The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-09

Wutl IL WAS ktA OHNN
AZ such an elevation II Is almost
,mnossihle 10 calculate distances.
Above the Half Way house is a long
Stretch of level country. n at what
seemed midway between the party and
the foot OF the incline. which marks
the beginning OF the timber line. is a
little hut.
the guide.
Although II appeared to be half a
mile away. they were three hours in
reaching IN. They sat In front Of IN
house and rested while the old man
went inside. Afterward they remem-
bered thai there was a clanking OF
chains and a snarl within. but at the
time they were too tired to investigate
the cause.
When the old man came out Of the
house they got up and walked on The
girl leaned heavily upon the arm of
her sweetheart was almost ex-
hausted. They rested more frequently
now. stopping every little while to
drink out of their hands at the little
stream which, Drawing SO noisily be-
low. now merely trickled. The air was
light and heady like wine. IL took
away their breath. IL seemed also
that It had bleached the vegetation.
The pines, so darkly green at the foot
OF the mountain. Were here faded to
the palest green, 50 pale that IL bor-
dered upon blue. The rich purple OF
the flowers had been bleached 10 Law
ender. They were eXquis,tely delicate.
on one side of a boulder they chung
in big odorless clusters: on the other
side there was snow.
The party pantingly reached the top
OF a hill called Son OF a Gun hill on
account OF its. excessive s~teepness.
They stopped and looked admiringly
about them. They were above the
clouds. All about them stood tall
trees. white md spare like the ghosts
of trees. They marked the beginning
of the timber line.
Years ago a forest fire burned or all
their foliage" explained the old man,
and they were so near the timber line
thai il never grew on again. They
don't seem TO be dead. though"
He was interrupted by a scream from
the girl. and looking in the direction Of
her trembling forefnger. they saw a
bear coming toward them. He was
moving slowly. He was a long way Off,
but the two women chung frantically to
their escorts.
You can't tell anything about dis
tances here on the mountain" said
one of the men. 'He nay be five miles
or"
That's just It," cried the girl. and
he might be within three feet of US.
That's the worst of il. You can't tell"
The bear ambled on. and the party.
breaking into a a run, started up
the mountain. stumbling. falling. pick
ing themselves NJ, and starting on
again. wild with fright. Above the
timber line IL is impossible to run for
any length of time. Where the air Is
too light for vegetation to exist II is
death to some people. The old maa
casually remarked that a woman had
died on sun of a Gun hill the year be-
fore, whereupon the party sank on the
ties and watched the steady approach
of the bear. At the same time a car
came putting into sight.
IF we could only get on cried the
girl. "oh. ! wish they would take us
oni" and she began TO wiring her hands,
the tears rolling down her cheeks
Maybe they WILL" said h old man
soothingly. "Tll see IL I can't make
'em stop and taking out a big ban
danna handkerchief he waved IL. The
car slowed up a little.
Cant you take this party on?'
asked the guide.
Not right here. where it is So
steep" ANSWERED. the engineer. 1--WE
can't stop until we get to the top ol
the hill"
The party scrambled up to the top OF
the hill and boarded the car. that Is
all but the old man.
Aren't you going to get in?" asked
the girl. Aren't you afraid the beal
will get you"
Il guess he won't hurt me-" answer
Cd n old man grimly. and taking &
seat on a boulder he looked back at tn,
I haar A the Par want slowly on tn,
passengers also looked back at TIT
bear. and no wonder. He was actini
in most idiotic way possible. rol1nl
over and over on the ties as IL In con
vulsions of laughter. Presently he roll
ed down the mountain a little way
caught at one Of the bare white trees
steadied himself. and waving his paw
at the retreating car. turned n am
bled back in the direction of the hut.
''Did you see that?" asked the girl
turning i~nquiringly to a man In tn
corner who had also been watching
the antics of the bear.
yes" said the a II know a
about hat bear. He is tame. The
bought him from a circus manager.
Then he explained.
You see the cog road hasn't bee
paying expenses lately. so many peo
pie have taken TO climbing to the peal
and something had to be done. Whe
they first began to run the cars ther
were real bear that frightened tn
climbers; but they disappeared. wer
killed or just naturally % themselve
off to some other mountain where ther
were no cog roads or people and the
could have things all their own way
So they bought this bear n the oil
man along with him. Most people sto
at the Half Way house and there the
stationed the old man. He offers him
self as guide. walks with them to III
hut. unchains the bear-he keeps hin
inside the hut-and the animal doe
the rest. He follows the party an
scares them into taking the car IN
rest OF the way up the peak. That
where the company gets in it's worl
The conductor charges them the san
fare that he would have charged
they had started at the foo OF II
mountain. Not only that. but. afra.
to make the descent on foot with bea.
Z proving promiscuously about. the
usually buy a return ticket TO Mar
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