The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-06
THE SLOTH BEARS
ADVENTURES
BY ELLEN VELVIN, f. q. S.,
Author of "Rataplan,' "A Rogue
Elephant" Etc.


in their royal cell, and the busy work
ers were rushing in and out-some to
bring food to the royal occupants, and
some to carry away the eggs which the
Queen was always. so busy laying
when suddenly there was a big earth
quake, which not only shook the whole
nest, but even the royal cell itself.
Now, as the workers always cook
care to make the royal cell in the very
middle of the nest for safety, all tbs
Termites knew at once that something
dreadful was going to happen. They
rushed about wildly here and there,
tumbling over one another in their mad
haste, and crowding up the passages
to suffocation. Their one idea was to
get out somewhere or anywhere. and
they lost no time. But the King and
Queen could not get out by themselves.
For one thing, the royal cell had
thicker walls than any other part of
The nest, and the passages outside were
much too small for their big bodies to
go through. But in a few minutes they
went out by some curious invisible
force; such a powerful, overwhelming
force that before they were able even
to get frightened they disappeared
down a long, dark tunnel and died,
while thousands and thousands of the
Termites, workers and soldiers went
the same way.
And all this terrible mischief and
havoc was caused by Slocum, the Sloth
Bear Slocum did not mind in the
least what havoc she caused: she did
not even think about it. She had two
fine little cubs at home, and had been
so busy nursing and attending to them
that she had forgotten herself for the
time being, and it was only when she
grew faint with hunger that she de-
cided to go and get something 10 eat.
With her long, sharp claws, five on
each foot, she sCraped away the earth
until she came upon the combs at the
bottom of the nest, and when these
were reached, Slocum, who could send
out tremendous blasts of air from her
mouth, like all her kindred, gave big,
violent puffs again and again, until
all the dust and every particle of the
crumbled remnants of the beautiful
home of the Termites was blown away.
After this instead of blowing, she
sucked in her breath with such tre-
mendous force, that in spite of all eff
forts-and they made some very fran
| tic ones-every one of the Termites,
however carefully enclosed in the
| combs, was forced out and into the
very mouth and throat of the Sloth
| Bear.
So taken up had she been with de-
stroying the ants nest, and drawing
out and eating the ants, that she had
not noticed two enemies creeping
slowly and cautiously toward her. Slo-
| cum had neither good hearing nor good
| sight, although her sense of smell was
keen, and so, although after a time
she suspected something, she did not
move, but peered about |screwing her
small eyes up like a nearsighted per-
SON., in the effort to see what it was.
BY this time the enemies-who were
two men. who happened to want a
Sloth Bear-were close to her. AS
soon as she saw what it was she vast
ed no time, but set off. Reaching a
steep side of hill which dropped sud
denly to a valley below, and hearing
the pursuers close behind her, SIo.
cum turned over and away she went
down the hill, higgle piggledy, head
over heads, looking like all hair and
limbs, and never stopped until she ar
rived at the bottomg safe and sound
but a little giddy and somewhat be-
wildered.
She soon recovered herself, however
and with one look up at her enemies
she shook her head and ambled awk-
wardly off to her carefully concealed
cave, where her precious little cubs
were anxiously awaiting their moth
er's return.
The hunters followed her slowly and
looked carefully for her tracks, but
when they found it led to a cave they
gave it up. 1t was one thing to face
a Sloth Bear in the open, but it was far
too dangerous to enter or even &C
near the cave. For they concluded
from several indications, that she had
cubs, and a mother Sloth Bear is q
very dangerous animal to face at any
time. So the hunters turned back, ano
Slocum was left in peace with her ba.
bies.
Slocum herself was a very ugly, TN
couth looking animal. She measured
about five feet in the length of hel
head and body; stood about two feet
high at the shoulders, and weighed
nearly two hundred pounds. Her long
pear-shaped head, with it's peculiar
long snout and upper lip, and tiny
eyes; her dirty gray muzzle and rough
shaggy black hair, and her short hind
legs, all seemed to have been a combi-
!
| awkward a looking animal as possible
The only things which frightened hei
were her perfectly white claws, very
| long and very sharp, and terrible
weapons, for they could tear a man tc
pieces.
The two little cubs were more odd
looking than Slocum herself, and per-
formed more ridiculous antics and
| gambols when being taken out than
even their mother did. But they all
thought everything was very pleasant
and just as it should be, and so they
had fine times together and were very
happy.
Almost the first things that Slocum
taught them TO do was to dig out ants
nests, and pick up the blossoms of the
beautiful Mowha tree. AS her babies
were so young Slocum did not expect
them to walk. so she lowered herself
a little and then the two cubs climbed
up on her back-not without a good
many clumsy tumblcs at first-and in
! this way she carried them carefully to
! whatever place she wanted to go.
When they arrived at an ants nest
the young ones got down and waited
while Slocum scraped away the earth,
| and got nearly down to the galleries.
! Then they both Joined in, and did
everything they saw their mother do.
! But at the very slightest sign of dan
| ger they would stop suddenly, scram-
BILE hurriedly up on their mothers back,
make curious little noises and give
| funny little puffs to show their anx-
| iety. Then they had to be taught how
/ TO get honey; how to climb trees in