Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-11-19
A KIND-HEARTED EEAR.
1t Lifts a Little Child in Its Paws
and Puts Her in a Place of Safety.

Aln A'ADNA AA'ISD''
for the st. Nicholas Il true story from
the Russian of Vera p. ZhelikhOvsky.
1t is an incident that occurred in 1S47,
in the Trans-Caucasian German colony
of Elizabethal, about thirty miles from
Tihis. A picnic party discovered Il
large bear (called 'AIikhail Ivan'itch"
and General Toptygin" in RusSian) on
Il narrow ledge of rock high up in Il
gorge. This is what followed:
All ut once Il simultaneous cry of
pity, terror, horror, broke from all.
From behind the crag IA little girl made
her appearance. The tiny colOnist was
seven or eight years old; not more. She
was strolling along with her arms
crossed carelessly on her pink apron. A
large hat of coarse straw, such as all
the %cOlOnists, whether young or old,
YEA in hot weather, had fallen quite
over on the nape of her neck; and sur
rounded by this aureOle, all flooded
with sunlight, the poor little thing
stepped out on the path which skirted
the cliff on the brink of the abyss.
The poor child was going to her
death in plain sight Of many men and
wonderland to what Il dreadful death!
And not II of them could help her,
No n could either save her or even
warn her of her danger.
All were condemened to gaze. mae
tive, at the dreadful event which was
on the point of happening before their
eyes.
The m raised a cry, and fell to
weeping. The majority Of them sobbed
themselves into Mysteries beforehand.
The men. eve those who had been in
battle more than once, who had beheld
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 a 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 1t almost came in contact with
her. The huge beast completely block
ed 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
ut the same moment.
Probably Il 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 eyes droop-
ed earthward. They stared fixedly at
each other. The little girl was petri-
fed with fear; the bear halted. in in
decision, no doubt much astonished if
not frightened. For one moment prob
ably, he reflected: What am | TO do
now?' 1t was impossible to pass with
out 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
Dated 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 good-no.
tured "MIikhail Ivan'itch. General Ton.
tygin," had settled the problem. He
wished neither death nor harm to this
tiny creature, helpless before him.
with open mouth and staring ewes
having lost through fear all power Of
crying, and awaiting his will in trem-
Ding silence. And "Mishenka" car
ried 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 close up to the little
girl, and, bracing his back against the
cliff, clasped his forepaws around her.
Just beneath the shoulders.
Shrieks and groans of despair re-
sounded from below. The ladies', who
sun continued to gaze with dim ewes.
grew faint; but the men. especially rho
huntsmen, who were acquainted with
the murderous habits of the bear fan
lily. leaped in spirit, and with n hone
a mad hope-for the child's safety.
Ihey perceived that Mishka was be.
having in Il very remarkable manner.
with all the caution and d~exterity
which he could command.
They were not mistaken as to his IN.
~precedented goodness. The kind-heart.
ed bear lifted the little girl up, careful
iy bore her over the precipice. and.
turning on the pivot, of his hind pa WIS,
set her down on the other side of the
path.
Having performed this st;c
exercise, the bear, without waiting TO
be thanked (evidently he was we'll ac.
quainted with the human race, whirl.
ed about, dropped on all tours. and nro.