The National tribune., 1883-06-14
THEY MET BY CHANCE.
How Tidy Captured a Big Brown
Bear.
by Sophie s,ceei.I

guinea-pigs are squealing for their supper
enough TO deafen you, and the wood wantin' to
be chopped, and Jonas gone to see his mother
Why he couldn't have a mother Iivin' in this
town instead of ten miles off don't see: but
hired men have no consideration for other
people, any mere than boys have. l should
like to know who is going after the eowsi"
Aunt Huldah was a little cross, but then
poor woman she had had hard time to
manage the farm and make both ends meet
since Uncle Joshua died. And although she
did scOld sometimes, she was very kind to
'Bimeieeh and Tidy.
:" l will go and bring home the cows" said
Tidy. Z" can ride Lightning bare-baeked.
have done it ever so many times"
4" 1 don't think poor old Lightning will ever
run away with anybody" said Aunt Huldah,
but las hard work for you to take down the
bars and put them up again. l don't believe in
girls doing such things, when it's what boys
are for. But there's no telling what time that
boy ii be home. Perhaps you may as well 90.
And you'd better hurry, for it's a lonesome
road, and it VIII be dark before long"
Tidy had old Lightning out OF his stall and
Yves on his back In 4 tYinkling. But there
was no such thing as hurrying old Lightning
lie knew rs well as Tidy did that they were
only going for the cows, and he didn't mean to
hurry his stiff old bones ON any such common
place occasion. 1t was long time ago that
lightning had earned his name. Jonas, the
hired man. said he was slower than stock
still " now.
Tidy broke of a beech switch, and tried
that as peTsuader. She did want to get the
cows home in good time so that Aunt Huldah
need not think too much about 'Bimelech's
absence. He had bright new half-dollar that
he had earned By picking berries, and there
was circus over at Cranberry Centre. Tidy
didn't know that he had gone there, but she
Was pretty well acquainted with boys You
couldn't have 'Bimelech for brother without
being
Instead of having his pace quickened by the
beech switch, Lighting, not being accustomed
TO such things stopped short and turned his
head around to look at it. Then he twitched
it out OF Tildy;s hand, and serenely munched
the green leaves.
After that Tidy returned to moral suasion,
and told him how important it was to have the
cows MIXED, and the milk taken care of at the
proper time, for the cream was TO be made Aunt
Huldah's goldenest, sweetest, fragrant butter,
that was expected TO take the prize at the Ag-
ricultural Fair and out of the prize money
Aunt Huldah had promised to buy her, Tidy
a new cambria dress-bright blue with tiny
spots-to wear to the Sunday school picnic.
| can't say that old Lightning was touched
by these arguments, but he did begin to 90
little faster, and before Tidy had fairly decided
what color to have the hat trimmed with
which Aunt Huldah might have money
enough to bay her, to go with the dress, she
had reached the pasture.
Instead of being close beside the bars, as they
usually were at night, the cows Tere huddled
together in distant corner of the field as if
they were frightened, and suddenly, as she
stopped Lightning at the bars, he began to
shiver and pant with terror.
What can it possibly mean ?" said Tidy,
aloud. Bat before the words we're out of her
mouth her heart seemed to have stopped beat
ing. From behind q cfump of bushes there
suddenly appeared huge shaggy brown crea-
ture, that walked with a numbering gait strait
towards her.
Tidy knew in a moment that it was bear.
'Bimelech WAS very fond Of natural history,
and knew as much about animals as the school
master himself, and he was always showing
pictures of animals to Tidy, and explaining
all about them.
bear he certainly was, and big one, but
how he could have got there was a question.
Since the days OF her great grandfather Tidy
knew no bears had been seen about there.
She had not much time to think, however,
for Lightning, quivering in every limb, dashed
over the fsnce-Lightning, who had not leaped
fence for twenty years and, with Tidy
clingiIg on for dear life to his neck, went on q
dead run across the pasture, over stone wall
on the other side, through the brook, and half
way up the hill, where he stopped exhausted
thought the bear, at that distance, preferable
TO lightning in his present state, which might
lead him to dash of again at any moment for
Lightning's terror had not abated; he was
only exhausted
Tidy thought of the cows with a dreadful
sinking of the heart, and looked about her for
help. But there was not a house or person in
sight.
She stole softly down TO the stone wall, as if
she expected the bear to appear from behind
any brush by the way, and peered over. The
COWS were still huddled together in distant
corner of the pasture. Against the bars she
could see the huge outline of the bear.
Could bear climb fence? Tidy had for
gotten the teachings of 'Bimelech's natural |
history books on that subject but she thought |
it more than probable that he could. But he |
certainly did not seem to be making any at I
tempt to do so. Slowly, and with her heart in /
her mouth, Tidy climbed the stone wall. She /
was very nimbie, and she was sure she could I
get over it again before that unwieldy creature I
could reach her, and she might by some means
save the cows. If she could only drive them |
over the stone wall She walked slowly to-
ward the bars, armed with large stick
The bear did not seem ferocious perhaps |
she could drive him away. She stopped at a /
distance and stared at him; she 4
dared not go very near although the bars were /
between her and the huge creature. As she I
otoou gazing 10 MIN very strange t1lnS nap |
pened. The bear rose up on his hind-feet, |
looked ever the bars at her in friendly fash
ion, and held out his paw as if for a cordial /
shake!
This proceeding was so entirely foreign to
Tildy's previous ideas concerning the habits of
bears that she did not know what to think |
But when the bear, finding his friendly over
lures disregarded, began to dance slow and
stately minuet, Tidy felt like the little old /
woman On the Kings highway, who cried 40
Iauk a-merey on me, this surely can't be l! Z"
'Bimelech's natural history books said moth
Ing about this kind of d bear. He seemed to
belong in fairy book. He looked at her as if
he really wished her to admire him. Tidy
fairy story she had read of o
Prince who was turned into a deer by wicked
fairy: perhaps somebody had been turned into
this queer bear.
But being a shrewd, sensible little Yankee
girl, Tidy soon came TO the conclusion that
there must he a more practical solution of the
mystery. And suddenly there flashed into her
mind a story that Jonas had told of perform
ng bear he had seen ut a circus She had
almost forgotten it, because she had been so
much more interested in the other wonders of
which Jonas told the baby elephant, the
CRATES, and the talking hyena; but Jonas had
aid that the bear was perfectly harmless as
gentle as baby"
This was certainly trained bear and he
seemed harmless. Tidy had ceased 70 tremble
low, and she took a long look at him. He was
nuzzled! Tildy's courage arose with astoniSh-
ng suddenness. 1t was not easy to believe in
he gentleneSs of o bear after reading those