The National tribune., 1902-06-26

know the path as well as you do. Besides,
il will be dark soon, and | would probably
break my neck. It's a shame, Mooween,
to put any gentleman in such a fix as / am
in this minute. just by your laundering
carelessness. Why didn't you smell me,
anyway. as any but a fool bear would
have done. and take some other path over
the mountain? Why don't you climb that
spruce now and get out of the way:
/ have noticed that all wild animals
grow uneasy at the sound of the human
voice, speaking however quietly. There IS
in it something deep, unknown, mysterious
beyond all their powers of comprehension,
and they go away from it quickly when
ever they can. / have theory also that
all animals, wild and domestic. understand
more of our mental attitude than we give
them credit for: and the theory gains rath-
er than loses strength whenever think Of
Mooween on that narrow pass. / can see
him now, turning, twisting uneasily, and
the half-timid look in his eyes as they met
mine furtively. as if ashamed; and again
the low. troubled whine comes floating up
the path and mingles with the rush and
murmur of the salmon pool below.
A bear hates to be outdone. as much as
fox does If you catch him in a trap. he
never growls nor fights nor resists. as lynx
and otter and almost all other wild crea-
lures do. He has Outwitted you and shown
his superiority so often that he is utterly
overwhelmed and crushed when you find
him, at last, helpless and outdOne. He
seems to forget all his great strength, all
his friGhtfui power of teeth and claws. He
just lays his head down between his paws
turns his eyes aside. and refuses to look
at you or to let you see how ashamed he
is. That is what you are chiefly conscious
Of nine times out of 10. when you find
bear or fox held fast in your trap; and
something of that was certainly in Moo
ween's look and actions now, as | sat
there in his path, enjoying his confusion.
Near him a spruce tree sprang ont Of
the rocks and reached upward to ledge
far above. Slowly he raised himself against
this, but turned to look at NE again, sit
ting quietly in his own path. that he could
no longer consider his, and smiling at his
discontinue as l remember how ashamed
he is to he outdone. Then an electric shock
seemed to hoist him out of the trail. He
shot up the tree In n succession of quick,
nervous. jerky jumps. rising with aston
ishing speed for so huge creature,
smashing the little branches. ripping the
rough bark with his great claws. sending
down n gathering shower of chips and
dust behind him, till he reached the level
of the ledge above and sprang out upon it,
where he stopped and looked down to see
what | would do next. And there he stay
| ed. his great head hanging over the edge
| of the rock. looking at me intently till I
rose and went quietly down the trail.
1t was morning when | came back to
the salmon pool. Unlike the messy forest
floor, the hard rock bore no signs to tell
mc-what l was most curious to know
whether he came down the tree or found
some other way over the mountain. Al
the point where 1 had stood when his deep
HoOwuff, first startled me- left a big sal
mon, for a taste of which any bear will 20
far out of his way. Next morning it was
gone; and so it may be that MOOweea, on
his next journey, found another and
pleasanter surprise awaiting him at the
turn of the trail.