The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-02-28

first thought was that someone from
the house was approaching, but look
ing in the direction whence the sound
came, she saw. standing erect like a
man, huge black bear.
She gave d little scream and started
to her feet. For a moment beauty
and the beast stood face to face.
Then, unmindful of her hat, Celia
sprang across the stream with a
bound. The bear, with widely ex-
tended jaws, showing his great white
teeth, fell down on all tours, and with
numbering motion, sped after her,
breaking down the underbrush that
was in his way with a loud cracking
noise. Miss Celia, wild with terror,
ran through the forest. Close behind
her came the bear, gaining every
step. The woman's dress was torn by
the brambles. Her hair had fallen
down and was flying in disorder.
Again and again she fell across fallen
branches that beset her path. sAnd
all the time the bear was getting
nearer and nearer. She cried for help
and the dark forest sent back her
voice in mocking echoes. A deep
gully lay before her and at the bot
tom she saw winding creek, which
she knew she could never cross. A
dizziness was coming over her. Her
pursuer was only few feet behind
her. She could hear him painting and
could almost feel his hot breath.
Her foot caught in bit of withered
moss and she fell. She heard the
sharp report of a gun and then a
darkness came before her.
"You will soon be all right Miss"
Jake, the hired man, was kneellng
by her side, moistening her lips with
water from hunting cup. A few
feet away big black bear was
stretched out on the green sward. The
young woman looked first at the man,
then at the smoking gun, and then at
the man again. Somehow she was
disappointed. She half wished her
rescuer had been Grayson. While it
provoked her to think that this man
with his quiet, Indifferent way, had,
with all her fiippancy and repartee,
shown his will and his wit to be the
stronger of the two, still she could
not but feel her interest growing in
him. The knowledge that a man is
CT
forth her envy; later it evokes her adj
miration. Celia suddenly remembered
that she had not yet thanked this
other man for his timely rescue
Il want to thank you, Mister-Mis-
ter" she began.
"My name is Jake" said the man.
81 want to thank you, Mister Jake,
for your kindness in saving my-my
"Oh, never mind that, Miss" said
Jake.
"But l do mind it. I don't see how
you were ever so fine shot as to kill
that bear
"Oh, tits nothing" said Jake, 81
have killed many of them. 1 never
miss 'em."
At that moment there was a shrill
whistle and a deep, gruff voice called
out:
Tara, Tara, get up"
The black bear arose to his hind
legs, and shaking himself, gave a
grunt or two and ambled away in the
direction of a picturesquely-attir
man who had just emerged from the
edge of the forest. Miss Dorchester
and Jake looked on in dumb astonish-
ment to see the bear arise apparently
from the dead. Both turned inquir-
ingly to the one who had whistled
for an explanation. He evidently I'M
derstood what they meant, for he
grinned and said:
Huh! Me train de bear. He dance;
he hop; he run. Me shoot gun; he
make believe fall dead. Bear he run
away. Me hear man shoot gun. Me
scarf bear be dead. But no harm
Man he no can shoot good. Come,
Tara, come, Tara!" and the bear and
his master walked slowly away.
"Quite a romantic rescue
Miss Dorchester looked up and saw
Grayson standing before her. He had
her hat in his hand and as he handed
it to her he said:
THAT fellow in the outlandsh Co.'S
tune belongs to a band of gypsies
who have been encamped near here
all summer. They are catching bears
and training them for exhibition in
the towns. This one that frightened
you so badly had evidently escaped"
| Miss Dorchester made no immediate
reply. She felt very foolish, for Gray
son had surprised her in a most ridicu-
lous situation. She tried to smile;
then she cried, and turning quickly
away said, Historically: II just hate
men!"
After that Miss Dorchester felt diff
ferently toward Grayson. When she
sought a woman's relief-tears-in
the forest that day, the whole nature
of the man seemed to change. He be-
came sympathetic and kind. He
helped her pin up her torn frock; he
brushed off her hat. and he did many
other little things that consoled her.
| On the walk home explanations were