The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-12-14


So frightened. so filled with horror
was little Jimmy that he shrleked and
| ran to hide himself in the farthest COR
ner OF the shack. Old Mizzkook came
forth. and stood mumbling, rolling her
eyes, grunting strange execrations.
Donald, who was old enough to think
of defending their property, longed
| for gun; but they had nothing in the
way OF weapons save dull scythe and
| a duller ak.
| For another week they were not
| molested-while the bear found the
cow sufficient for his wants. Then
| one night they were walked by the
mournful lowing of the cow and the
| calves, and looking out, they saw the
huge pale specter Of beast standing
| at the door Of the shed. The grizzly
had come for more beef.
But the log walls and door appeared
to puzzle the animal. 1t ran to and for.
swinging its head. snorting and snuff
ing, and presently came to the shack
door. One blow of the bears huge paw
would have crushed it.
The boys covered in their bed, shiv-
ering with fear, but the :quaw kindled
fire, and as soon as brands were
blazing, she threw one out at the lit
tie window on that side. The bear
snorted and retired to distance, where
it stood for time, as if in astonish-
ment, then came round near the cow
shed again. Immediately the cow re-
Sumed her plaintive lowing.
The bear stood up and paved the
walls Of the shed, and would probably
have torn the structure down, but the
squaw, opening the shack door, threw
brands at him. The huge beast went
away, but returned toward morning,
and but for the squaw's firebrands
would have secured the cow. At sun
rise it shuffied away up the meadows.
Not once during that long night had
the boys closed their eyes; but they
now fell asleep, and were only awak-
ened several hours later by the sound
Of blows. The cow and one Of the
calves were in the shack The squaw
was welding the ak at the shed; and
d
scarcely recognized her!
From grunting, apathetic old crea-
ture. she appeared transformed into
a gleaming-eyed fury They were
afraid of her she looked so wild and
dashed to and for with such agility.
She had chopped at the rafters of the
shed roof at both ends, where they
rested on the log walls of the shed,
but supported them by two props un-
derneath, as she worked she sang
some sort of savage chant over and
over. ending it every time with an ell
dritch whoOp.
The lads were wholly at a loss to
know what had come over her, or what
she was doing in such mood. She
appeared entirely forgetful of their
food, nor could little Jimmy induce
her TO turn her attention to cookery.
During the afternoon she set both
youngsters fetching stones from the
foot of the crags a few yards away,
and these she piled on the roof of the
shed. In a word, the sQuaw was set
ting bear trap-probably after the
manner of her tribe. The task had
reused her from her overfed apathy.
She drove the lads to and fro with arm
fuls of stones, and fetched large ones
herself, till weight of several tons
had been piled on the splits of the shed
roof.
The squaw had left the lame calf in
the shed, tied at the far end of it, and
would not allow Donald to lead it out;
but the other calf was with the cow
in the shed. AT sunset she set the door
OF the shed ajar, and the boys now
began better to comprehend her STRAIT
agem.
For if the bear entered at the door
of the shed to seize the calf at the far
end, he would have to pass between
the two props, the bases of which she
had set on round sections of pine log.
The props stood so near together that
the grizzlys body would displace them,
causing the logs to roll outward.
AS night drew on they retired to the
shack, and remained quiet there, with
out light or fire.
IoWdTu ul1unlSnt. the cow began to
low. The bear was coming. After a
time they heard it shutting near the
door, and again a great fear fell ON
little Jimmy. But he dared not cry.
Not long after this they heard saw
age roar, accompanied by clatter. A
moment later there was tremendous
crash, followed by hoarse. awful out
cries and roars of distress.
Old Mizzkook ran out and danced
about the shed, singing and whooping
in savage glee. Her trap had sprung.
But Donald and Jimmy were thinking
of their poor lame calf
They dared not go near the shed,
however, even after it had grown light
the next morning. The grizzly contin-
ued its outcries at intervals all that
day and through the next night, moan
ing, grooming or roaring in anguish. 1t
must have died horrible death under
that weight of stones. But the out
cries were music in cd M.zzkook's
ears. She danced and sang in un-
bounded delight, nor when the bear