The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-12-17

and light up my valley prison. Their
the bear and ! could again see eacl
other plainly, a fact of which she took
advantage to give my roosting-place
another series OF vigorous shakes.
If the angry beast had known enough
to keep this up for five minutes at any
one time. | must have lost my hold
but, luckily, she didn't, and l always
renewed my grip during her quiet
spells.
What was to be the end of it ALI
The dumb brute could maintain heI
fast until should drop from exhaus'
tion, and, if she kept watch long
enough, that result was certain. In
this desolate place no outside helI
| could be expected, and, barring com
mon butchers knife, was entirely un'
armed
But, surely" | reasoned, "the ole
fiend will go off first thing in the morn.
ing to look for food, and l can then
either make good my retreat or kindle
a fire which will keep her at bay and,
perhaps, by its smoke, attract some
wandering prospector."
These reflections, though quite con
soling to me, didn't exactly harmonic
with Mrs. Bruins views. The rising
sun found her still on duty and appar.
entity determined to have me for break
| fast or go without.
Hour after hour passed away, and, as
the day grew hot, l began to suffer sc
| fearfully from thirst and the strained
horror of my situation that l at last
deliberately made up my mind to de-
scend and meet death in fair fight Nc
use in delaying; twas but prolonging
my agony. And yet to so die was aw
full. i would hold out till nature
could endure no more. No voluntary
act of mine should precipitatc my
doom.
| If the tree had been an aspen, cot
| tonwood or, indeed, any kind of de
ciduous tree, l might have obtained
some relief by chewing the leaves, but
there was no nourishment in the bitter
hemlock spray. 1t seemed only to in.
crease my thirst, and felt that the enc
was near,
fascination, | gazed down at my i'm.
placable foe, idly wondering whether
she would kill me by u single blow oi
her great paw or rend me piecemeal tc
fragments.
But suddenly she stopped in her rest.
less walk, shifted the air for a moment
with uplifted head and then, driving
the cubs before her, ambled off toward
her den.
What could this mean? Aon questi
quickly answered. for, intently listen
ing, / next instant heard the low, re.
pressed whimper of hounds, and as,
with returning strength, 1 uttered a
loud yell of Joy, Zip and Keene, burst.
ing into full cry and straining on their
leashes, came round the corner of that
same rock whence the bear had first
emerged!
The dogs were closely followed by
Jim Hayes, upon whose heels came
three stalwart companions, and they
met the grizzly face to face before she
had gained the cave.
At this blessed sight the warm
blood once again rushed through my
benumbed limbs, and with frantic
haste l slid to the ground. All was
over, however, before | could reach the
scene
On seeing her assailants the bear
had charged instantly, but jim ierlled
the hounds to one side, and the other
hunters, coolly firing together, sent
three bullets through her brain, when
she dropped dead with scarcely a
quiver, and the scared cubs scurried
into the den.
The men and dogs rushed tumultu-
ously upon me, and it was hard to tell
which were the more delighted by my
rescue.
Water, boys! water! l gasped, as
the jubilant fellows pulled me about.
One of them put his canteen to my
swollen lips, and l shall remember
that draught to my dying day.
Not a question was asked until my
comrades had seen me begin to eat like