Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-09-16
Our Pet Bear.

western Kansas, we had curious pet.
A young man by the name Of Lope
Whiting had worked for us the year
before. He was droll fellow. When
the trouble with Sitting Bull came in
Montana, after the Custer calamity, he
enlisted as u volunteer to so and help
fight the Indians. How much fighting
he did shall not pretend to say; but
he was in the service that fall and the
winter following.
During the cold weather he was sta
toned at place they called Camp
Henderson; ard he used TO write us
curious letters now and then.
Some time in February, ihink. we
got letter from him asking Us if we
would like present Of u grizzly bear
cub.
There were two cubs ut the camp, ne
said. Some of the men had sho! the
old bear in her winter den. and on
hauling the animal out had found these
two cubs in the den beside her.
At first We thought we would not ao-
cept the cub. But from the way Lope
described it in his letter We knew that
the cub must be small. and as We hadn' I
much going by way of sport that win
ter, my brother wrote to Lope to send
on his grizzly.
A fortnight or more after that, the
agent up at the station sent down word
to us that there was box for us-with
charges.
"Its Lope's bear-cub, guess" said
Ed.
So next day We drove to the railroad
to get it. We took double wagon,
and drove fifteen miles through the
mud.
Lamor, the agent. brought out the
box and grinned.
We had expected to see cage as large
as crockery-crate. 1t was merely a
little old herring-box, not much bigger
than common salt.box, with some Stats
nailed on ore side and wisp Of hay
inside.
"That can't be our bear!" E1 ex-
claimed. whats in that box, La
mon?"
~ give i. up" said the agent
Looks to me like dead rat. But
thought likely you would know what il
was"
We pulled off some of the Stats and
shook out the hay, when there tumbled
forth, with mess of bread.crumbs and
scraps of meat, what certainly did look
as much like dead rat as anything
except for long tail. Really it was moi
much larger than half-grown kitten
We could scarcely believe it was the
grizzly bear cub.
The little creature was curled up and
lay in q sort of stupor; We could but
Just discern that it breathed.
Thirteen dollars and eighty-eigh'
cents to collect" said the agent.
At that we opened our eyes. We
began to see why the agent had grinned
Truly, if the bear vas small, the bill
was big enough.
I've won't take the box!" exclaimed
my brother.
"But you've taken it and opened it'll u
said the agent.
We declared we wouldn't pay the
bill, and started off. But Lauon threat
ened to prosecute, etc., and We finally
paid the bill.
It was late when We arrived at on
place. We took the little fellow int
our "dig-out" house and put warmed
milk into his mouth with spoon. IL
had cost us so dear we wanted to maxi
: him live if he would. Then EC
wrapped him up in horse blanket an(
put him in the warm corner.
Before I went to sleep, heard hin
whining; and in the morning he wal
racing about the room. We had not th'
least idea he would be 80 nimbie. From
what we saw the previous evening.
doubled if he could walk alone. Et
poured out for it saucer of milk
This he set down on the floor and cam'
back to bed.
We lay and watched its marnuvers
1t would run, growing, up to thu
saucer, then snap at the edges and dar
backward. 1t soon upset the milk, ant
now, as if enraged ut the dish for hav
ing held the milk, it worried and bit it
and rolled it about the floor, striking
such absurd little bearish attitudes, tha
We lay and laughed, and began to feel I
little better about the fourteen dollars
We named him Cub. We kept hin
in the house for week. 1t was sur
pIioIuB HOW ue grew III tuat uuc' IL
became mischievous, too.
Bite! before the first week was out
our hands were covered with the mark
of his teeth. We fed him in an ole
three-quart basin, milk and bread, O.
porridge, as happened. We gave hin
plenty. Bat that made no sort of diff
ference in his way of eating.
Never was there such little demon
in house before! Set him down hi
basin of thickened milk and crumbs
and he would fly at it, worry the dish
then growing frantically, he woul'
lplunRe his nose to the yery bottom O