The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-04-08
DOWN THE SLOPE. 4"

quaintance with Miss Dorothy. Indeed,
had my lips open to say them, when,
happening to glance beyond Dorothy,
l saw something that turned me cold
from head to foot The cries of the
cub had brought its mother, and here
she came, crashing down the mountain
side.
"'Look out, Dorothy! STAND asider
l shouted, with my heart in my mouth,
for she was directly in the bears way.
With backward look, and little
scream, Dorothy shipped out of the
way--just in timc-and the bear
crashed past her and came straight at
me.
''And there l had been standing
within six feet of my gun, and had alb
solutely forgotten to pick it up in my
anxiety for that very young lady whom
/ had heartily wished in Jericho fifty
times during the past week. After the
bear had passed her thought of the
gun, and turned and made rush for
it, but It appears that the bear made q
rush for me about the same time.
Whether it was coming with such a
vim that it couldn't stop itself. don't
know, but do know that it struck me
like a cannon-ball. and the bear and I
went rolling over and over down the
slope, wrapped in one another's arms,
first one on top and then the other,
crashing through the underbrush and
humping against rocks.
Boys, 1t was at least twenty miles
down that slope-I know by the things
thought of on the way down. Ire
member feeling of satisfaction that
now Dorothy would be sorry for the
way she had acted, since 1 had been
killed by bear, and in the very effort
to save her, too. And while I was en-
gagged in these pleasant thoughts we
the bear and suddenly came to a
full stop on ledge so narrow that my
feet hung over the edge.
And when we landed had broken
arm and twisted ankle and about five
hundred cuts and bruises and scratches.
The bear, ! am sorry to say. was not
hurt in the least. But its temper was
horrible. Ten times an.
grier and more savage than it had been,
it recovered itself on the very edge of
the cliff and came at me like a house
afire. was too badly hurt to move. /
just lay still and shut my eyes and set
my teeth hard. The next moment the
bears fangs were sunk into my shout
der, and then, over and through the
terrible pain-I can feel it yet, boys,
on cloudy days-rang a clear voice:
Lie still. Mr.. Madison; don't
move. I'll kill himr
And when looked up there was
Dorothy pushing the muzzle of my gun
almost against the bears head, and al
most at the same instant there was an
explosion that shook the earth, it
seemed to me, and the bear, with a
gaping hole in the side of its head.
staggered back and went over the cliff.
And then tainted comfortably
away. When ! recovered conscious
ness Dorothy was supporting nv head
and looking SO pale and anxious that 1
said:
Have you been taking the invcn-
tory of my injuries%
And then that awful girl replied:
81 think your left ear is all right.
and your right ear is almost all there.
but you do look considerably dilapi.
lated You are not pretty any more
"And then she broke out crying
like.
well, we got back to camp, but we
lad an awful time getting there, and ]
vas laid up for more days than like
o count But my wife says that it is
he best thing that ever happened. be-
'ausc lost all my airs ON that occa.
ion. by the way, did mentor that
ny wife's name Is Doro.hyT-Qlobs-
Democrat