The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-11-19

THE BEAR AND HIS BURDEN.
by this aureole, all flooded with sun
light, the poor little thing stepped out
on the path which skirted the cliff to
the brink of the abyss.
The poor child was going to her death
in plain sight of many men and women
and to what a dreadful death! And
not one of them could help her! No
one could either save her or warn her Of
her danger.
All were condemned to gaze, inactive,
at the dreadful event which was on the
point of happening before their eyes.
The women raised a cry and fell to
weeping. The majority of them sobbed
| themselves into Mysteries beforehand.
| The men, even those who had been in
battle more than once, who had beheid
death and blood. said afterward that
they became cold and dizzy, and many
| turned away their eyes in anguish. But
| those who endured the ordeal, on the
other hand, beheld marvel.
Because of the turn in the path the
| child could not see the terrible fellow
traveller who was coming to meet her.
| She only caught sight of that dark
| brown shaggy mass at the moment
when it almost came in contact with
her. The huge beast completely
blocked her road. His left paws stood
on the very edge of the path, while with
his right side he almost rubbed the
| cliff. They caught sight of each other
| almost at the same moment.
Probably cry or an exclamation on
the part of the child revealed her pres
ence to the beast, as he was walking
| along with his muzzle and his eyes
dropped earthward. They stared fixedly
at each other. The little girl was petri-
| fled with fear; the bear halted, in indie
| cisiOn, no doubt much astOnished, if not
frightened. For one moment, proba-
! bly,, he reflected: what am | to do
MOVE" 1t was impossible to pass with
cut crushing the unexpected obstacle,
without striking it or hurting it into
the abyss. The path was so narrow at
this point that he could not even turn
round on all tours. What was to be
done?
Down below the people waited with
bated breath, expecting at any moment
to see the unhappy child pushed into
| the abyss. But evidently that was not
the way in which fulfilled and there.
| fore good-natured "Alikhail Ivan'itch,
General Toptygin" had settled that
problem. He wished neither death nor
harm to this tiny creature helpless be-
fore him, with open mouth and staring
| eyes, having lost through fear all power
of crying, and awaiting his will in trem-
bling silence. And "Mishenka" carried
out his will.
With a faint growl. caused not by
anger, but by the necessity of putting
| himself to trouble, he reared up on his
hind legs, strobe up close to the little
girl, and, bracing his back against
the cliff, clasped his forepaws around
her, just beneath the shoulders.
Shriels and groans of despair re-
sounded from below. The ladies who
still continued to gaze with dim eyes
grew faint; but the men, especially the
huntsmen, who were acquainted with
the murderous habits of the bear fam
| lily, leaped IN spirit and with hope
a mad hope-for the child's safety.
| They perceived that Mishka was behav-
| ing in very remarkable manner, with
| all the caution and deXterity that ne
| could command.
They were not mistaken as to his un-
precedented goodness. The llind-heart-
cd bear lifted the little girl up, careful
ly bore her over the precipice, and, turn
ing on the pivot of his hind paws, set
her down on the other side of the path.
Having performed this gymnastic ex-
orcise the bear, without waiting to be
/ thanked evidently he was well ac-
quainted with the human race whirled
| about, dropped on all tours, and pro-
ceeded quietly on his way, swaying
from side to side, grunting contentedlv
in anticipation of sweet repose in his
lair not far away.