The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-12-13

Ills uoS Hdu undIly maze a lazy eXcur-
sion a little further down the hill to
the right, nosing about in perfunctory
way and keeping half an eye on his
master as he slowly moved along.
The day was as calm as a Sabbath in
Eden; the heat was just enough to be
relaxing; the air was soft and resinous
and slumber-provoking. The old man
moved slower and more and more felt
an inclination to lie down and take
nap. He cast a glance ahead and saw
that at the further side OF the brier
patch was a yawning canyon, perhaps
five hundred feet deep, that scanned the
mountain side for long distance. OF
course he must retrace his steps. He
turned to do so. But the invitation of
nature to take siesta was almost ire
sistible. He had just picked out nice
spot in which to surrender bit of
thick green moss under the shade of
tree and at the side of a big bowlder-
when he was startled into the keenest
life and the utmost activity by scream,
Enthusiastically from female throat, and
pitched at a keynote of the utmost ter
ror. He turned toward the further side
of the patch. There he saw the bushes
in a state of violent agitation at two
points. slight figure in fight and a big
black one in hot pursuit, while the
screams kept up, and mingled with
them were funny, short, sharp little
yelps and a queer sub-cellar bass ejacu-
lation that seemed half howl and half
roar.
1t was impossible for half minute
to tell what the mischief was up, and
the old man, who had instinctively
started toward the scene of the commo-
tion at the first sound, kept his weather
eye wide open and his finger upon the
the trigger of his Winchester. Pre-
sently the figure of the screamer
emerged from the brier bushes, and
still under full headway, dashed over
the open ground, covered with. mossy
rocks, that led to the edge of the canyon
and Hank saw that it was Papita, the
fifteen-year-old daughter of old Half
breed Jim, flying for dear life from
big cinnamon bear that was fairly MAX
ing a swath through the briers in pur-
suit, and was now not more than two
rods behind her. Both were going as
if the Old Harry was after them, and,
of course, it all happened almost in the
fash of an eye. From the reckless
way in which the girl ran toward the
edge of the canyon old Hank was sure
she either didn't know it was there or
was so frightened that she had forgot
ten it. Instinctively he called out:
''Look out thar, Peetr' the name by
which the girl was known to him.
1t was too late. The girl did try to
check her speed or to turn to one side,
Hank could not be certain which. He
saw her cast glance over her
shoulder, catch glimpse of the great,
angry beast behind her, whose blood
red eyes looked death at her, and
| whose hot breath blew out threads of
thick spume that almost reached her.
She was then but step from the edge
of the precipice. With gesture of
despair the girl threw up her arms as
she plungel forward. and leaping
| high into the air, she cleared the
brink and disappeared into the yawn-
ing depths of the dark canyon with a
wild shrek that fairly made the
hunters blood run thick with cold
horror. He was near enough to hear
her body strike and break the limbs OF
a tree whose top was just visible from
where he stood, and then go, humping
and rolling down the rocky, almost
perpendicular side OF the canyon.
The whole thing was begun and over
SO quickly, and was SO entirely un-
expected and out of the common, that
old Hank stood motionless for few
seconds. during which time the bear
had halted by bracing on his haunches
and fairly scooting along on the moss
covered rock, stopping at the brink
and looking stupidity over at the abyss
that had cheated it out OF its prey
just behind the bear came two cub!
waddling along comically enough
every now and then making the funn,
little yelp that had at first been heard
The sight of them recalled the old mar
to himself. Up went his rifle, and h'
was just pulling the trigger when h
remembered that if he shot the bea
the carcass must fall over into tn,
canyon and be lost. With a mutteret
curse, for the sight of poor Papita'
death had made him bloodthirsty, h
lowered the gun, to await the momen
when the bear should turn around.
+ just then occurred one of those un
expected things for which neither mai
nor bear is ever prepared. A mountain
oak grew near where the bear stoot
and little back from the precipice. !
great limb stretched out toward tn
canyon, and from it descended by
tremendous spring long, dark animal
1.-THE and sinewy, which lit full upo
the shoulders of the unconscious bea
with thud. The shock was a heav
/ one, and the result must have been a
| most nc fy,.naf q syIrT,risa tn the hi