The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-04-08

cry one knows how daring . bear win
become when there Is snow on the
ground. I" -
They tried to comfort the poor. panic
stricken fakher as best they could. but
to no avail ~ -,
The country Whereabouts was wild
and desolate, with here and there
farmhouse. or q little settlement OF
buildings, and wide. wild stretches OF
forests around, where foxes and wolves
crept about. panthers howled at night
and bears were shot every little while.
And If one of these savage creatures
were to encounter little Betsey. max
ing her bewildered way through the
woodsi Oh. it made Mr.. Hatbaway's
blood curdle to think of what would be
her fate!
The neighbors separated into little
Dands, each taking some particular
route, with lanterns and sticks, to
search for the lost child; and Farmer
Chase went with Mr.. Hathaway into
the "Rattlesnake Woods" so called
! from the fact that wears ago those ven
omous reptiles made their nests among
the wild masses of rocks which were
piled together in fantastic shapes in
these woods.
1t was lonely place, upon the side Of
a mountain. where people seldom cared
to 90, but it could be reached by foot
path from the mill. and Mr.. Hathaway
knew that little Betsey had always longed
to stray into the wildernesses and look
into the mysterious caverns among the
rocks.
Perhaps there are fairies living
there" little Betsey had said, solerlnly;
..or dear little SQUIRRELS or raccOons. 1
should like a raccoon to make q pet Of"
Before they had gone very far. they
came to the marks of tiny footsteps. OBJ
liberated here and there by the drifting
snow which had piled itself over them.
With a cry of joy they followed up the
clue. which, falling them ever and
anon, was still pretty steady, curving
its wav here and there, around the
trunks of huge trees, and over piles 1t
Jagged rocks, until suddenly it stopped
at the mouth of black and yawning
aperture in the rocks, where little bit
of Betsey's scarlet hood fluttered on
brambly, low-grOwing bush.
The two men stopped and looked at
each other, with pale faces.
..She is Meren' said Mr.. Hathaway,
hoarsely. "Give me the lantern. Twill
follow her.
.Stop," said Farmer Chase; "the
opening is so low and narrow that you
cannot pass.
Wherever my little one has gone."
exclaimed the bereaved father, Il will
go, Also"
But as he was snatching the lantern
away Farmer Chase pointed to some
thing wedged up against the side of
the Jagged rOcks--a whitening bone.
MAN, are YOU mad?' he cried. GAS
sure as you are alive that is the den of
the very bear that Hunter Gabriel saw!'
"All the more reason that should
follow my little Betsey," persisted MIR.
Hathaway, resOlutely.
LET me fire into it, first" said
Farmer Chase. IF the creature should
be there
But Mr.. Hathaway struck the barrel
of the gun aside.
"And suppose little Betsey should be
there, also!' he exclaimed, gasping for
breath.
But the gun went off with prodig-
ious report, which echoed among the
hills and rocks. The trigger had
struck against branch of a tree, thus
producing the very signal upon which
they had agreed in case little Betsey
should be found alive and well. And
before the echoes had ceased to boom
back and forth there came the sound of
shrill, childish cry inside:
"Papa! Papar'
And then, also, there was q low,
muffled sound like the growing of some
animal.
Flinging himself on his chest, and
pushing the lantern in front of him,
MIR. Hathaway made his way into the
lair of the wild beast.
1t was only for short distance that it
was so narrow, and then it became q
rocky chamber of considerable size,
with its uneven floor strewn with dry
vines, and two young cubs crouching
in the corner, while little Betsey was
coiled up between them, her yellow
curls mingling with the reddish-brown
of their fur.
Little Retseyr' cried Mr.. Hatha-
way, in breathless pause. 'How on
earth came you here?'
lit was so cold and dark" said lit
tie Betsey, simply; "and crawled in
to get warm, and Rugged up against
the dear little bearies. and we have all
been asleep together. Papa, can't
take one of 'em home with me?''
Mr.. Hathaway, as can easily be
imagined. lost no time in rescuing his
little darling out of the hideous cavern,
with its strange companionship of wild
beasts, who were, luckily, too young
to harm the confiding child who had
invaded their haunt; and, as they car
ried her down the mountain-side,
wrapped in the shawls which Farmer
Chase had brought. they met Hunter
Gabriel sliding over the snow, with
something thrown over his shoulder.
He said:
"Have you found your childe''
"Yes-yesr' they both answered.
joyfully.
$50 have found something" said
he, displaying the head and claws OF q
huge wild animal. II found this bear
on Rocky Peak, and I've killed her."
1t was the very she-bear in whose