The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-02-17

fury.
'That's it," said Dick, between two
pants, as he watched his chance at the
hind legs. keep clear of them ugly
paws, Sam-now, then-if he only
would keep little stiller, so I could
get bit of a chance at him"
'Look out-there!" screamed Sam,
in a voice of terror. "Run! RUM"
'Why-what?" Dick began, in be.
wilderment at his brothers frantic ges-
ticulations.
Then, as pair of angry eyes turned
on him, he saw. In his efforts to dis
tract the attention of the bear Sans
stick had got between the jaws of the
trap and pried it open. Their infuri.
ated enemy was at liberty.
Dick ran for his life. Still shouting
his warnings Sam was already climbing
the nearest large tree. Dick made fol
another; but the snow was deep, he
could not 60 fast, and the bear rapidly
gained on him. Still he hoped to find
safety among the hemlock branches fa1
above his head.
Bruin, however, was something of a
climber himself, as poor Dick soon re-
allied. Amid the scratching, snorting
and smiling just behind him, the terri.
fed boy felt tap on his back, and with
a howl of dismay sprang further up
Again his ugly foe came within close
neighborhood, until the boy crept out
on branch so thin that Bruin wisely
refrained from following.
"What shall we do now?" called
Sam.
Il don't know"
"I'll get down and go for somebody
HE might get after YOU"
But Sans courage had not yet evap-
Grated.
"I'll do it., I'll get good start on
him. You hold on good" he added,
cheerily. "I'll soon scoot home and
bring father and Uncle Hi
He reached the lowest branch and
dropped, Immediately raising dismal
cry:
whats the matter?" called Dick.
i've hurt my foot. A great stone
was under the snow. Oh, can't take
a STEP"
After two or three attempts he sank
down on the leeward side of brush
heap.
Dick was little the worse off-in
the close neighborhood of his dreaded
enemy and exposed to cold intensified
by wind which cut to his very bones.
His meditations on the situation were
not cheering.
"What if I can't hold on? couldn't
climb down. I'd fall. That fellow'd be
after me. I shouldn't stand chance,
even if I didn't break my legs, which I
likely should. SAM" he called to his
brother, 1--WE amt very far from the
road. Somebody might be passin'.
Let's holler.''
They shouted, their cry ringing far
through the frosty air.
"What's that?''
Through the crunching of his run
ners on the hard snow Pete heard cry
of distress.
Help! Help! This way"
He stopped his horses and listened.
It was very near the spot where he had
so often rested them to make a run to
his trap; and it was from that very d.
rection that, the call came.
"Help! Help!"
"Hello-o-o-o-o! I'm coming"
he sprang from his Load, quickly
tied the leaders and ran toward the
sound.
In the direction of his. trap, sure
enough. Close above it was the sur
prising sight which caused Pete to
pause for moment in blank amaze
ment. A shivering boy hanging to an
upper bough of a tree, and just below
him bear, angry and threatening.
"Oh, Pete-help us out of this! Do,
for goodness sake, Pete! Kill him. or
something. I'm freezing-and Sans
sprained his foot. I can't hang on
much longer"
How'd he get you there?" asked
Pete, half bewildered. And at the same
moment his eye fell on his trap, still
with the stick between it's jaws.
''We"-began Sam, half crying.
"Oh, Pete, it's your BEAR" said Dick.
Eve was gettin' him out, and he got
loose and-oh, Pete, we'll never do the
Ike again longs we live-never!"
1t was really condition in which
any ordinary boy might have rejoiced,
and Pete did rejoice. His bear-a bear
at last, his proudest hopes realized.
And there was wonderful satisfaction
in seeing the boys who would have
robbed him SO ingloriously "come up
WITH
But Pete bore no malice in his heart,
and was quite ready to forgive the half
frozen rogues who continued, through
chattering teeth, to pour forth appeals
fc- help. -.
"Hold on bit, longer" he said, en-
couragingly. GIVE got gun in the
wagon" .s. -. .....
Hurrying with it back to the tree
Pete was confronted with the danger
of shooting the boy instead of the
bear. A
. .'shoot away" at length said Dick,
despairingly. II might as well get
shot as froze to death" y.
Pete shot and wounded the bear.
The ugly brute fell to the ground, to
rise with terrible energy against this
new foe.
Pete dropped his gun and ran, the
bear in close pursuit, bleeding at every
stride. It is difficult to say how this
new chase might have ended had not
Dick clambered down from the tree
With . celebrity scarcely to be expected