The morning times., 1896-10-25
] V

The question was settled with sm all delay.
Utteriug an cchoing roar, the mother bear
now started down the hill again.
Escape by running Was simply out OF the
question; IA ndhcforc was the va awning abyss.
Young TOBY, with uaught = his hands but
his long lariat, was utterly defenseleSs.
But, strangely enough, instead OF being de-
prived of the power Ia think snd plan. the
boy was never so clear in his brain before.
And quickly the means Of saving his life oc-
CURED to his Scheming mind.
The bear was nearing rapidly and roar
ing with blood-curdling voice as she
crushed the brush beneath her huge and
shaggy paws. No time there was to be
lost, The boy with quick, deliberate
movement. threw his rope about the tough,
unyieldng branch of a maninita hush at
the very edge pf the rift, and III ade a bow
slp-kuot, SO constructed that any weight
on the lariat across the ditch would ma ke
it tighter. while Jerk on the end that was
loose would pull out the bow instantly un-
tying the knot.
Hardly had dthis hurried device been com
plctcd when the grizzly came smashing
over the last distractions. Grasping the
slender rope that bridged the precpice, and
holding the free end in his mouth.
Toby wung himself down as fearlessly as
If he were playing with the rope on the
barn at the ranch. and worked himself.
hand-over-hand across the awful place
| AT the further edge. by giant struggle,
| he hauled himself up, and stood there
trembling with the strain and eXertion but
| safe,
The thwarted bear on tn eother side moved
| back and forth like a beast in cage
| jerking his rope, young Toby soon had
gathered it all in his hand again. No
sooner had he gotten it back and taken a
| good, fair look ut his enemy than he saw
| that one of her eyes was blind. On the
| instant he formed plan whereby he, the
hunted. became the hunter.
lie fastened an end of the lariat to the
| tree again, and then, forming loop, swung
| it about his head. watching for favorable
| moment 1t came. Like flash the rope
uncoiled, the loop shot up and out, to drop
| in a second, so adroitly was it thrown, over
| the head of the raging beast. And it
| tightened on her neck with a grip of
death, as the animal plunged to the rear.
| Hastily taking his turn about his tree
Toby tugged his utmost to choke the bear
| to death nd every throe of the monstrous,
| roaring creature fastened her end Stand
| ing AT laston her launches, she icrkcd ant,
fought with a fierceness and strength
| that ere terrible to see. But it proved to
! be a fatal move. Toby, with u jerk that
| was sudden and mighty toppled the crca-
ture from the dizzy edge. She gave n last
despairing clutch at the brush. a fearful bel
| low OF rage. a nd then went down
| The rope held true. although so great the
| strain The bear, suspended by the neck
swung across twenty feet below like a
pend;lun When she struck the Jagged
| granite of the chasm's sides her bones
smashed duly. There was then sharp
brief struggle, and the end was come.
| When the head and hide" of 'One
Eyed She" had been delivered and Toby
came to pay the $50 that he owed. and to
make q new agreement for his work on
1.-THE ranch i'll the future, lie was met al
| the door by his uncle. The woman with the
sharp shrill voice was just behind. ooh
! Toby" she said. as she put her hands in
| fondness on his shoulders, 81 always said
you had the making ola brave and splendid
fellow. And do you know" she added
the muley COW was really down in the
| valley, after all.