Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-04-26


beast can hold power over you no
more. Thank God he is killed at
lastl'
Slowly Landear seemed to awake
to sense of things about him.
He raised his eyes from the trail of
seeming blood, and gazed into the
face of the physician.
Doctor Severns," he said, in a
hoarse, whispering tone, "are you
sure the bear is dead?"
Most certainly, sir" Severns re-
piled, 1.-The ball went directly
through the heart. You have no
more to fear
Landear placed his hand to his
brow, and after remaining so for
some moments, he attempted to rise,
but his strength failed him, and he
would have sunk to the floor had
not Severns caught him. advis-
ed that he should be conducted to
his bed at once, and the advice was
followed. We prescribed such re-
storatives as we thought his system
would bear, and then took our leave,
promising to call again on the next
day.
1t was week before ! went out
again, though Severns had been
nearly every day. At that time |
found Landear up and dressed, and
looking very well. The tears ran
down his cheeks in copious streams
as he blessed me for the service |
had rendered him. Of course | dar-
ed not undeceive him, so | professed
to have done a real service to him
by really shooting the bear.
Before left Louisville received
a handsome sum of gold from the
younger Landear, and as | knew
they were amply able, kept it.
Six years afterI visited Louisville
again. | found DR.. Severns, and
together we went out to see Mr..
Landear. He was now stout and
strong once more, and the stern
power of intellect was his again.
He thanked me again-this time
earnestly and frankly-and then we
sat down to a social chat.
Even now Landear could hardly
realize that he had not once been a
bear, and suffered all that he then
imagined. The whole scene of his
monomania was fixed in his memo
ry; he could remember every feeling
he then experienced, even to the
moment when | aimed the gun at
him.
ut is very strange" he explained
to me, Every strange; but yet of
course | understand it all. When
| trust my memory, it really seems
as though all those things were
realities-just as bad dream seems
to you. / remember when you came
in with gun, and when you cried
out in alright about the bear. Then
| was a bear! Even now / cannot
force my mind to a single idea of
connected with my person
at that time but the body-hair,
claws, appetite, and all of huge
bear. | remember your aiming at
me-and your firing. Then fell
over, and ! thought was dead.
When came to and saw the bloody
floor and the dead bear, and remem-
bered what you had said before you
fired, | knew / was q man. My
mind changed as if by magic. /
believed then that | had been in
that bear-that my soul had ami
mated him; but that the moment
he was shot, and his animal life gone,
ny soul came out from its confine-
nent and my body returned to me-"
"And does it appear the same to
,ou now?" | asked.
YES" he replied. "Let me ex-
lain: When you wake up out of
sleep, and remember a very vivid
ream you may have had, it is just
S plain to you as though it was
eal."
"Of course" said |.
WELL" he added, "the scenes of
hat season of monomania are not
My fixed as a dream, but they
ave all the the accompaniment of