The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-14


drew the baron aside, and with a swing
ing blow drove the sharp blade OF the AK
into the trunk at about six feet from the
ground. The sound OF the blow ecSoei
dun in the stiffness of the forest They
listened for a moment. then STOPPING. the
young German offered his back TO Baron
Swan. and indicated that he should mount
il, which he did, and very soon after was
pearched upon a branc n with his face to-
ward the hollow Vladimir ChristOf reach
ed up the firearm 10 him. and then sprang
up himself. and the next moment was ST.
ting on a branch close bg.
Both remained mOuOnless, but after a
while how they had 10 suffer on their airy
perchi Swan cursed the whim Of his pref
~ cousin who had imposed upon him the
task Of bringing home a live bears cub as
a proof of his affection for her. and his
own foOlishness in giving way TO her wish.
Vladimir Christof also began to feel that
II was not so easy after all to gain the
promised reward for a successful capture.
But both waited patiently, bearing the
self-imposed torture. as best they could,
easing themselves a little every now and
again by aid Of their hands. The sun was
sinking fast behind the horizon. All the
binds of the forest suddenly became alive,
but ever more and more OminOus peeped
the watery sky In through the openings
in the foliage. 1t began to rain.
The baron whispered to his haunchman
in despairing tones:
And this into the bargain"
That's just the very ticket"
Swan looked around so suddenly at
these words that he nearly lost his balance
and tumbled down. II was lucky that he
held on, for just at this moment they heard
a strange. scraping noise in the hollow.
Immediately afterward they thought they
detected the sound Of something being
rolled over the ground. Right, A bears
cub about the size of a big cat was tum-
bling somersaults, while he held a bone
fast between his forepaws. and now a
second cub s,dled UP to him. making fu-
tile attempts to steal the bone from him.
a little further away sounded a low growl.
THE mother" whispered Vladimir
Christof
Just as If the she bear had felt the
breath Of his mouth, she looked up into
the foliage. Head erect, she stood on her
launches, without moving the slightest,
and drew in the night air. The scent must
have been doadened by the falling rain.
Still more piercingly she directed her
glance toward the tree, for the muzzle
of the baron's gun pointed threateningly.
The baron was still in doubt as to whether
he should fire or not, when Vladimir
Christof whispered:
quick, or she'll take to fight with
the cubs"
Baron Swan was a crack shot. and the
distance was so small, that he could
scarcely miss the still visible white spot
on the breast, where every bullet works
with fatal effect. In spite of that he al
lowed himself so much time. that his COM
panion once more urged him to fire with
the words:
shoot, for goodness saker'
At last he touched the trigger. A stream
of fire, and as If struck by lightning, the
bear rolled over, shot through the heart,
from bush to- bush right down 10 the bot
tom of the hollow.
Before the happy hunter had time to
gather his wits together, Vladimir
Christof made a daring leap from his
perch on to the ground Quick as shot he
tore the ak out OF the trunk of the tree
Baron had not yet reached terra flrma as
he gave vent to his joy in a loud "Hur-
rah." Vladimir Christof had. in spite OF
its billings and scratchings, collared one
of the cubs by his fur
As Swan, who had reloaded his gun,
appeared on the spot, the little brute
was already made prisoner with its
limbs firmly tied with cord. With Its
eyeballs rolling about in its head it tried
vainly to free itself from its dstasteful
captivity.
Al the sight the baron could not re-
strain shout of joy. The dead bear sat
isfed his hunters pride; the growing lit
tie fellow, whom Vladimir Christof had
muzzled with tigthly-tied cord, was his
reward for his trouble.
you have earned one hundred roubles,
my friendw exclaimed Swan, flushed with
pleasure as he looked down upon the car
cass of the bear. In the very next mo-
ment, however, he cried exctedly: 1T
isn't the she-bearw He had scarcely ut
tered these words as Vladimir Chrstof
instinctively snatched up his axe from the
ground. Just in time, for they heard the
mother, the underwood swapping and
cracking beneath her great weight, as
she came snorting towards them. Baron
Swan levelled his gun. An enormous
body raised itself upon it's hind legs.
Twice CLEANED the fire from the muzzle
of his gun, but uninterrupted the fore
paws of the wounded beast fell, and in
one inextricable mass man and beast
rolled over on the ground at the feet Of
vladimir Christof
He stood with his ak raised high in the
air peering into the darkness for the bear 8
head. He was past about to strike as a
new movement hindered him. One more
second of dreadful suspense and the ak
whizzed through the air.
The stout German had hit his mark
The bear fell back dead, and he showed her
to one side. There the baron layi A few
minutes before a strong man, full of life
and vigor, now a bloody, mangled body
lowering between life and death. The left
arm and right shoulder had been horribly
lacerated by the claws of the angry beast.
On his thighs were hanging pieces of
flesh and shreds of his clothes. What is
to be done? Hurry home; and leave the
unfortunate man to the mercy of the
wolves preying about? Impossibler'
Vladimir Chritof did just the right thing
| in the dilemma. He unfastened the bran
dy flask from the baron's side and poured
some brandy between his parched lips
1t seemed to impart new life into his in
animate form. He opened his eyes, and
his lips moved as If trying to utter some
words. few minutes silence, then fall
tered over his pale lips, Have we-got
the cub?" Vladimir thought he was dream
/ ing. Scarce saved from the jaws of death
and his first thoughts were for the woman
whose within bad brought him in this strait
/ Almost angry, he cried. What shall l
do with you here in the night deep in
| the forest2"
shoot Shoot" murmured the baron:
then he seemed to lose consciousness
! again And Vladimir Christof did not
know of anything better, so he followed the
advice given to him. He loaded both bar
/ rels, discharging one after the other In
the intervals between the shots, he tore
/ his own jacket to pieces, and bound up
the left arm of the wounded baron as well
/ as he was able. It grew every min
! ute darker and darker. At some distance