Morris tribune., 1881-03-10
NICHOLAS VOSS NO COWARD.

er Aar which flows by the quaint old SWISS
town of Berne. There was Johann Leid,
the bakers son, and Fritz Bund, the wood
carver, and half q dozen others. with their
sisters and sweethearts.
Bund, as usual, was loud mouthed and
voluble. He talked with one eye on the
girls to see the effect. IT.. .rs.f..-.
"What do you say to race, boys? There
is Johann Leid with his big muscles. l
can outrun or throw you in five minutes,
Leid."
Leid nodded, threw off his coat, and was
beaten, in both race and wrestle. He was
big, sheepish- looking fellow, and grew
red with anger. -
IF you want to look well in Jeannette's
eyes," he muttered, 1T is Nicholas Voss
you should throw, not me. She thinks
more of his finger than of your whole brag-
CART body" -,
Bund was enraged. Everybody saw that
plainly. He looked at Jeanette, standing
with the other girls, like a modest little rose
among Haunting dahlias. Nicholas Voss
was playing with his dog on the other side
of the field. He was a quiet, under sized
fellow, the son of the school master.
Throw Vnss! l could do it with one
hand. No credit in that. The fellow has
no more strength than a girl, porting over
his books. I'll put him to test thatll
shame him. Jeanette shall see the stuff
the baby is made of. Hey Voss!" he shout
ed. H I'LL. t.E t.-.
Nicholas came over smiling, but coloring
a little as he passed the girls He was a
diffident, awkward lad, and felt his arms
and legs heavy and in the way, whenever a
woman looked at him.
Come, girls!" cried Bund. The girls
drew near, shy, but curious.
Here's question of courage to be set
tied. Leid wants me to try throw with
Voss; but it wouldn't be fair, for l could
fling him with one finger, and blow him
over for that matter.
Voss changed color. He played nervous
ly with the dogs collar. He knew that it
was true that he could not compete with
Bund in trial of strength; but it was hard
to be told it ,-before little Jeanette, too.
"But there's something Voss can do as
we'll as l."
"WLat is it?' said Nicholas, eagerly.
you can swim. Come jump into the
river yonder with me, and see which of us
can reach the other shoren'
The girls looked at the river. It was
swollen with the spring floods, and filled
with great Jumps of ice which crunched and
tore each other as they went rushing by.
"Ah, that would be brave deed" they
said, looking admiringly at Bund. Jeannette
looked, and turned away with shudder.
well done, Bund!" said the other lads.
There's no cowardice in Bund, that's GER
tain!'
Bund tore off his wooden jacket and
boots, Strengthening himself and clappine
his hands. He was not sorry that the girls
should see his broad chest and embroider-
ed braces. ..t.-.
Come, little one, off with your coat
You're famous swimmer-and Jeanette
is looking" under his breath, with an angry
flash in his eye.
Nicholas looked at the lads waiting, and
at the excited silly girls, and then at the icy
river. He did not trust himself to look al
Jeanette. In summer, he had often swan
the Aar at this very point. But his lungs
were weak He could not bear the slightest
exposure; to plunge into this flood would be
certain illness, perhaps death. And for &C
purpose but to crafty the pride of vapor-
ing idle fellow.
Come, come!" cried Bund. Afraid
eh?"
The lads and girls looked at Voss. Even
Jeannettes eyes were fixed curiously on
him.
Il am not going to swim" he said.
If he had blutfed it out in a strident, jocu
lar voice, he might have carried the day
But he was painfully conscious that they all
thought him coward. He was a sensitive
lad, and it cut him to the quick.
afraid! afraidr laughed Bund ,insolent-
ly. well, Voss, wanted to do you a good
turn, and let the girls see that you had the
making of a man in you. But no matter, y
turning away contemporary. "A pity he
could not wear gowns and bonnet" he
said to Jeanette, loud enoug III for Voss to
hear.
Voss turned away, and went hastily down
the road. He was bitter and angry, and
would not go home to his old father in that
mood. He went to the bear-pits. Now,
everybody knows that bears are a sort of
sacred animal to the Bernese; and Nicholas,
like his neighbors, took keen delight in
watching the great sluggish beasts in their
fact, though he leaned over the barrier and
looked with the crowd, he did not see them
at all.
There were many strangers there that day,
principally English travellers and Ameri-
cans. Their children were climbing about
the edge Of the pit, as no Bernese child
would dare to do.
Take care, youngsters" cried a work
man. They are fierce,-those monsters
down there An English officer fell in last
spring; and, though he fought for his life,
that big fellow killed him."
''Ach! See his red eyes, the murderer
cried woman.
| All the people stretched their necks to
look where he lay blinking up at them; and
stupid nurse maid, with child in hel
arms, stood on tiptoe to lean further over
There was push, a scream.
THE child! Ach Colt! Its gone"
The crowd surgedand pressed against the
barrier. Voss was almost crushed upon its
edge. For moment there was a silence
eyes into the darkness below. Then they
saw the little white heap close to the wall Of
5he pit Two of the small bears were
snufing it curiously. The monster that hat
killed the Englishman was slowly gather.
ing 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 into dead faint on the
ground But it's mother stood quite still
leaning over the pit, her hands held out tt
it. .....
There came wild cry from the crowd
A boy had jumped into the pit. The beal
turned, glared at the intruder with sudde1
fury, and then rushed upon him. He deal
it blow straight between the eyes; but i
fell like feather on stone wall.
HE leaps over him. ...
''The others are coming on him"
Zach: what blows!"
well struck! Again. again!"
'sBut he can do nothing. He will be tori
to pieces!" .....s
ooh, the poor boy!'' .... ......
See, the bear has torn his fesh!'
HE has the child He has the child A
ladder ! A ladder" ....... 1871.
But there was no ladder to be found, MOI
weapons of any kind. The mass of people
leaned over, praying, shouting, sobbine
while the struggle went on below as silent
as the grave. n
The boy, bleeding and pale, was pushed
to the wall, the child lifted high in his
arms. The savage brutes surrounded him
There was trunk of tree in the centre Of
the pit, placed there for the bears to climb
upon. He measured it with his eye, gath.