The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-01-12
The dav was as calm as a Sabbath in

and slumber-provoking. The old man
moved slower and more and more felt
an inclination to lie down and take a
nap. He cast a glance ahead and saw
that at the further side OF th9 brier
patch was a yawning canyon, perhaps
Eve hundred feet deep, that scanned the
mountain side for a 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-a bit of
thick green moss under the shade of a
tree and at the side of big bowlder-
when he was startled into the keenest
life and the utmost activity by scream.
Enthusiastically from a female throat, and
pitched at 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. a slight figure in fight and big
black one in hot pursuit. while the
screams kept up, and mingled with
them were funny, short, sharp little
yelps and queer sub-cellar bass ejacu-
lation that seemed half howl and half
roar.
1t was impossible for half q minute
to tell what the mischief was up. and
the old man, who had instinctively
started toward the scene of the commo-
ton 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 Roadway, dashed over
the open ground. covered with messy
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 q
big cinnamon bear that was fairly max
ing swath through the briers in pur-
suit, and was now not more than two
rods behind her. Both were going as
il 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, Peet!' the name by
which the girl was known to him.
It 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 a gesture of
despair the girl threw up her arms as
she plunged 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-
and out of the common, that
old Hank stood motionless for few
seconds, during which time the bear
had halted by bracing on his launches
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 it's prey.
just behind the bear came two cubs
along comically enough,
every now and then making the funny
little yelp that had at first been heard.
The sight Of them recalled the old man
to himself. Up went his rife, and he
was just pulling the trigger when he
that il he shot the bear
the carcass must fall over into the
canyon and be lost. With a muttered
curse, for the sight of poor Papita's
death hid made him bloodthirsty, he
lowered the gun, to await the moment
when the bear should turn around.
Just then occurred one of those un-
expected things for which neither man
nor bear is ever prepared. A mountain
oak grew near where the bear stood
and little back from the precipice. A
great limb stretched out toward the
canyon, and from it descended by a
tremendous spring long, dark animal,
1.-the and sinewy, which lit full upon
the shoulders Of the unconscious bear
with thud. The shock was a heavy