The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-25

a simple matter.
While cook slept sweetly bruin had
rooted of the cover of the pot, and this
was the beginning Of cooks dream.
But the Tot was hot, and the first
mouthful Of the savory meats made
him yell with rage and pain. At this
point tho trumpets and clarions grew
shrill in cooks dreaming ears.
Then an angry sweep Of the great
paw had dashed pot and kettle of the
stove in a thunder Of crashing iron
and Gathering tins. This was the
point at which cooks dream had at
tanned overwhelming reality.
What met his round-cyed gaze as he
sat up in his blankets, was an angry
bear, dancing about in q confusion of
steam and smoke and beans and kettles,
making Intellectual snatchcs at a lump
of scalding pork upon the floor.
After a moments suspense the cook
rose softly and crept to the other end
of the hunks, where a gun was kept.
To his disgust the weapon was UNI
loaded. But the click Of the lock had
caught the bears attention. CHANGING
up at the bunk above him, the brute's
eye detected the shrinking cook, and
straightway he overlooked with wrath.
Here, evidently. was the author Of his
discomfort.
With smarting jaws and vengcfnl
paws he made a dash fov the bunk.
Its edge was nearly seven feet from
the floor, so bruin had to do somcciam-
bering. AS his head appeared over the
edge, and his paws took firm hold upon
the clalboard rim Of the bunk, cook,
now grown desperate, struck at him
wildly with the heavy butt of the CUR;
but bruin IS always a skillful boxer.
With an upward stroke he varied off
the blow and sent the weapon spin
nlng across the camp. AT the same
time, however, his weight proved too
much for the frail clapboard to whi-h
he was holding and back he fell on the
floor with a shock like an earthquake.
The rcpulse-which, of course, he
credited the cook-only filled him with
tenfold greater furry, and at once
he sprang back to the assault: but the
delay, however brief, had given the
poor cook time to grasp an idea, which
lie proceeded to act upon with eager
ness. He saw that the hole in the roof
through which the stove pipe protru-
ded was large enough to give his body
passage. Snatching at a light raftcr
above his head, he swung himself out
Of the bunk and kicked the stoyepipe
from its place. The sections fell with
, a loud %clattcr upon the stove and the
bear, for a moment disconcerting bru-
in's plans. From the raftcr it was a,
easy reach to the opening in the roof
, and as bruin gained the empty bunk
and stretched his paw up eagerly tow
, ard his intended victim on the rafter
. the intended victim slipped with the
greatest promptitude through the hole
y AT this point the cook drew a long
breath and persuaded his heart to g
y down out of his threat, where it hat
been since he walked, and resume it
J proper functions.
His first thought was to drop from
g the roof and run for help. but fortun
atclv he changed his mind. The bea
was no fool. No sooner had The COO
got safely out on the roof than brui'
n rushed forth from the camp door, es
u pccting to catch him as he came dowr
!" Had the cook acted upon his first iii,
'e pulse he would have been ovcrtaken be
'e fore he had gone Il hundred yards an
Il would have persisted %hideous'y in til
4 snow. AS it was. howcver-evidentl
II to bruins deep clagrin-le stuck clos
re to the chimney hole, like a prairie do
le sitting by his burrow, ready at a I'M
h mcnt's notice to plunge within, viii,
the bear stalhcd deliberately twit
e. around the camp, cycling him aud ev
NJ IDENTIFY laying plans, as it were, for Ii
capture. !.
IT AT last the Lear appeared to mai
rs up his mind. At one corne of I'll
ne shanty, piled up nearly to the cave
as was a store Of firewood which "cookee
had gathered in. Upon this pile brui
,li mounted and then made a dash up II
crcaking roof.
he Cook prayed ~fervently that it migl
lg give way beneath the great weight {
II the bear, and to see il it would do $
he waited almost too long; but it d
he moi. AS he scurrled, belated, throue
n. the hole the bear'spaw reached its eds
and the long claws tore nearly all IL
at flesh from the back Of the poor fellow
he hand. Bleeding and trembling |
he crouched upon the friendly rafter, n,
ly daring to swing down into the bunk.
he The agility of that great animal vs.
lst marvellous. Scarcely had cook got u