The Colfax chronicle., 1904-06-11


opened the door and went out The door
had wooden hinges which were apt to
creak, and he did not close it after him.
1t was a warm, dark night near the
last of May. Stealing out on tiptoe, be
approached the pen, but saw no animal
about it. The pig and fowls were now
quiet.
AS he stood listening. he heard
sound little distance off in the clear
ing, as if some creature were digging in
the earth. At once he surmised that
bears or hedgehogs or badgers were
scratching up his newly-planted seed
potatoes-a thing which had occurred
on several previous nights. He there
fore crept forward, and quietly got be-
hind a rick of partly burned logs, at
| distance from the house, and lay in wait
there for some time, trying to catch
glimpse of the creature, for he heard it
| several times moving about not far off.
Meanwhile was having an adventure
all by myself in the house.
| For awhile after Hudson went out
| lay and listened Hearing nothing,
fell asleep again, but probably only for
a few moments, for Immediately heard
| what l supposed to be Hudson coming
| back into the house.
heard him stepping about and the
floor creaking under his weight. 1t was
too dark to see anything, but was on
the point of speaking and asking him
what he had discovered at the pen, when,
with what seemed an odd shufiling sort
of step, he walked along to the bunk,
and trod heavily on my left foot under
the blanket The touch of his foot gave
| me a strange sensation, and l felt in
stantly, rather than knew, that it was
not Hudson!
Whoever or whatever 1t was, it ap-
peared to stand still in the dark for some
moments, then took another step on the
bedding of the bunk.
lay breathless, terrified and not dar-
ing to stir. Was it an Indian who had
! attacked and perhaps killed Hudson out
side, and had now come in to murder
me? My heart thumped hard, but did
| not stir, and whole awful minute
seemed to pass.
Suddenly | felt on my face curious
puff of air, warm breath that had
singular, fresh, wild kind of smell. 1t
came again after moment, hotter this
time, as if nearer could scarcely keep
myself from crying out in terror.
| Again and again it breathed in my
| face, close to my mouth. / was so
| frightened that | turned cold all over.
1t came into my mind now that it was
some large animal shifting at me-a
grizzly bear or panther that had killed
Hudson, and then come into the house
| in quest of our meat.
dared not move. l expected every in
slant that the beast would seize me by
the throat. 1t continued shifting at me;
then suddenly l felt its rough tongue
touch my face.
scarcely know what prevented me
from screaming outright and attempt
ing to spring up; but it was probably
fortunate for me that did not. The ami
nal may have thought me dead or
asleep. If l had stirred it would prob
ably have seized me or cuffed me with
/ its paw. 1t is said that wild beasts will
rarely lay hold of sleeping person or
| dead body.
After shifting at me thus Familiarity.
the creature moved little to one side,
and heard its tongue scrape on Kettle
which had held porridge. and was set
on low shelf few feet from the bunk.
1t had stepped off the bed-blanket, and
7 ri he hno rd Of ho fi0Or
creak under its weight.
1t walked slowly down to the other
! end of the room, Gathering over the
| frying-pan, bucket and several tin
dishes near the fireplace. A moment or
| two afterward heard low, deep erowl
and a rustling noise, as if the beast had
, raised itself and was scratching against
the logs of the house wall. Plainly it
| had found the meat which hung there.
heard its jaws close, graphing one OF
the quarters. then the creaking of the
floor again as 1t walked out.
listened awhile, then shouted to my
brother. Hudson! Hudson!' / called
out. then listened again. was afraid
that he had been killed. There was no
response. shouted again, and imme-
diately heard footsteps running to the
house. He had heard my first outcry,
but instead of replying, had started 10
run. A moment after he rushed In, ex-
claiming:
whats the matter with you, Lever"
There's been a grizzly or panther in
. the house here!" | cried.
"You dreamed it," said he, laughing.
mo, didn't dream it, either!" | ex-
claimed. Just you light up and look at
our meat"
Hudson struck a match and held 1t
near where the quarters had hung.
Great Caesar!" said he. "One Of
them is gone, .sure!" He seized his gun
and ran out
Quite ten minutes passed before he
came back He had been unable to trace
the animal; and in point of fact, we
never knew exactly what sort of beast it
was 1t is likely, however. that it was
grizzly bear.-Youth's Companion.