Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-07-06

i AC AdO ChlCISu WI
not more than two feet wide, and con-
sequently little light CLEANED through
from the outside, but by and by he
became used to the darkness, and then
he discovered that he was not the soil
tary occupant of that sheltering cleft.
Off to enc side of the cavern he de-
tected bear, and at the other side lay
| another. They were both snoozing
away in their winter sleep.
- knew there wasn't much danger
of the bears waking up for few weeks
come along to disturb Them Reuben
| Pettibone used to say, so l stretched
myself down between 'em to take a
nap myself, until the snow quit dump
ing and | could crawl out and dig my
way home
MY remarkable father never knew
how long he slept, but when he woke
dim rays of the sun were struggling
in at the caves narrow opening. Reu-
ben crept out of the hole and the sight
that met his gaze was amazing. Right
in front of the ledge was bare spot,
perhaps 20 feet square. On the right
was drifted more than 80 feet high.
From the far edge of the spot the snow
shot down, in one straight stretch,
more than a mile. That astounding
slope of snow. Reuben invariably de-
clIred, was all of so feet deep, and had
pitch to it like the roof of a barn.
But the aggravating, not TO say mel
ancholy, part of it all was that Reuben
Pettibone was standing on the steep
side of a mountain, one end of that
tremendous snowbaEk at his feet, the
other end lying at repose among the
headwater clearines, the Pettibone one
being below him in full and painful
view. Reuben was but one short mile
from home, but he might just as well
have been 400 miles away, so impass-
able was the barrier of snow that lay
before and around him. He gaZed down
at the house of Pettibone with moist
and wistful eye.
Home of my merry childhood!' he
exclaimed. as |, with moistened eye,
have heard him many and many time
say he did-:home of my merry child
hood, unless there comes a rain soon
and melts these Implying banks of
snow. these two now slumbering and
peaceful bears within will gorge them
selves on me. what time the spring
time comes. and no one will ever strew
sweet flowers on rny grave.
Saving which, the weather having
turned biting cold. Reuben Pettibone
crept back to comPaniOnship with the
darkness and the bears, smuggling
down between the latter to keep warm.
Was that a 12-year-old boy. Mackinaw?
When | think of it all / almost quite
agree with you and say: No. 10: 1t
could not have been, 1t never could!
But the word OF Reuben Pettibone
stands for it and doubt flies away like
guinea hen scared by dog.
AS near as Reuben Pettibone could
calculate. three days passed in this way,
and he was getting hungry. Neither
of the bears had even so much as
winked since he had joined them in
the cave and he hated to disturb either
of them. But even that enduring and
child had to eat, and so,
OF the fourth day. he resolved to act.
- took out my knife, my remark
able father always delighted to tell
me. felt as gently as a passing zephyr
for the biggest bears throat. and, with
one gouge. slit him from stem to stern.
The bear opened his eyes, looked up
as if he mad half Il notion TO get up
and see what was going on, and then
closed 'em again. He shivered a little,
sighed deeply. and with that sigh of
his. his companion bear passed into
widowhooI and never knew it
'.SIicing a choice cut from the dead
bear. Reuben took it outside, built a
fire against the ledge, cooked the bear
meat. and, as he often and often re-
humor again Then the poor, lone,
snowbound child turned his
longing eyes once more down across
that awful barrier of snow toward his
home.
1t is Just as well. Perhaps he said. |
for tomorrow the mortgage
will close down, and the home would |
be nv home no more. even if / got out |
of this. Poor pap! How deep in the |
dumps he must be this |
day.
Then Reuben crept back into the |
cleft in the rocks. He noticed that the |
other bear seemed uneasy in her mind. |
and was moving and granting. Even |
in his misery that child was remark |
able and found time for merry quips.
"'Smelt her old man cooking. l sup
pose said he. and then he turned over
and went to sleep. When Reuben Petit
bone awoke again he woke with start, |
ard saw the other bear standing over
him. her eyes glaring.
- The general expression of her
Reuben used to say. gave
me the impression that she was con-
siderably het up. From what l could
gather from the appearance of things,
should imagine that she had walked
up and took in the whole situation,
md concluded not to wait until spring
to chaw me. | begun to reach for my
knife, when wolves begun to howl with
hair-raising fiercenesS. right at the
opening of the cave. The bear turned
md sprang at the opening, and out of
the cave she went. Such yooping and
Yelling and bowling and snarling and
and crunching as followed
ler exit never heard before nor since.
crept to the opening and peeked out.
The old bear stood with her back
against the ledge, and the whole pack
Of gaunt and hungry wolves was hurl-
ng itself upon her, trying to force her
Town. She had scattered wolves 10 the
light and to the left, and the open
space in front of the cave was strewn
with their earcasses. l grabbed my i
gun and went out TO the aid of the