The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-22

Z @@EF 49,
then hidden by the gully, the depth of
which varied from eight to twelve feet,
with precipitous sides and a dry bed,
which probably led down to some neigh
boring stream of water.
"Now," thought /, 81 have only to
crawl along this ditch, reach the stream,
cross it, and bid good-by to grizzly"
had just picked myself up, and was
proceeding to carry out my plan of es-
cape, when / heard a cracking and
breaking of the u~nderbrush which
fringed the ditch, and by which / was
partly screened from view. This was
speedily followed by an angry growl, as
the treacherous earth gave way, and let
Mr.. Bear with no gentle tumble directly
down into the very gully into which /
had fallen.
Fortunately for me, bruin had not only
a greater fall, but tumbled into the ditch
at a point somewhat distant from my
hiding place, and the little ferret eyes
did not at once perceive ne. An In
lucky stumble, however, which / owed
to a twisted root, betrayed me, and he
turned and gave chase.
They have a very expressive phrase in
California when a person is desired to
leave suddenly; it consists of but two
words, "You git" My young reader,
when that bear tumbled into my gully
81 got" and when he took up the chase,
/ continued ito git" in a style which as
tonished ever myself.
When I first saw him fall, I certainly
hoped that he had broken his nose at
least, or even dislocated his great ugly
neck; but that hope vanished in a mo-
ment.
He was evidently not whit the worse
for his somersault.
1t was no longer a matter of ceremony.
I sped over the ground like a hunted
deer, while my stout friend came lum-
bering and putting on behind, like a
portly old gentleman who fears he may
be too late for the evening train. was
expecting every moment to feel the blow
of his heavy paw, when, turning an
angle of the gully, / perceived, with no
little dismay, that the ditch in front of
me was blocked by an immense fallen
tree. The smaller end of the broken
trunk being toward me, showed IN open
ing wide enough to admit my then some
what more than usually slender form.
There was little time for hesitation. /
could hear the bears heavy tramp be-
hind me. A moment more and l had
plunged into the opening, and drew my
gun after me, just as my fat friend
rounded the turn of the "slue" in hot
pursuit. Running blindly on, he en-
deavored to force himself after me, Civ
ing the log a shock which made me
tremble for the security of my new tene-
ment.
One or two furious plunges tended to
convince him that l could enter where
his huge frame could not, for he seemed
to reflect, and finally introduced a paw,
from whose far reaching grab I retired
into the inner recesses of my chamber.
Finding that his attempts in this way
were equally futile, I began to feel a lit
tie more at ease, and when bruin again
poked In his great paw, in an inquiring
sort of way, / managed to push a dead
duck out to him with the butt of my
gun, by way of a peace offering. / was
willing just then to have peace at any
price short of surrender.
But Sir Bear had no thought of such q
compromise. He tore away, and made
the feathers fly with his cruel tech and
claws, in a style which gave me a pretty
lively notion Of what I might expect
were / to trust myself within their
grasp.
had begun to think seriously of CIV
ing my pursuer the benefit of a charge
of duck shot, in the hope of putting out
one or both of his ugly little eyes and
making him give up the hunt, when, my
eyes becoming accustomed to the dark
ness, I discovered a faint Indication of
light behind me.
On working myself round, I saw that
the hollow into which I had entered wa
divided by a narrow, rot eaten wall from
a still larger opening in the body of the
trunk beyond, the portion of the great
tree in which I had ensconced myself
being in reality only one of the main
branches and lying almost at right
angles to the parent stem. A little lusty
kicking with some help from my pocket
knife, soon enabled me to worm my way
with difficulty through the opening. Into
this I Immediately stuffed my light outer
jacket, in order to conceal my departure
from the beast, who was just then too
busily engaged in ~tunneling an entrance
into my hiding place to take notice of
my exit.
The creek was below me, and l
dropped into it in a moment, and pushed
apparently unheard to the opposite
bank; for his excited bearship contin-
ued still at his, probably ~unwonted, but
fascinating, pursuit of mar hunting, at
what may be termed the back door Of
my recent domicile.
! was now comparatively safe, and felt
strongly disposed to give the angry brute
a more accurate notion of my wherea-
bouts by lodging a charge of duck shot
into his shaggy hide; but prudence,
coupled with some doubts as to the pos
sibi1ity of d~ischarging a wet gun, in
duced me to leave Ursa Major to his log
boring, while I made the best OF my way
back to camp.
A Sweet Refrain.
She lat the piano)-Listen!-how do you
enjoy this refrain?
He-Very muehi The more you refrain
the better | like it.-ChicdgO Globe.