Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-04-26
TALES OF PLUCK
and ADVENTURE.
Roomlng With n Benr.

RoomInG With Benr.
IVONIA is q part of our globe
r. where fondness for pets CO.
i exists with love of sport. A
Russian subject from that
province tells me of the strange con-
sideration evinced by ono of her
! neighbors for the feelings of bear,
writes correspondent of the London
News. The animal had an odd foncy
for sleeping indoors and in bed. To
humor him room in tower was al
ways left open for the animal. Some
nights he came and availed himself of
the hospitality, but often he stayed
out in the woods. If he arrived at his
tower, and mounted the long flight of
steps which led from outside to his
own door, and found that anything
prevented his entrance, the bear made
horrible noise, growing and batter
ing the door.
In Livonia, during the brief North
ern summers, the local magnates visit
each other without prior arrangement,
and they arrive prepared to stop the
night. 1t not infreluently occurs
that many carriages converge at the
same time on one country house, with
| The result that as many as forty beds
may be required. A large influx Of
visitors arrived one night at the house
where the bear had his room. The
last conner was a timid youth, cousin
| of the house. The host met him, radi-
ant:
| ssWhnf al Nnn'n
ind half the relations here. But,
ilas, you'll not have good room.
Every other corner is full. There's
only the towSr left. AS you know, the
bear comes there. But never mind.
He does not put in an appearance
every night"
The young man would fain have
gone further, but the nearest country
house was ten miles off, his horse
tired, and the hospitable relations
very pressing in their invitation to
him to remain. He was greatly afraid
of the bear, but still more afraid of Of
tending host, hostess an d all the other
cousins and neighbors. He decided
10 stay, and at last retire d to rest in n
large, square room, with two beds in
It. He inquired il he might not bar
our the bear (the door had but a
latch), but he was told that no fasteu-
lngs might be used; the bea~ was too
ooisy if shut out. He "woul1 not let
isoul in the place have wink OF sleep" !"
Besides, she wasn't coming very like
Iy." And further, ''there wasn't any
means Of altogether fastening the
door" ''It was left on the latch on
purpose" The last words of rather
sleepy cousin to the new conner were: ::
"Better take the bed in the far cor
uer, Ivan"
The guest can hardly be said to
nave slept there. The terror of
Bruin kept him awake at first, and
then Bruin himself For in the small
aours q shambling step and sound
If claws on the steps and balustrade
iroZe the blood in the unhappy youth s
veins. The noise came nearer. There
was fumbling at the latch. With
great growing and grumbling, Bruin
entered and put himself to bed in the
couch near the door. Then the beast
grumbled, grunted, and seemed TO
sniff. That shifting alarmed the other
occupant of the room most of all, for
he thought it meant that the bear
scented him, and might resent his
presence. The wretch dared scarcely
breathe. Dawn was breaking, but
that was only another danger; the bear
might see him. Bruiu, great, curled
lump above the blankets, became in
due time visible to his fellow lodger.
Then the beaH snoredl There was
comfort in that sound. But soon he
rolled about, and growled and groaned
discontentedly. The heart of the
watcher beat painfully loud. He
dared not rise. He had not nerve
enough to pass the sleeping animal
and rush down the steps. Terror
paralyzed the youth, and prudence
whispered that inactivity" can be
sometimes "masterly."
The slow hours dragged on. All the
company had assembled downstairs at
breakfast, but Bruin still slept, and
the timid cousin watched him with
eyes that burned and throbbed. Al
last the host said: "Where's Ivan
NuSTe we Dchr, tOO. anu u meSSen
ger was dispatched to the tower, there
TO find pallid guest and his unin
vited companion. The messenger
routed out the bear, who had been
kept as pet when a cub, and who
was really only half a wild beast-and
helped the shattered youth tc
dress and join the breakfast party.
Pocket Knife His Only Weapon.
A wolf skin, badly cut about the
left side and slashed across the neck
and back, has beGn received by w
Il. McFadden & Sons, taxidermists, Of
Denver, for full mounting.
There is story in these slashes
and cuts and the order that the skin
be full mounted as trophy. 1t is
full OF desperate courage and goes tt
prove that lone wolf is not the
cowardly creature that he has been
represented. 1t shows, too. that {
man, armed with only pocket knife