The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-08-12
BEAR NATURE.

ESempified by the Antics of Three
Specimens on a Hot Sunday.
1t was so hot Sunday afternoon that
| the big bear in the second cage at the
City Park had the heat grins. He sat
| In the coolest place in the den, and
surveyed his brethren in the next cage,
who likewise We're grinning vacantly at
the crowd of Sunday folk, the breath
| less, leafy balconies of the cottonwoods,
and the driveways, hot and white as
| though strewn with the ashes from an
oven
! Now the big bear has two cage mates,
two youthful callow foolish louis, to
whom he is master admonisher. Usu
ally he watches their rough clumsy
gambols and coarse practical jolinss
with a half-open eye and an expression
which means 'cubs will be cubs" On
this day, However, his grin indicated
that any fooishness would be punished
with vigor and force that would
shake the cage like an earthquake.
And a Sabbath-like calm ensued In the
cage, broken only now and then by the
deep breathing of the fur-coated giants
in the next cage. The big bear fell
asleep by degrees.
The two young bears Immediately be-
gan to play softly. 1t was cuffs and
worry but softly oh, very softly One
could hardly hear a sound save the
clicking Of their claws on the floor, os
they fought fraternally and with a
wary eye for the companion admonish
err They scuffed over near the water
vat, and with soft coughs and grunts
and smothered merriment one went in
head over heels with a subdued splash
and the other fell atop. 1t was done
very quietly, but the big bear awoke.
He was in vicious humor, as was
shown by the way he slapped at a fly.
The bear on top saw that something
must be done. He knew if the compan-
ion admonisher should suspect that his
rest had been broken by him and his
companion it would mean licking for
both. He realized that If his compan-
ton should emerge .splutterng and
granting the facts would be too evil
dent SO he determined that his COM
panion should not come to the surface.
He calmly sat on the other bears
head and assumed nonchalant look.
The under bear didn't understand mat
tiers at all. He didn't mind staying I'M
der water little while in fun, but
when it came to being held there in
= l. To a To with
teeth and claws and with growing in
dignation The b,ar an top found 1t
difficult to maintain his Sabbath
calm expression with the under bear
chewing his foot, but he feared the
watchful eye of the companion admon-
Usher. The protest from beneath the
surface Of the water We're growing
more and more violent. The water
heaved and splashed. The bear on top
was shaken with emotions. He rocked,
shook and qllivered like an Indian |
lodge in the wind.
A moment later the companion adj |
monisher was on top of him, like n big |
brown, furry whirlwind. The upper |
bear had WINGED and the companion |
knew there was something wrong. He |
cuffed the upper bear about the ears |
and he fled with bowls of pain. The |
under bear well-niSh drowned, moved |
a limp paw above the water, and the |
drew him up from the |
depths, a soaked, drenched, breathless !
thing. While he suited him back to !
the other bear whined and |
cried as though greatly penitent for his |
misdeeds. Half an hour later the half
drowned bruin was well and fighting !,
again. But you will now rarely ever
see either Of them in that vat. And 1t |
is only when the big fellow is not |
that they dare take dip.
The ordinary park visitor may think
that this is only ot-weather selfish
ness that makes the big bear act go.
But the keeper knows that it is be-
cause the companion admonfsher knows
that the one almost drowned the other, /
md SO he won't let either get in there
# he can help it, and he usually cam
Denver Post.
TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY