Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-11-12
THE BEAR AND HIS BURDEN.

THE BEAR AND HIS BURDEN.
by this aureole, all flooded with suns
aght, 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 dreadful deathl 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 cry and fell ia
weeping. The majority Of them sobbed
themselves into Mysteries beforehand.
The men, even those who had been In
battle more than once, who had beheld
they became cold and dizzy, and many
turned away their eyes in anguish. But
those who endured the ordeal, on the
other hand, beheld n 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
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 press
ence to the beast, MS he was walking
along with his muzzle and his eyes
dropped earthward. They stared fixedly
ut each other. The little girl was petri-
fled with fear; the bear halted, in indie
cision, no doubt much nstonished, IL not
frightened. For one moment, proba-
bly,, he reflected: what am to do
now" 1t was impossible TO pass with.
out crushing the unexpected obstacle,
without striking 1t or hurting 1t into
the abyss. The path was SO narrow al
this point that he could not even turn
round on all tours. What was to DO
done?
Down below the people waited with
bated breath, expecting at any momert
to see the unhappy child pushed into
the abyss. But evidently that was not
the way in which fulfilled and there
fore good-natured "Mikhail 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 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.
Shrieks 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 he
could command.
They were not mistaken as to his un-
precedented goodness. The kind-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-
ercise 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 contentedly
in anticipation of sweet repose in his
lair not far away.