The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-05-06

the maui up to a branch so it would be
easier TO find when | wanted it.
70 VS. may " Week before A went iOt
that mau-a little more than a week l
should say; and then, it being of Satur-
day afternoon, when there was no work
to do. and Bits leg being so much better
that he could hobble alone, he and [
thought we'd stroll over 10 where we'd
been splitting. and bring the maui into
camp.
When we got pretty near the place and
could see through the trees the maui hang
ing there where we had left it, Bill all of a
sudden grabbed me sharp by the arm and
whispered: Keep still!"
what is it," said i, under my breath,
looking all around.
use your eyes il you've got any" said
he; and / stared through the branches in
the direction he was looking But there
was a trunk in the way. As soon as L
moved my head bit l saw what he was
watching. There was a fine young bear
sitting back at his launches and looking
at the maui as if he didn't know what to
make of fl. Probably that bear had once
been hurt i'm "a trap. and 50 had grown
suspicious. That there maui hanging
from the tree of a limb was something
different from anything he'd ever seen be-
fore. Wondering what he was going to
do. we crept "A ittle nearer, without MAX
ing any noise, and crouched down behind
a spruce bush.
The bear was maybe a couple of yards
from the maui and watching it as If he
thought il might get down any moment
and come at him. A little gust of wind
came through the trees and set the maui
swinging "a bit. lie didn't like TINS, ana
backed off a few feet. The maui swung
some more. and he drew off still further
and, as soon as he was quite otil again.
d. II q a nTU0CUt distance
and investigated it from the other side OF
the tree.
1.-THE blame fool is scared Of it." whisper
ed Bin scOrnfully. Lets fling a rock at
him.
NO" said I, knowing bears pretty well,
Tets wait and see what he's going to do
Wen, when the maui had been pretty
still Tor "A minute or two, the bear appeared
10 make up his mind it didn't amount to
much after all; he came right close uD to
it, as bold as you like. and paved 1t kind
OF inquirngly. The maui swung away, and,
being hung short, it came back quick and
took the bear smart rap on the nose.
Bill and l both snickered, but the bear
didn't hear us. He was mad right off,
ami. with a snort he hit the maui a pretty
good cuff; back it came like creased light
nius and took him again square on the
snout with a whac1 that must have made
him just see stars.
but even if we had laughed right out !
don't believe that bear would have noticed
US. he was so mad. You know a bears
snout is mighty tender Wei, he grunted
and snortcd and rooted around in the leaves
q bit and then went back at the maui as
If ne was just going TO knock il into the
other side Of tomorrow. lie stood up TO it,
and he did hit it hard that it seemed
10 disappear for half a second. 1t swung
right over the limb, and, while he was
looking for II, il came down on the top of
his head. Great Scott! how he roared!
And then, scratching his head with one
paw. he went at il again with the other,
and nit il just the same way he'd hit it
before. / tell you, Bill and l pretty near
burst as we saw that maui fly over the
limb again and come down on the top of
his head Just like the first time. You'd
have thought it would have cracked his
skull; but n bears head is as hard as they
make them.
This time the bear after rubbing his
head and his snout, and roofing some more
i'm the leaves sat back and seemed to con-
slider. In a second or two he went up to
take hold of it with one paw; of course
il slipped right away, and you'd have
thought il was alive to see the sharp way
il lodged back and caught him again on
the nose. II wasn't much of a whack this
time but that nose tender enough
then, and tho bear got desperate. He
grabbed aor the maui with both paws; and
that way, OF course ne got it. With one
pull he snapped the codline and the victory
was hs.-Charles G. d. Roberts. in st.
Nicholas.