The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-22

starved And much they cared 1t
would just serve them right if some
thlng did happen to her-or seem to
happen to her-if only to brighten them.
And the pretty face that was turned up
IN the moonlight wore a charming but
decided Dout.
Good gracious, What was that? The
horses were either struggling or fight
ing in their snow shelters. Then one
with frightened neigh broke from its
halter and dashed into the road, only
to be plunged snorting and helpless
into the drifts. Then the other fol-
lowedi How sillyi Something had
frightened them. Perhaps only a rab-
bit or mole; horses were such abb
surdly nervous creatures, However, it
was just as well-somebody would see
them or hear them-that neigh was
really quite human and awful-and
they would hurry down to see what
was the matter She couldn't be eX-
pected to get out and look after the
horses in the snow. Anyhow, she
wouldn't She was a good deal safer
where she vast might have been
rats or mice about that frightened
them. Goodness.
She was still watching with curious
wonder the continued fright of the ami
mails when suddenly she felt the wagon
half bumped, half lifted from behind.
1t was such a lazy, deliberate move
ment that for a moment she thought il
came from the party who had returned
noiselessly with the runners. She
scrambled over to the back seat I'M
buttoned the leather curtain, lifted it.
but nothing was to be seen. Conse-
quently, with feminine quickness, she
said, L see you perfectly, Mr. Water
house-don't be sillyl' But at this mo-
ment there was another shock to the
md from hanpofI =
at rirst seemed to her to be an uplift-
ing of the drift itself, but as the snow
was shaken away from it's heavy bulk.
proved to be the enormous head and
shoulders of a bear,
Yet even then she was not wholly
frightened, for the snout that con-
fronted her had a feeble inoffensive
ness; the small eyes were bright with
an eager, almost childish curiosity
rather than a savage ardor, and the
Whole attitude OF the creature lifted
upon mis- hind legs was circus-like and
ludicrous rather than aggressive. She
was enabled to say with some dignity.
Go aWay-Shooi" and to wave her
luncheon basket at it with exemplary
firmness- But here the creature laid
one paw on the back seat as if to
steady itself, with the singular effect
of collapSing the whole side of the
wagon, and then opened its mouth as
if in some sort of inarticulate reolv
But the revelation of it's red tongue.
its glistening teeth, and above all the
hot, carnivorous fume of it's breath
brought the first scream from the lips
OF Miss Amy. 1t was real and con-
vincing; the horses joined in it; the
three screamed together, The bear
hesitated for an instant, then catching
sight of the honeypot on the front
seat, which the shrinking back of the
young girl had disclosed, he slowly
reached forward his other paw and at
tempted to grasp it. This exceedingly
simple movement, however, at once
doubled up the. front seat, sent the
honey-pot dozen feet into the air,
and dropped Miss Amy upon her knees /
in the bed of the wagon. The COM
bined mental and physical shock was
too much for her; she instantly and
sincerely tainted; the last thing in her
ears amidst. this wreck of matter be-
ing the ''whirp" of bullet and the
sharp crack of rifle.
SIZE recovered her consciousness m
the Pickering light of a fire of bark.
that played upon the rafters of a roof
matched with bark and upon q floor Of
strewn and shredded bark. She even
suspected she was lying upon a mat
tress of bark underneath the heavy
bearskin she could feel and touch She
had delicious sense of warmth and
mingled with strange splicing of
woodland freedom. even a sense of |
home protection. And, surely enough |
looking around, she saw her father at |
her side.
He briefly explained the situation.
They had been at first attracted by the |
cry of the frightened horses and their |
plunging, which they could see dis
tincflv although thew saw nothino elise