The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-30
SAVED BY A BEAR.
Manifestations of Gratitude by Wild Animal.

leave quietly so that it could get we'll and
come back to devour him some day. Still,
he felt that he had done humane action.
and he lost no sleep on account OF his
kindness.
Strange as it seemed to himself, his first
thought the next morning was or the bear,
and he went outside to see II she was IN
the same place. He did not expect to find
her there, but he did. Then his sympa-
th1es commenced to work again and he
went down TO see how she was getting
along. The bandage was still on her leg
and the ground around showed that she
had made several attempts to get up the
hill and failed.
Rob stood looking at her. wondering
what he had better do. when apeculiar
yelp struck his ear. The sound came from
up the hillside and Rob left the bear and
went 30 investigate.
1t was quite long search before RoD
found what he was looking Tor and he was
then several hundred yards from the
wounded bear. He heard the yelp close
to him and il came from hollow tree. 1t
was the home of some animal and the
opening was not very large. Rob looked
down and closed it from the light and the
widest yelpng at once commenced. when
Rob's ewes got so he could see he MADE out
the forms of several very young bear cubs,
and the way they loWled showed PLAINLY
they were hungry.
1t was not much of mental effort for Rob
to feel convinced that the cubs belonged to
the old bear at the bottom OF the hill.
howl from her at this moment made him
certain that such was the case. HIS SYM
pathies also worked stranger Than ever
when he thought of the anguish the dumb
brute must have suffered during the night
hen she heard her young bowling and
was unable to reach them.
Finally Rob carried the cubs down to
the mother and had the whole family COM
fortably located In a rift in the rocks at
the bottom of the hill. The cubs were SO
small he picked them up and carried them
and they never made move to scratch or
bite him. They were no more afraid OF
man than they would have been of one of
their own kind.
All that has just been told happened
several months ago. Rs has been mentioned.
For short time Rob fed his menagerie, as
the other boys called II when he told them
of it. and then the old bear began to get
well. The blood of wild animals is very
pure, and broken leg won't keep them In
bed all summer. The cubs grew up with
out being afraid of man aud then went out
to earn their own living. The old bear
still lived 10 the same neghDorhood and
got around pretty lively, but renamed
little lame. Rob oftep saw her, and she
showed no fear of him, nor the least dispo-
sition to attack him. He soon got used to
her and paid no more attention to her
than he would have done to lame COW.
That is, except the last time he saw her,
about ten days ago.
The summer rains were just about start
ing, and were coming down unusually
heavy. Rob had driven TO the nearest
store for some supplies. and was on his
way home. A sudden storm had come up
when he was about Il mile from home. and
he whipped the horses up until they were
seemingly flying through the rain and
mud
When the river was reached which was
almost dry in the morning Rob saw there
was several inches of water On tho bottom.
The horses did not want 10 go in. but Rob
used his whip and soon the middle of the
stream was reached.
Here the horses refused to go further,
and the water was getting higher every
moment, and a roar above told that
freshet was coming. Rob was frightened,
as the stream was running like a mountain
torrent and he was unable to swim. The
water reached the wagon-b bed. and still the
horses refused To bulge.
A roar like a cyclone soon came down
the gulch and Rob looked up stream and
saw the freshet tearing way before 1t.
He was stiff with fear for several minutes
and then he jumped into the bran ches Of
a tree just above him.
Not a moment was TO spare, for he was
no sooner in a safe position than the
waters came, their surface covered with
all kinds OF debris. Poor horses, they
paid the penalty of their stubbornness, for
in less than five seconds they were swept
away and drowned and the wagon crushed
into spllnters.
Rob felt safe for only few minutes and
then the tree commenced to shake and he
knew the food was washing the sand
from its roots aud it would soon give way.
But the waters had smoo.hed Gown and
were running aIoug like moderate river.
although several feet deep. Rob felt that
his time had come and knew he would
never be able to get out by himself if the
tree gave way before the torrent sub
sided.
But give way is just what the tree did.
Luckily it fell so that Rob was in the
water at first But il was only question
of time. and branches were washed off. so
that the tree sunk lower and Rob was In
the water hanging on to very weak limb.
He had little hoDe Of getting out alive rs
the rush OF water was SO great he could
scarcely keep his hold.
At this moment Rob became conscious
that he was not alone on the tree. He
heard splasbing and hard breathing near
by, and then the bear he had assisted
came into view. She scared Rob- as lie
thought she had come to dev0ur him, and
in an instant it flashed through his mind
that was what he ought to have expected
from wild beast.
The bear hung 10 a branch by her teeth
watching Rob. Several strange things
passed through lis mind and then he con-
Guided his case was hopeless one against