The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-01-06


ward again, waving her torch, and the
bear, stepping out of the path, watched
her steadily from among the under
brush as she went by. Then he stepped
back into the path and followed her.
Her first and most natural impulse
was to run like the wind for home, but
this, after one startled leap forward,
she checked with mighty effort of her
will. She walked on with swift but
steady steps, watching the bear out of
the corner of her eye, but all the time
clutching obstinately at her apronful of
apples. The bear, very slowly, kept
drawing closer and closer, bent upon
attacking, but evidently deferred by
dread of the torch
Between this cabin and the next the
distance was but half mile. Her
nerves were now getting so well steaded
that she no longer cared for the loom
ing and shifting shadows, till at length
shadow distinctly smaller than the
rest made the underbrush rustic audi
bly, with its motion. Her heart gave
most uncomfortable leap, and she
straightway thought of the wolf which
her husband had spoken of. But, wolf
or shadow, it fled away without menac-
ing her; and she came in safety to the
last cabin between her and home.
Here the neighbors were asleep, and
she had to arouse them in order to beg
another pine-knot. The one which she
had got at the previous house was by
no means burned out, but she feared
lest it should fail before the end of her
journey. The sleepy neighbors were
astonished at her appearance. They
threatened to detain her by force, when
she refused their invitation to stay all
night with them. But Mrs. Buckler
was by this time a good deal worked
up" as she afterward expressed her.
self; and che treated their kind per.
suasions with scant courtesy. She al
most ran from the house; but in her
apron, among the sweet apples, she
carried the extra pine knot, all the
same.
But the torch, meanwhile, was burn
ing low; and Mrs. Buckler, in her ex-
element, failed at first to notice this.
She was holding the pine-knot over her
shoulder, as sort of SHE Id against her
pursuer. When, with a shaking at the
knees, she realized that it was on the
point of Pickering out, she tried hastily
to light the other; and in the effort
some of her treasured apples fell out of
her apron, and rolled behind her on
the path.
AS soon as the bear came to these
apples he stopped, and began devour-
ing them with the keenest relish.
Whyl" though, Mrs. Buckler, with
sudden tightening of her load of ter
ror; tits not me he's after, but the
sweet apples!" and straightwsy all her
old courage returned
She paused, and took time to light
her new pine.knot deliberately ard
WELL Then she hurried on; and it was
some minutes before her pursuer was
again at her heels.
And now, 30 sudden are the revul-
sions of woman's feelings, she was
concerned only for the sweet apples.
They were the children's apples; and
it went sorely against her grain to let
bear have any of them. Not until he
had come most uncomfortably close
could she bring herself to again pro-
pitiate him; and then she doled out
but three of the precious green globes,
dropping them on the path behind her
with slow reluctance.
The animal took perhaps a quarter
of a minute to dispose of this Mig
gardly contribution, and then came on
again with sort of hopeful confidence.
Mol" declared Mrs. Buckler, firm.
"" you amt goin' to have another
oneP' and she fairly broke into run.
But when that heavy, stumbling gal
lop sounded close at her back, her reso-
luton weakened, and she dropped
couple more out of the apron. While
the much-gratified bear delayed TO eat
these, she rounded turn of the road,
and was gladdened by the sight of her
own window glimmering some two hun
dred yards in front.
Calling her husbands name two or
three times at the top of her voice, till
she saw him fling open the door and
rush out to meet her, she Rugged the
remnant of the apples TO her breast.
flung her torch at the bear, and sped
like a deer toward the house. Whether
The bear followed her further or not,
she never knew. 1t certainly did not
come near enough to The house for her
husband to catch sight of it, for, as she
flung herself into his arms, painting,
triumphant, halfway between laughter
and tears, he asked her what was the
matter.
" Matterw she cried, Indignantly,
"ThaPo just like man, after all I've
gone through to get homel" And she
pulled him violently into the house and
slammed the door.
Steve Buckler was quite too judicious
to remind her of the fact that he had
urged her either TO come home before
dark, or else stay all night, He did not
even let it appear in his face for an in
slant that he thought of such thing.
He listened to the story with all the
breathless excitement that she had an
ticipated, praised her bravery and re-
source, vowed TO shoot the bear next
day, ate one of the sweet apples, and
being very sleepy, went to bed. But
Mrs. Buckler, before she followed his
example, proudly tucked several OF the
apples under the children's pillows.
DURING the last session the British
house of commons devoured 223l6 din
ners and 13 327 lunches. The Kitchen