Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-04-07

had been laid upon my shoulder, ano
nv mothers warning c"me into my
mind. | turned my face toward home,
and for one moment nv conscience
tvitfed me aud nav resolution weak,
enel. But | shook of the spell auo
stopped 70 luos INTO the hollow log.
IT was As dark as night within, aud
could distinguish nothing. | then
Mont around to the other end, but
s5und that there vas no hollow there.
beat upon the loo and listened, but
40 sound cane forth save the echoes.
/ 7 coaid think ui nothing else TO do, so
I / kneit down, cooked my gun, pointed
II into the loE, pulled the trigger, and
-''baug," rang ont on the mountain
air. Ins,inctive.y spraug from the
log. and almost simultaneously with
line shot came an answer from within,
in the most savage, the most blood
curdIing, hideous sound. | think. that
/ have ever heard, and accompanied
by noise OF scrambling out of the
log, which filed my whole being with
fright. had never known Plato to
run from any living thing before, but
he preceded me in the fight this
time. Long as il takes TO tell il, We
were scarcely started when ont of the
log came tumbling great, furious
hungry bear, bearing down upon us
| like the shadow of an awful death. l
cen shut my eyes now as | write of it,
and feel the shiver of fright run
through me, as [ felt it at the sight
OF that bloodthirsty beast, nearly fifty
years ago. On we dashed, and nearer
Bruin came, the blood streaming from
his angry face, where the shot from
my gun had taken effect. On, on /!
and nearer, nearer, and yet nearer the
Infatuated creature behind us! And
theu-horrors, The brink Of the
| great bluff was reached! Straight
! downward, with not tree, not
friendly bush to aid me-a descent
impossible, even with ample leisure
and greatest care!
Far down below me smiled the SER
enc 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
had probably rested and listened to
the music of the mocking-birds for
the last time. Aud then mothers
warning came again before me-too
late!-distinct and reproachful.
To attempt descent were certain
death, and death equally as certain
was just behind me. ReloadiEg my
! gun was now ont of the question, and,
had 1t not been, the shot il carried
were too small to do more than fur
Their incense the murderous pursuer.
Poor old Plato stood covering by
my side, trembling and whining pite,
ously, and in the bitterness of my de-
spairing heart [ accused him of it all
not dreaming of what was to follow.
The supreme moment had come,
and l was almost pGlsied with fright,
with not the strength or the resolu'
tion to raise my gun to strike a last
feeble blow for myself
Within ten feet of me the bear rose
on his hind feet to what appeared tc
my frightened vision an almost in.
credible height He was preparing
to spring! l 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 | would have
breathed my last, when, as if by q
noble inspiration, all his wonted cour
age regained, Plato met the spring
and planted his teeth in my vicious
assailant's throat. The bear clinchoC
with him, and | sought to turn-likt
, a coward-and fly for my life; but
= could move at best only few fee
, backward, so weak and unstruns
was /
2 The struggle was fierce for moment
but | saw that it was all over for my
dear old brindle playmate, and | re
! allied that it would be but question
t of few seconds before the monste
would turn on me.
There was crash at my feet,
giving way of the earth The grea
rock on which they struggled for lif
e and death had broken loose from it
mocrings, carrying the ugliest bea
and the noblest dog I ever saw, crash
: ing down the awful precipice, t
J mutilation and death below.
1t was the middle of the Afternoon
v when I, tired, weak, sick and re
pentant boy, reached home to receiv
y the blessings and forgiveness of m
= fond and frightened parents.
y At the foot of that bald cliff, jus
l. where he fell on the lovely autumn
II day in the long ago, you can find
|; now-unless impious hands have re
d moved it-a stone slab on which
% rudely chiselled this inscription:
Observation-Disclosures.
w : Sacred to the memory Of
Is PLATO,
l; Who gave his life to save
h FRIEND.
L. Within a few feet of where [ a