The Dickinson press., 1894-11-17

last night and eat up his supper that
was cooking while he'd gone down to
the spring for water. He see 1t a-put- !
tim off up the mountain afterward,
hut he said he was too tired to put after
it, an night was comm on, anyhow" 4,
I supposed he was telling me this to
Brighten me. but a moment later 1!
met Uncle Phil on the trail, and he
said:
"Scc hero. Teddy, don't you go out
of sight Of the camp today, and don't
80 To nOsing ;,round in strange or dark
places. Rig Pete Brennan saw IL big
black bear up by his cabin last night.
1t may be lurking around here yet,
and it wouldn't like anything better for
dinner than a boy Of about your size.
Now. mind what [ say, and keep near
the camp. Shin up u tree and yell for
help IL you see the bear"
l was indignant at this Injunction
and resented 1t by saying loftily, II
guess old Fleetfoot and I can take
care Of ourselves. 'speshly when we've
got old Sureshot along"
oh, YOU can, Ell" replied Uncle
Phil. "l'm not ut all sure Of that. 1
think you'd want to get home a little
faster than Fleetfoot could carry you
II you ran across old Bruin."
This nettlca me, and l said, III I
do run across him Ill bring home his
hidc;:" whereat Uncle Phil shouted with
laughter and walked on, leaving me
longing for an encounter with the
bear.
FleetfOot plOddcd along slowly to-
ward the cabin Of Big Pete, a big, gar
rulous Irishman, who lived alone in a
rude, hut-like cabin a mile from the
mine. Hc was now employed at the
mine and had brought the story of the
bear with him when he came to work.
/ guided WcetfOot toward Big pete's
cabin. determined to have a shot IL per-
chance he should return hoping to get
another meal.
l had never before felt SO courageous
and actually hoped for a hand-to-hand
encounter with Bruin, for l felt that
my victory would be all the greater II
I could take his hide back to Connect.
cut without II rifle ball In it.
All was quiet and intensely gloomy
around the cabin. It's hingeless door
stood loosely against the door-frame,
and all the glass was broken in the
sash of the one small window. l step.
ped into the one little. grimy room
of the cabin and glanced around. Then
I led Flcctfoot to a pine tree, threw
the bride over IL branch, and said:
Now you Just stand still until l come
for you to lug a bears hide home, old
fellow" ! patted his shaggy black
sides, an attention he received with
his usual Indifference to either blows OF
calpsses.
The cabin was entirely surrounded by
an exceedingly dense growth of low
pines, as was nearly the whole of the
mountain side; hut i plunged into the
thicket. rifle in hand, resolved to let old
Bruin know that Frederick the llcck.
less," as l now styled myself, was OIL
his trail.
I tramped around in the woods for
an hour or longer. going Il mile or two
from the cabin and returning by an.
other trail. finding. as 1 thought, traces
of Brusn. l was almost within sight
of the cabin. and was sitting down
Tightening the spur on my right boot,
when l suddenly heard the swapping
of dry twigs near me.
1 jumped to my feet. my rifle to my
shoulder and my heart in my mouth
My hands trembled so l could hardly
hold the gun, and l am sure my face
must have been CHASTITY. A desire ia