St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-12-10
with white face stood right in the

"' Why, betty, he said, there new
er was bear with a white face. 1t
was only Mrs. Craig's black sheep; you
know that has a white face
but | know it was bear l per.
sisted, and it sat right down just like
Carlo. and watched me out of sight
"'Well,' said father, L s'pose
must 60 with you and see about it; but
[ guess You'll find it was nothing but a
sheep and he laughed again. l said
nothing, but took his hand and we went
back to the road.
"'Well, said father as we came in
sight of the churn still standing where
l had left it; well, Betty, there's your
churn, but where s your bear?'
So | don't know where he is now; but
he sat in the road the other side of the
churn when | ran off, l answered.
Father went up to the churn, still
holding my hand, and. stopping down,
looked at the ground. When he got
up, he was not laughing, but he held
my hand tighter than before, as he
said: "A bear sure enough, and a big
one, too! Why, Betty, child! Where
were your eyes that you didn't see him
before" @=
80 Why, he came out of the bushes
said.
Father looked at the tracks again.
'Weu, he's gone Oft into the woods
now, and l guess you and l had better
carry this churn home, and then rllsee
you safe back to mother
80 he picked up the churn, and,
still holding me tightly by the hand, we
went on to Mrs. Craig's.
"'Why, Mr.. Cross cried Mrs. Craig
rs she saw US, did you leave your
work to bring that home3 Now, that's
too bad. l thought one O the children
could do it, or shouldn't have said
word about its being brought home this
mornin'.'
"Then father had to tell her about
the bear, and finished by saving She
was so frightened that she really thought
it had white face
Is. We'll, it did have a white face l
cried.
Mrs. Craig laughed. Il don't won
der you thought so, Child she said.
why, it scares me to think of it,
''Then father went home with me,
and mother was frightened enough
when she heard the story. L shan t
dare to let one of you children out of
my sight again, she said; but she, too,
laughed little over the white face. |
suppose must have been little cross
about this; anyway, father told me not |
to say again that it had a white face,
and mother told me to 60 and lie down
a little while, and l didn't dare to dis
obey either of them; SO went and lay
down on my trundle- bed, and | cried a
little, but | kept saying to myself, 1t
lid have white face. know it did,.
"Well, it was not long before every
body in town knew that Betty Cross
had come pretty near being eaten by
Dear, and was so frightened that she
thought it had a white face; and of
course everybody laughed at that. |
tidn't say anything, but | knew l was
light; and oh, how | did hope some
body would kill the bear, and then others
would know was right.
"Well, one day my eldest brother
anne home from the mill, where he
lad been to have some corn ground.
lie was greatly excited, and as soon as
re came into the house he exclaimed:
Well, Betty's in the right ont! The
'ear did have white face. I've Just
cen Burns who lives the other side of
ne river, and he saw the bear. He
avs it's the greatest wonder Betty J
7asn't killed, for the bear was so hun .
ry that he tackled one of his two-year
Id steers, and would have killed it if
e and his hired man hadn't drove him :
II with pitchforks, and the bear sprang
Ito the river and swan across, and .
lust have come right up in front of
'etty, Tor Mr.. Burns says it was close
y the Bend
"Oh, how l clapped my hands! and
cried: 81 knew it had white face, I l
new it had!' =" as ~. iut. h:aUia :
"Mother didn't, say much then; but
hen | went to bed that night she
Used me and said: Thank God, nv
tile daughter is safe at. home;' and I
new she was thinking Of the bear.
j. " eaheard = fewaweeks after that
re bear was killing sheep, in the other
art OF the town, and there al the'men
lrned out and had a grand bear-hunt,
ld| at last tracked innate his den in
le woods, where he was soon killed.
e was an immense animal, and almost
Terybody went to see him, but didn't
re to. I thought had seen him all
needed to; and l have never since
en- nor heard of white-faced bear"
-Wade-AWaEe. ~ -
-. r