The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-11


step before, and so I was at loss to
account for it. And yet that was
Platos well-known voice heard; there
could be no mistaking it with me,
There was something strange. -omantlc,
about it all, and / was burning with de-
sire to see what manner of game he
could have freed UP there. l remem-
bered my mothers Warning-and
faltered. 1t has been my experience
that when boy falters in the face OF
duty, disobedience has scored a point
and trouble is near at hand.
There was my new gun, as yet I'M
tried, except at lifeless target, and. af-
ter all, perhaps it was only squirrel,
In short, my thirst for adventure got
the better of me, and my determination
to follow Plato was fixed. The next
thing to be decided upon was how to
get there. 1 could tell from his bark
that Plato was considerable distance
above me, and the height was Well-nigh
inaccessible. But l was young, strong
and active as mountain boys are apt
to be; and I have sometimes thought
that if 14-year-old boy determined to
climb a sunbeam he could almost ac-
complish the task. The mountain-side
was covered with small underground,
and with the aid of this I determined to
make the ascent. Holding the gun with
one hand, slowly and laboriously pull
ed myself up from bush to bush with
the other, guiding my course by the
ceaseless barking of Plato up above me.
AT the end of about an hour Of such
toll l reached the top of the first bluff,
where for width of something more
than 100 yards Of the next bluff, and,
with no climbing now to do, 1t was the
work of but a few moments to reach
Plato.
Coming up to him / found him sta
toned at the end of a huge hollow log,
and baying with more animation than
! had ever known him to do before. I
don't know why it was, but as l reach
ed his side something stopped me, as
though strong hand had been laid
upon my shoulder, and my mothers
warning came into my mind. 1 turned
my face toward home, and for one mo-
ment my conscience twitted me and my
resolution was weakened. But I shook
Off the spell and stopped to look into
the hollow log. 1t was as dark as night
within, and could distinguish nothing.
/ then went around to the other end,
but found that there was no hollow
there. I beat upon the log and listened
but no sound came FORTH save the
echoes. l could think of nothing else
to do, so knelt down, cooked my gun
and pointed it into the log, pulled the
trigger, and-"bang!' rang out on the
mountain air Instinctively I sprang
from the log, and almost Simultaneous
ly with the shot came an answer from
within, in the most savage, the most
blood-curling, hideous sound | think
that l have ever heard, and accompan-
led by a noise of scrambling out of the
log, which filed my whole being with
fright. I had never known Plato to
run from any living thing before, but
he preceded me in the flight this time.
AS long as it takes to tell it, we were
scarcely started when out of the log
came tumbling a great, furious, hun
CRY bear bearing down upon us IKE
the shadow of an awful death. I can
shut my eyes now as l write of it, and
feel the SILVER Of fright run through
me, as I felt it at the sight Of that
bloodthirty beast, nearly fifty years
ago On we dashed, and nearer Bruin
came the blood streamed from his an
cry face, where the shot from my gun
had taken effect. On, on! and nearer,
nearer, and yet nearer the Infatuated
creature behind us! And then--hor-
rors! The brink of the great bluff was
reached! Straight downward with not
a tree, not a friendly bush to aid me-a
descent impossible, even with ample
leisure and greatest care.
Far down below me smiled the Sc
rene beauty of Happy Hollow There
were the cows, the horses, the sheep,
browsing quietly, and there was the
dear old home with the maple before
the. door, under whose friendly shade l
had probably rested, and listened to
the music of the mocking birds, for the
last time. And then mothers warning
came again before me-too late!-dis-
tinct and reproachful.
To attempt descent was certain
death, and death equally as certain
was just behind me. Reloading my gun
was now out of the question, and had
it not been, the shot it carried were too
small to do more than further incense
my murderous pursuer.
Poor old Pluto stood covering by my
side, trembling and whining piteously,
and in the bitterness Of my dispairing
heart / accused him of it all---not
dreaming of what was to follow
The supreme moment had come, and
I was almost palsied with fright, with
not the strength or the resolution to
raise my gun to strike a last feeble
blow for myself.
on his hind feet to what appeared to
my frightened vision an almost incred- |
ible height. He was preparing to
spring! I knew the end was come, and ,
tried to pray. The power of speech,
Of thought even, had deserted me. AS |
he sprang upon me / thought to close |
my eyes, but that privilege, too, was |
denied me.
Another moment, and I would have ,
my last, when, as if by no. |
Die inspiration, all his wonted courage
Plato met the spring and |
planted his teeth in my vicious assail- |
lnt's throat. The bear clinched with
lim and I sought to turn--lke cow !
fly for my life, but ! could |
move at best only a few feet back
ward, so weak and unstrung was I.
The struggle was fierce for moment.
,ut 1 saw that all was over for my dear