The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-10-19

&dV0 jill duSly anu 81 0u0p1N0
BACK to the foot of my pine. There
she sat on her launches for a good
half-hour, with never a glance at the
water, trying, apparently, to bore holes
through me with the gaze of her fierce
little eyes.
Il sat for that half-hour as still as
mouse hoping against hope that she
would give me another try for freedom,
noting with horror that the wind had
turned, and was taking the smoke up
the canon. When / was almost in
despair the grizzly grew restless, and
at last began to edge toward the water
again. I did not move this time. 1
sat as mOtiOnless as wooden Indian
until she had her nose in the water.
Then 1 fairly dropped out of that tree.
going down from branch to branch like
flying squirrel.
Il landed among the needles with
flying leap from the lower branches,
and alighted running. A glance over
my shoulder showed me that the bear
was after me and already halfway up
the bank. But this gave me good
hundred-foot start. She was stiff from
her wounds, and rush of hope told
me that I could win.
but 200 yards of terrific running
left me distressed for breath, and the
bear was coming Oh at full tilt. She
was something more than 200 feet be-
hind, to be sure, but getting limbered
up at every jump, and beginning to
gain rapidly.
For a half-mile we raced through
the woods I gaining in the open. and
the grizzly gaining in the brush. Then,
thoroughly winded and with the bear
close behind, Skinned up young
pine as fast as could go.
Il was freed again, and with fierce
old she grizzly below ME and fiercer
forest fire sucking up the canon. The
wind was hot now and heavy with
smoke. Down below l heard the
flames roaring through the brush and
timber like furnace blast. Inside of
fifteen minutes. l knew, the pines
round me would be licked up like
matches.
Even now there was no hope of
running away from the flames. Would
l have to choose between jumping into
the arms of the bear and burning up,
or would she flee from the fire il time
to give me chance of escape by a
dash for the creek? There wasn't
much hope of weathering the flames
in the creek, but / was most anxious
for chance to try it.
But the grizzly didn't seem to have
a thought about the fire. Through the
launches. struggling in vain to climb
into the lower branches of my pine.
Down the canon the flames were rum
ming as only wild-fre can, but the en-
ragged brute still fought to get up that
tree. She seemed to hold against me
all that had happened aud was hap
pening.
Il prepared to die right there. There
was still plenty of time for run to
the creek. but from the way the grizzly
acted took it that she would hang on
till the flames We're upon us. AS
faced my death l had no hard feeling
against the bear. I knew something OF
how the beast. harassed and wounded
by men, felt. But confess that was
as bitter as gall toward the men for
whose amusement l seemed about to
suffer death.
'Destruction was full upon us; we
were in the face of the forest fire.
There is no describing that scene. 1t
was like confused nightmare of
scorching heat. suffocating smoke and
the cracking roar Of flames. The
grizzly seemed as regardless Of the fire
as was the horse once tried to drive
from burning stable,
"There was something more terrify.
Ing than the mere fear Of death about
the mighty destructiveness Of 1t all,
and 1t was this, presume, that gave
me my chance. In despair was about
to close my eyes to the awful sight
when saw the bear waver, and my
heart gave wild throb of hope, For
moment she faced the leaping mass
of advancing flames, and then whirled
and fed.
''The next instant I was scuttling
through the smoking woods for the
creek. My only chance, knew, was to
find one Of the water-washed caverns
where the creek bed was deep. Trust.
ing to chance alone, rushed straight
forward, taking a flying leap into the
water from the overhanging bank.
"As 1t happened, and it was the
luckfest happening in the world for
ME. I found there water-washed niche
back Of ten-foot waterfall.
1.-THE whole creek bed could not have
offered better hiding place, and with
thankful heart wedged myself into
the Granny back of the curtain of
water, wrapped my wet coat about my
head, and waited for the furnace blast
to pass over.
I'm spite of the advantage Of nv
retreat, for few minutes I feared
that I should be roasted and smoked
alive in that hole.
but after a couple Of hours things
cooled off enough to enable me to pick
my way out through the smoking logs
to place of safety. My enemy, the
grizzly, did not fare nearly so we'll. I
afterward found her charred body
barely hundred yards above the place
from which she turned to run
Youths Companion.
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"Fake" Sailors A-Plenty.
"Fake Sailors" said a naval officer.
work more harm to the reputation Of
Jack ashore than the real man-of-