Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-02

clover. They were slow to return, and the boy:
as all boys WILL began to grow restless. He had
fshed, he had hunted, had diverted himself In
a dozen ways the week past that they had
rested there by the deep, swift river, under the
great sweeping trees, but now he wanted some
thing new.
through the thick foliage that hung and swung
and bobbed above the swift waters, long,
messy log that lay far out and far above the
cool. swift river.
Why not go down through the trees and go
out on that log, take off your clothes bangle
your feet, dance on the moss; do anything,
everything that a boy wants to do.
In ten minutes the boy was out smiling on the
big, long messy log kicking his boots off, and
in two minutes more he was dancing up and
down on The humid, cool moss; and as naked as
the first man wher he was first madeS
And it was very pleasant. The great strong
river splashed and dashed and doomed below;
above him the long green branches hung dense
and luxuriant and almost within reach. Far off
and away through their shifting shingle he
caught glimpses of the bluest of all blue skies
And little to the left he cleaning in the
sun and almost overhead the everlasting SHOWS
of Mount Shasta.
Putting his boots and his clothes all carefully
in heap, that nothing might roll off into the
water, he walked or rather danced on out to
where the further end of the great fallen tree lay
lodged on huge boulder in the middle of The
swift and surging river. Here he sat down On
the moss, looking to the other side of the river
His legs dangled down, and he patted his plump
thighs with great satisfaction. Then he leaned
over and some tiny trout Then Topped
over and lay down on his breast to get better
look on them. Then he thought he heard some
thing behind him on the other end OF the log.
He pulled himself together quickly and stood
erect, face about. There was bear! 1t was
one of those mean, sneaklng, long nosed, ant
eating little fellows it is true; but 1t bear!
And a bear is a bear to a boy fresh from school,
no matter about his size, age or character. The
bear stood up. And the boys hair stood up!
The bear had evidently not seen the boy yet.
But it simply smelt his boots and clothes. and
dropping down all fours, with nose close to
he O.. SLOWLY slufieQ
ward.
has ever been. Pretty soon the bear reached
the clothes, nosed them about, hog might.
But with a singular sort of economy of old
clothes for a bear he did not push anything off
What next! Would he come any farther?
Would he? Could he? viii he. The long,
sharp little nose was once more to the moss and
sliding slowly and surely toward the poor boys
toes. Then the boy shivered and settled down,
down on his launches with his little hands
clasped till he al of heap.
He tried to pray; but somehow or another all
he could possibly think of as he sat there
crouchei down with all his clothes off was,
Now 1 lay me down to Sleep
But ali this could not last. The bear was on
him almost instantly, although he did not lift
his nose six inches till almost within reach of
the boys toes. As the terrified COY sprang up
he thrust out his left hand guard and struck
the brute with all his might in the teeth with
the other. But the left hand lodged in the two
rows OF sharp teeth and boy and bear rolled into
the river together.
But they were together only an instant. The
bear, of course, could not breathe with his
mouth open in the water, and so had to let go.
Instinctiyely, or perhaps because his course
lay in that direction, the bear struck ont.
swimming ''dog fashion, for the farther shore.
And as the boy certainly had no urgent business
on that side, he did not follow, but kept very
STILL clinging to the moss the big boulder till
the bear had shaken the water from his coat and
disappeared in the thicket.
Then fhe boy pale and trembling from fright
and the loss of blood, climbed up the broken end
of the log, got his clothes, struggled into them
as he ran. and SO eached camp.
And he had not yelled! And he tied up his
hand in piece of flour sack by himself for the
men had not yet got back; and he didn't whim-
per! And what became of The boy? you ask.
oh, the boy grew up, as all energetic boys do;
for there seems to be sort of special providence
for such Jys.
And where is he now?
Out here in California, trapping bear and
planting olive trees.
And do / know him?
Yes, pretty we'll
And what Is his name?
Well, they call the old fellow now
JOAQUIN MILLER