Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-23
"'Ten,' said 1.
"'Ten, ten? said he. and down goes

MS gun.
"'Wallie,' l said, what have you
done? We're dead men now
"'Bon, my old fellow, said he, I
couldn't help it, my hands trembled
son
WALL said I, turning round and
Selling his hand, 'Wallie. my dear lad,
goodby. I'm not afraid to die. My legs
are long; they hang down. The first
bear that comes, and don't hit him,
off goes my foot. When he takes it,
shall give sou my gun and go. You
may yet be saved, but tell, oh, tell
Mary Ann that thought of her, that
prayed for herr
Goodby, old fellow said he.
"'God bless you.' said L.
"By this time the bears were sitting
in circle all round the tree. Yes" said
Bonaparte, impressively fixing his eyes
on the German, "a regular, exact cir
Gle. The marks of their tails We're left
in the snow, and measured it after
ward. A drawing master couldn't have
done it better. 1t was that saved me.
IL they'd rushed on me at once, poor
old Bon would never have been here to
tell this story. But they came on, sir,
systematically, one by one. All the
rest sat on their tails and waited. The
first fellow came up, and shot him;
the second fellow-I shot him; the
third shot him. AT last the tenth
came. He was the biggest of all-the
leader, you may say.
"'Wall,'l said, give me your hand.
My fingers are stiff with the cold.
There is only one bullet left. shall
miss him. While he is eating me you
get down and take your gun. and live,
dear friend. live to remember the man
who gave his life for you! By that
time the bear was at me. felt his
paw on my trousers.
"'oh. Bonnie. Bonnie" said the Duke
of Wellington's nephew. But just
took my gun and put the muzzle to the
bears ear Over he fell-deadw
Bonaparte Rlenkins waited to OBJ
serve what effect his. story had made.
Then he took out a dirty white hand
kerchief and stroked his forehead and
more especially his eyes.
ut always affects me to relate that
adventure" he remarked. returning
the handkerchief to his pocket. Elm
gratitude-Ease. vile .ngratitude-is re-
called by it. That man. that man, who
but for me would have persisted in the
painless wilds of Russia, that man in
the hour of my adversely forsook me-"
The German looked UP. YES" said
Ronapartc, .Ihadamoney. had lands.
L said to my wife: There is Africa,
struggling country. They want capi-
tai; they want men of talent; they
want men of ability to- open up that
land. Let us co.
II bought $4,000 worth of machinery
-winnowing, blowing, reaping ma
chimes. loaded ship with them.
Next steamer came out, wife, chill
kdren. ALL Got to the Cape. Where is
the ship with the things? Lost-gone
to the bottom! And the box with the
money? Lost-nothing saved!
"My wife wrote to the Duke of Wei
lington's nephew. didn't wish her to.
She did it without my knowledge.
"What did the man whose life saw
ed do? Did he send me 100000: say,
| 'Bonaparte, my brother, here is
crumby No; he sent me nothing.
"My wife said. Write said:
Mary Ann. no; while these hands have
power to work, no; while this frame
has power to endure, no. Never shall
1t be said that Bonaparte Blenkins ask
ed of any man."
The mans noble independence touch
ed the German.
"Your case is hard; yes, that is
hard" said the German, shaking his
head.
Bonaparte took another draft of the
soup, leaned back against the pillows
and sighed deeply.
Il think" he said after awhile, rous-
ing himself, II shall now wander in
the benign air and taste the gentle cool
Of the evening. The stiffness hovers
over me yet. Exercise is beneficial"
So saying, he adjusted his hat care
fully on the bald crown of his head
and moved to the door. After he had
gone the German sighed again over his
work:
"Ah. Lord! So It is! AhI
He thought of the ingratitude of the
world.
Uncle Otto" said the child in the
doorway, did you ever hear of ten
,ears sitting on their tails in circle?"
well. not of ten exactly, but bears
do attack travellers every day. 1t is
nothing unheard Of" said the German.
"A man of such courage too! Terrible
experience that"
And how do we know that the story
is true, Uncle Otto?"
The Germans ire was reused.
THAT is what | do hatew he cried.
"Know that it is true! How do you
know that anything is true? Because
you are told so. II we begin to question
everything-proof. proof, proof-what
will we have to believe left? How do
you know the angel opened the prison
door for Peter, except that Peter said
SO? How do you know that God talk
ed to Moses except that Moses wrote
it? That is what l hate"
The girl knit -her brows. Perhaps
ho,, ~