The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-23
THE TRUCE OF THE BEAR.

From Literature, published by Harper & Bros.
Copyright, 1898, by Rudyard KiDling)
Yearly, with tent and rifle, our careless white
go
By the pass called Mutianee. to shoot in the
vale below.
Matun, the old blind beggar, bandaged from
brow to chin.
Eyeless, noseless and Hpless- toothless, of
broken speech,
Seeking dole at the doorway, he mumbles
Over and over the story, ending as he be-
gan:
make ye no truce with Adam-zad-ths bear
that walks like a man!
There was flint in my musket-pricked and
primed was the pan
When I went hunting Adam-Zad-the bear
that stands like man.
I looked my last on the timber, I looked my
last on the snow
When went hunting Adam-zad fifty sum-
mers ago.
''I knew his times and seasons, as he knew
mine, that fed
BY night in the ripened maizefield and robbed
my house of bread
knew his strength and cunning as he knew
mine that crept q.
AT dawn to the crowded goat pens and plum
dered while slept.
Up IRON MS stony play ErOund-dOWn from
his we'll digged lair
Out on the naked ridges ran Adan1-zad the
bear,
Grooming, grunting and roari
stolen meals,
Two long marches to northH
at his heelsl
1.-TWO full marches to northv
of the second night
came on mine enemy AdaI
from his fight.
There was a charge In the musket-pricked
and primed was the pan
My finger crooked on the trigger, when he
reared up like man.
Horrible. hairy human, with paws Ike
hands in prayer,
Making his supplication. rose Adam-zad, the
I looked at the swaying shoulders a. +6a
paunch's swag and swing
AND my heart was touched with pity for the
monstrous, pleading thing
Touched with pity and wonder, I did not
fire then
I have looked no more on women-1 have
walked no more with men.
Nearer he tottered and nearer with paws
like hands that pray,
From brow to jaw the steel-shod paw, 1t
ripped my face away
Sudden, silent and savage. soaring as fame
the blow
Faceless fell before his feet fifty summers
I heard him grunt and chuckle-I heard him
pass to his den
He left me blind to the darkling years and
the little mercy Of men.
''Now ye go down in the morning with guns
OF the newer style
That load have felD in the middle and
range have heard) mile?
Luck to the white mans rifle, that shoots
so fast and true,
and lift my bandage, and show
what the bear can doi'
Flesh like Stag in the furnace knobbed and
withered and gray
Matun, the Old blind beggar he gives good
worth for his pay.)
Rouse him at noon in the bushes, follow
and press him hard
Not for his raging and roaring finch ye
from Adam-zad.
"But (pay and l put back the bandage) this
is the time 10 fear,
When he stands up like a tired man, tot
tering near and near;
When he stands up pleading In mon
strous man-brute guise.
When he wells the hate and cunning Of the
little swinish eyes.
when he shows, as seeking quarter. with
paws like hands in prayer
That is the time of peril-the time of the
Truce Of the Bear!'
Eyeless, noseless and lipless asking a dole
at the door,
Matun. the old blind beggar, he tells it DER
and Ger:
Plumbing and feeling the rifles. warming
his hands at the fame
Hearing our careless white men talk Of the
morrow's game.
Over and over the story, ending as he be-
gan:
There is no truce with Adam-zad the bear
that looks like mani