The evening times., 1898-07-09

miles What on earth was he to do?
| Take poison or dive under the ice OF the
| Neva?
Good said the Gar. He is a brave
man. Stay; l, too, will take glass OF
| vodka, Now" he continued, having
refreshed the inner Gar, II am ready:
Stand prepared. you two, Arnheim ana
Won Holstein. Stay; are you certain
this is a single bear. and not she-bear
! with cubs? IL must remember my re-
sponsibility 10 the state 1t Is useless
to run needless risks"
Ivan is certain" said Holstein. He
actually saw the creature enter the
den"
YES. but 1t may have given birth to
cubs since then" said Paul. looking very
pale and anxious. ''Here. You. Ivan, ne
continued. '.are you sure this Is male
bear. and not a dam with cubs!
Ivan smiled namely. but very pleas
antiy:
'Why, bless you," he said. Il ought
to know. Only last night
He verified 1t last night interrupted
Holstein with great presence OF mind,
Through a hole which he pierced IN the
snow wall Of the den There are no CUBS
Your Majesty can be perfectly satisfied
as 20 this question: but If you are az
opinion that any enterprise carrying fisk
is undesirable for the head of the state
in which opinion 1 should cordially agree
let Your Majesty stand aside and waich
the hSnt. i"
mo no: SO long as this is no devil oil
a she-beaI with cubs care nothing Let
Ivan start the bear. Stand ready. Arm
heim and you others Start him Ivan.
The Gar planted his feet bravely and
held his gun firmly: he crossed himself
with his left hand and muttered a prayer
Then Ivan lifted up his voice and
roared at the bear, using the usual en-
dearing words in which he was accus-
toned to address the animal when invit-
ing him to dance.
There came a moaning and a groan-
ing from within, for a matter of fact
the poor old gentleman. comfortably en-
sconced in the den, was lying full of food.
intensely happy. altogether disinclined
for dancing or any other foolishness in
volving movement or exertion.
"Woo-hoop! come out of 1t, you adj
jectival son of a passive participled
mother" roared Ivan. addressing him in
his fondest and most familiar terms.
land show the gentlemen how You can
dance, Whoo-hoop there! hoola!
Ivan beat the side of the den with his
stick. AT the third CALI emitting as he
came n moan of profound. unspeakable
anguish, out rushed poor Bruin. and.
obedient to his training and to the voice
of his master. rose upon his hind legs
and commenced to dance around Ivan
in the pathetically ludicrous manner OF
his tribe. To the horror of Arnheim and
Holstein they perceived that he still wore
the ring in his snout:
Holy Virgin cried the excited Gar.
what is he doing? The man will be
killed, This must be a she bear with
cubs. Stand aside, Arnheim, will shoot.
I-have the horses ready there!'
The Car fired his gun and missed. Arm
helm pushed another into his hand. By
some concatenation of chances. all tend
ing most unfortunately for that bear.
the Emperor's second bullet flew straight.
Down fell Bruin, dead, or dying.
Then drunken Ivan fell also over the
body of his beloved companion, and
walled and howled aloud, crying out with
many Russian adornments of speech, that
his dear friend and the source of his
very living had been taken from him
to make sport for kings.
What does the fellow mean?' cried
the delighted Gar Did he not sell us
this berloga?'
Certainly, majesty" said Arnheim.
HE is drunk, and knows not what he is
saying"
Then pay him and take him away"
said the Car, and Ivan was led blubber-
ing from the field
Meanwhile Arnheim piled the file upon
the nose-ring and was able to remove
this before the Czar had done with Ivan.
But Paul, examining the bear, presently
noticed the score in bruins nostrils. and
inquired what the mark meant. Arm
helm had no reply ready just then, and
looked desperately at Holstein. The dip
lomat rose to the emergency.
THAT must have been your majesty's
first shot," he explained. II thought you