The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-10-12

change In lOudness or pitch They
were calls OF alarm and appeal The
calf blcated but once. Whether tht
COW repeated her call or not, the boys
could not tell, because the b-r-r Oi
another COW mingled instantly with IL
and red-and white streak flashed
| through the hazel brush and black
berry bushes and over the fallen log
The Turnlngpole, leader Of the Lawes-
burg herd, had rushed 10 prove her
T. .sIt TO her leadership.
She did not come in an awkward,
cowlike fashion, but she sprang over
the log like n deer, with her fOrclegs
neatly folded under her, gathering her
self In the air and striking with all
| four feet close together, In front OF
| the bear and hardly six feet away.
The bear, half rising on his hind
quarters, lurched backward to avoid
the expected charge and struck, right
paw and left, at the head Of the adj
vancing COW. The first blow was start
ed as an awkward girl strikes, with
the palm fiat and the elbow feXcd;
but IL ended like the blow Of pugi-
list, with the arm straight and parallel
with the shoulder-bone, supplemented
by the whole weight Of the brute as
the body was thrown forward by the
thrust Of the hind legs.
The cow crouched and du"ked her
head, and the blow fell short light
ning-lke the second blow followed,
just touching the cows jaw as she
shccrcd to one side, ran past the bear
and continued to circle round him.
From every side, from far and near,
the boys heard that short, deep b-r-r,
and saw, through the brush and be
tween the trees, the forms Of cattle
rushing toward the place.
Look! Look" cried Tommy. "Thcre
comes the Dutch Settlement herd"
And turning their faces toward the
river the boys saw the cattle coming
at gallop, plunge into the water and
start to swim across the wide stream.
The bear had already reached the
conclusion that somewhere else. any
where else, was safer place. lie
shambled past the calf toward the
trees beyond; saw rushing forms and
glaring eyes among the trees; ran
back across the open space only to be
confronted by other cattle, snorting.
paving and digging up the earth with
their horns. Three or four times he
ran back and forth, finding no way out
of the circle of lowered horns. Then
he turned toward the water and met
the Dutch Settlement herd
There were nine of them, led by a
giant OK reduced by the long winters
heavy labor to mere mountain of
skin and bone and horns. His ianll
sides hcavcd and his protruding eyes
rolled. Every joint of that heroic old
wreck tremblcd as he numbered mp
the slope to kill If he could, to die If
he must, in order TO secure the safety
of the herd.
Again the bear turned to find the
circle Of horns shrunk To half It's form
cr size, the cattle crowded close their
horns rattling, their grunting b-r-r-r
mingling in hoarsc roar like one vast
grOwl.
All the cattle had come out from
among the trees, passing the Jersey
and the calf, which were left outside
of the circle, and every COW and the
mountainous old OK had place In that
circle. That is, every COW hut the
Turnngpolc. She stayed outside of
the circle, rushing round and round,
sometimes gallopng, sometimes trot-
ting with her head high in the air, her
eyes black spots In great circles of
white and rolling horribly, her mouth
wide open and slavering. Round and
round and back and forth she rush
ed, her breath coming in great irrcgu-
lar pufrs and gasps. The frightened
boys thought she had gone mad.
Steadily the circle round the bear
grew smaller, the black beast rush
ing from side to side, continually turn
ing round To guard against attack
from the rear. At length he rose on
his launches. and with hoarsc growl
struck at the line of horns i'm front of
him. The line shrank back. but al
vanced on the opposite side till the
horns of the nearest COW touched the
bears body.
Again he turned, and rs he turned n
deeper, hoarscr b-r-r came from the
throat OF the Turningpolc. rs she ragged
round the outside OF the circle. The
line opened. there was an instant of
of red and white came through the
break in the circle Of cattle The bear
swung round TO meet the charge he
knew was coming. but he was too late
The Turningpole's right horn caught
him under the right arm and seemed
TO 90 clear through him rs the cows
hindquartcrs went up In the air. She
turned fairly over. and then seemed
10 creep out from under n confused
mass of heaving bodies. striking hoofs
and rattling horns rs the giant old
OK and every COW dug his or her best
horn into the body OF the bear.
They drove their horns into the uu-
resisting carcass and paved Il with
their front feet; they jumped up in
the air and came down stiff-lcggcd
upon II. till earth and grass and dead
leaves and the bears body were shock
ingly merged together. Some ran
bawling into the woods. returning
soon again TO assall the dead bear
with hoofs and horns.
In time they became more quiet.
standing rafling. and with straddllng