low as silent as the grave.
The man, bleeding and pale, was
pushed 70 the WALL the child lifted high
in his arms. The savage brutes sur
rounded him. There was a trunk of
tree in the center of the pit, placed there
for the bears TO climb upon. He meas
ured it with his eye, gathered his
strength, and then, with a mighty
bound, he reached it, and began to
climb. The bears followed to the foot
of the trunk.
"A rope! rope!"
The rope was brought and flung to-
ward him.
lie has it He will tie ii about his
waist. No, it is the child he ties. He
will save it first"
He fastened the child, and watched it
swung across in safety. When they
threw him the rope again, he did not
catch It, He was looking at the mother
when they put her baby in her arms
When he had taken the rope and tied
It about him, hundred strong hands,
English, French, Swiss, were ready to
help pull him up. AS he swung across
the chasm, going halfway TO the bot
tom OF the pit, the beast caught at him,
but rs hold slipped, and the animal fell
back with baflled growl.
There was a great shouting when the
lad stood on the grass in safety; every