The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-01-07

HIS TRusTY GUN HAD BROUGHT
DOWN A BEAR.
A Winter Idyl OF = Hear, Hound and .
smait Ssn with . Gun-Crestion
Rocked When tho Bear
stumbled and Fell.

uS the Wlnu Wntrie0 among the GUT
lies and ridges lcicles dangled from
the trees beards and fine dusts OF
snow lay upon their brows On the
ridgetop dismal choir Of hemlocks
crooned over one that had fallen.
The dying sun created n dim purple
md flame colored tumult OH the hori-
IONS edge and then sank until level
crimson beams struck the trees As
the red rays reiterated. armies OF
shadows stole forward. A gray pom
derous stiffness came heavily In the
steps Of the sun A little man stood
under the quavering pines He was
muffied to the nose in fur
and wool. and hideous
cap was pulled tightly over his
ears HIS cold and impatient feet
had stamped platform Of hard snow
beneath him. A black barreled rife
lay in the hollow OF his arm. His
! eyes watery from incessant glaring.
swept over the snowfields In front of
him. His body felt numb and blood
less. and soft curses came forth and
froze on the icy wind. The shadows
crcpt about his feet until he was
merely blurred blackness with keen
eyes
on over the ridges through tho
tangled sounds OF night came tho
| ycli of,sa' hound on the strait 1t
pierced tho ears OF the little man and
made his blood swim in his veins
His eyes eagerly plunged at the wall
OF thickets across the stone field bu.
he moved not n finger or foot Save
his eyes he was frozen TO statue.
The cry OF the hound grew louder.
then passed AWAY TO faint yelp
then still louder At first 1t had
strong viudictiveness and bloodthirst.
mess in it. Then 1t grew mournful
as the wailing OF n lost thing. as
perhaps the dog gained on fleeing
bear A hound as he nears large
game has the griefs OF the world on
his shoulders and his having tells OF
the approach OF death. lie is sorry
he came
The long yells thrilled the little
man. His eyes CLEANED aud grew
small and his body stifiened to intense
nlertnesa The trees kept up their |
grooming. and the light in the west |
faded to dull red splash. but the
little mans fancy was fixed on the |
painting. foam. spattered hound. can
tering with his hot nose 10 the ground |
In the rear OF the bear which runs as
easily and as swiftly as a rabbit
through brush. timber and swale
swift pictures OF himself in a thou.
sand attitudes undera thousand com.
binations OF circumstances killing n
thousand bearA passed panoramically
snrough him.
The hound breasted the crest OF the
ridge third ola mile away and sud
denly his full-toned cry rolled over
the tangled thickets TO the little man.
Tho bear must be very near. The
little man kept so still and listened SO
tremendously that he could hear his
blood surge in his veins All at once
he heard a swish swish in tho bushes.
Ills rifle was at his shoulder and he !
sighted uncertainty along the front of
the thicket The swish of the bushes
grew louder In the rear the hound
was mourning over warm scent
The thicket opened and great
bear indistinct and vague In tho
shadows bounded into the little
mans view and came terrifcally
across the open snow field. The lit
tie man stood like an image The
bear did not 'shamble' nor .wob.
ble;" there was NO awkwardness in
his gait; he ran like frightened
kitten. " would be an endless chase
for the he-limbed hound in the rear.
On he came directly toward the
little man. The animal heard only
the crying behind him He knew
nothing OF the thing with death In its
hands standing motionless In the
shadows before him.
Slowly the little man changed his
aim until IL rested where tho head OF
the approaching shadowy mass must
be. " was wee motion mado with
steady nerves and soundless sway
ing of the rifle barrel; but The bear
heard. or saw and knew. The animal
whirled swiftly and started in a new r
direction with an amazing burst OF
speed. Its side was toward the little
man now. His rifle barrel was
searching swiftly over the dark
shape. Under the fore shoulder was
the place A chance to pierce the
bCNCT OF pnSB
through the lungs Tho little man
saw swirling fur over his gun barrel
The earth faded to nothing. Only
space and the game the aim and the
hunter. Mad emotions powerful to
rock worlds hurled through the little
man but did not shake his tiniest
nerve
When the rife cracked II shook his
soul t. II profound depth Creation
rocked and the bear stumbled
The little man sprang forward with
roar He scrambled hastily In the
bears track. Tho splash OF red now
dim threw a faint timid beam on q
kindred shade on the snow. The lit
tie man bounded in the air.
hit" no yelled, and ran on.
Some hundreds OF yards forward he
came to u dead bear with his nose In
the snow. Blood was oozing slowly
from wound under the shoulder