The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-11

OClCuO tnOil blCuoulC' Dut hOllOW
trees were scarce in that fine, sturdy
stretch of woodland, and Bessie kept
walking faster and faster, and get
ting further and further from home,
in the earnestness of her search.
At last she came to the foot of
steep hill, which was covered with
older and larger trees than any she
had yet seen. Slowly she began to
climb the mountain-side, pulling
herself up often by bushes that hung
down from some ledge or sharp pitch
of ground above. Up and up she
toiled, until at last she reached more
level ground, and came out into
partial clearing where the trees stood
far apart, most of them dead and
leafess. A dense growth of under
brush covered the ground, the bushes
just breaking into that pale, delicate
LEAKAGE which marks the foliage of
late April.
Bessie pushed her way with great
rustling through the underground.
1t was higher than her head, and she
could see nothing except the tops of
the scattered trees. But presently
she come to big rock, which she
managed to climb with some hard
scrambling. From it's top she could
see all around the clearing, perhaps
three acres in extent.
She sat on top of the rock looking
about her and noticed at some dis
lance violent shaking among the
bushes, and suddenly large, dark
colored animal came into view. He
was covered with thick, brownish fur,
and his walk suggested to Bessie
duck waddling along on four legs.
The little girl knew at once what the
animal was bearl How could she
mistake it, when it was so like the
picture in the big book which Uncle
Nathan had given her? But she was
not frightened in the least. The ami
NAL looked very good-natured and
rather lazy. Besides, why should he
want to hurt little girl who was just
sitting on top of rock and minding
her own business.
The bear had evidently neither
seen nor smelled Bessie. He seemed
to be on some GRAND of his own, for
every now and then he stopped,
looked up into the air and seemed to
listen intently. He was not going
toward the rock where she sat, but
making his way across the clearing
at some distance from it. Finally,
after listening and looking a good
many times, he seemed to make up
his mind, and walked straight to
a large tree near the center of the
clearing. When he reached it he rose
on his hind legs and began to scratch
the bark with his great fore claws, as
high up as he could reach.
Soon Bessie saw kind of shadow
or cloud come swirling down about
the tree. 1t gathered around the
bears head, and the angry, buzzing
sound showed it to be a swarm of in
furiated bees.
"Oh!" exclaimed the little girl, the
bear has found bee-tree, and he's
trying to get the honey!"
This was indeed the case. The
bear was making frantic efforts to
tear down the bees storehouse of
sweets. After he had scratched. all
the bark off the trunk he began to
dig with paws and teeth. like a dog,
at the roots of the tree, and soon had
a good sized mound of earth piled up,
Bessie could not help clapping her
hands as she watched him. "That's
right, Mr.. Bear" she cried. "When
you pull the tree down, l will chop
out the honey, and we will both have
some" But the bear did not hear
her, he was SO busily at work.
For long time the digging went
on. The great shaggy form had al
most disappeared among the roots of
the tree. Clouds of dirt flew into the
air, and now and then a root, caught
in the strong jaws of the bear, snap
ped with d report like pistol shot.
Still the big tree did not show the
slightest signs of falling. An hour
passed-two hours. 1t was past
noon, and Bessie was getting very
tired and hungry.
80 Mr.. Bear" she cried at last,
rising to her feet, "you can never
chew that big tree down. l must go
and help you with my Ratchet"
She had turned to climb down the
rock the way she had climbed up,
when another rustling in the bushes,
in the opposite direction from that
she had first heard, drew her atten-
ton. A moment later Uncle Nathan's