Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-27


after season till Pierre's father had
made up his mind that the creature
was enchanted and that no bullet
would Kill her even if she should get
in its way. Just now the old bear was
asleep in a den behind the rock on
which Pierre lay. Her cunning little
c"D was very much awake. however.
ana had given up trying to make his
hother wake He had bit her ears.
tumbled over her and growled in her
race to no account So he had walked
out to the door Of the cave and thrown
himself down in the sun a few feet
away from Pierre, still unconscious of
the boys proximity The cub played
with dry sheep skull till he was
tired and then stretched himself out
to try and sleep off his hungriness. He
became aware Of delicious perfume
| 1t was not the smell of flowers, and it
was not that Of flesh, though too there
seemed to be another smell as Of a
young lamb in the neighborhood. At
! last he got up and shifting the air
more carefully found that the smell
| came from around the other side of
the rock. and it was one that made him
very. very hungry. He crept carefully
! around the bOle of the hemlock tree
and there stopped. rooted to the
ground with surprise. Lying at length
on the stone, with the hot sun pelting
down on his straw hat. lay little
Pierre. the bloom on his peachy cheek
heightened by the delicate flush of
boyish slumber. And little distance
away from him lay his string of fish.
The ms hat -
the fish he had smelled. But he was
at a loss to know what or who the
creature was that lay asleep so near
his mothers door. That she had not
brought him home from the hunt he
was sure. for she had come in before
sunrise, disappointed at having
caught nothing but a hen from an
apple tree. Surely this little creature
was not a wolf His mother had told
him long stories of the wolves, and
how desperately they would fight when
hunger drove them to it. But they
always fought in crowds. One had
never dared to approach so near his
mothers home alone. 1t was probably
some creature of whom his mother had
spoken. but he wondered which. And
the fish that he had himself so often
tried to catch What a lot of them
and how they smelled' He crept for
ward till he could bite them off the
stick one by one.
He was doing this when Pierre
awoke and sat up.
Here, you called the boy in
French-he always spoke in French
when he was excited-'stop that.
Those are not your fish. l caught
them myself"
And then Pierre stopped. He saw
the cub was very cunning and about as
large as Grandma Wentworth's dog.
Pierre had always wanted a dog. but
his father was not partial to the ami
mails. Here was wild one, and just
the right size. Why not catch it and
carry it home? The cub had started
back when Pierre sat up but now
crept toward the fish again. The boy
got them first and held them behind
him.
III give you one if you'll go home
and be my dog
The cub looked as if he understood,
but said nothing. Pierre gathered up
Ills fishpoe and started down the
ravine. after little distance holding
up his fish to attract the supposed dog.
At first the cub ran into the cave and
tried again to awaken his mother. She
awoke enough to hear her little one
say that there was a strange creature
outside who had string of fish to eat.
but she thought it was all of a piece
with cubs previous attempt to awaken
her. and she refused to stir. That
child had such vivid imagination, and
told such startling lies when he had
an end in view. So she simply boxed
his little mouse colored ears soundly
and turned over and went to sleep
again.
The cub went out and saw Pierre still
waving the trout at him far down the
valley. His mother had told him many
times not to go away from the cave,
but 1t was her own fault now. He ran
down to where Pierre stood. and the
boy threw him little wilted fish.
about half a mouthful. Then he ran
almost out of sight and again held up
the trout temptingly. And the funny.
rolly-polly awkward little dog fol-
lowed At last the cub was far from
home. and followed Pierre fully as
much because he feared being left
alone for the wolves to eat as he did
for the fish.
The children We're just trooping home
from school that night when Pierre.
the remains of his fish by his side and
the queer little mouSe-cOlOred dog
trottng with angular steps at his
heels. walked into the yard. His fond
mother ran to meet him.
Pierre. my one darling. how did the
school you like this day."
SCHOOL," said Pierre stopping in
CONSERVATION. He had not thought
of the school since the first trout ran
in under the stone culvert in the morn
ing.
An hour after Pierres father, still
in poor health from the privations he
had suffered in the southern rebel
prison. came up the lane from the
field.
II wish, my dear husband. you would
walk in the back yard and see one dog
that Pierre she find in the woods. He
is one queer animal"
The man took look at the cub and
exclaimed:
"a bear
Holy Mother" exclaimed Marie.
That night the cattle asleep in the
barn heard queer sniffings around the
tightly closed great door. and listened