The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-02-16
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
INTERESTING READING FOR BOYS
AND IRLS
A Mischievous Bear and the Funny
Franks He Played-Friendship He
tween Enthusiastically of Pencil
Wood.

Tappan Adney in the st. Nicholas,
tells the story of the bear cub, captur-
ed by a backwoodsman named Ben
Lawson, and saved as a pet for his
children.
Ben's little girl, about eight years old
took a fancy to the young orphan, M
called him Billy Billy looked like a
big Newfoundland pup, black and shay
gy. but with a tail conspicuous by being
hardly a tail at ALL" as Ben said. He
was as playful as a young dog or Kit
ten, and used to romp on the floor with
the children, lugging and pretending to
bite them.
But the good woman of the house
viewed the little fellow with suspicion,
and was not easily persuaded that all
bears were not equally dangerous. IL
was plain from the first that even a
baby cub was hardly welcome. So Bill
" was provided with a small leather
collar that could let out as he grew,
and a small chain, which, however, was
never used. He was fed at first on
milk, and afterward on bread and DUCK
wheat pancakes. Indeed, he was IN
fined to a strictly vegetable diet, BE-
cause they thought his savage nature
might be developed by eating meat.
Billy throve and soon needed a Big
ger collar. It was never thought neces-
sary to keep him chained up, because
he was gentle. He had, therefore, the
run of not only their own farmyard,
but those of their neighbors as Well
He was bent upon every sort OF mis-
chief; but it was not until long AFTER
wards that he began the series OF depre-
dations that led to his untimely END.
Summer came and passed. In the u
umn when Ben dug his potatoes, Billy
followed behind, watching what was
going on, and, it is said, as the child
rem picked the potatoes up, Billy him.
self learned to look for them and paw
them out Of the soil. Be this as 1t may
every bear uses his paw with great cleV-
~erneSS-and Billy was a clever Dea
When the days grew colder, at tne
approach of winter, he commenced 10
dig a hole under the side of the oarn,
and soon had a great cavity under the
door Of the constable. Into this den
he began to carry all sorts of stuff, land
Ben thought Billy was getting ready
for winter in his natural way.
One day when bread was being bak-
ed, Billy hung about the kitchen with
a make-believe Indifferent air. After
the bread was carefully laid away I'M
der a white cloth upon the pantry shelf
| Billy waited until his mostress's back
was turned. In an instant the cub
made for the pantry. There was a
| shuttle and rattle Of claws, followed
by a scream THE bear, quick!The
bears got the breadr' cried the wife in
distress, as she turned in time to see
the rascal running out Of the door witt
several fine loaves in his arms.
Ben, as it happened, was close by
and heard the hubbub. He sprang tc
the door of the house just in time tt
intercept Master Billy. Billy reared
on his hind legs, and, as Ben caugh'
him by the back of the neck, he growlet
savagely and struck back at Ben will
one free paw, but never quitting hi
hold of the bread.
Finally, after getting a good shakin!
and a cutting about the ears, Billy brok'
away, carrying off the middle loaf o
the three. He disappeared into hi
den, where he ate it at leisure.