The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-10-11


comb.
The place almost overhung the river,
| which flowed Mt the foot of the cliffs,
| 300 feet below - situation which
| would have caused an inexperienced
person to turn pale and giddy, But
Ansel had come not to mind being sus-
pended at such awful heights. and in
deed was accustomed never to look
down at all.
At the top of the cliff, where the
rope was attached to his crowbar, he
had one day set row of large galvan-
ized iron buckets, to hold the honey
comb as he brought it up. Where it
hung over the brow of the rock the
rope was held out by stout, forked
pole, set aslant in crevice near the
crowbar.
Ansel was toiling upward with a
load, setting his feet slowly in the
loops of the rope, when as he came
within fifteen or twenty feet of the
top he heard noise as of hogs champ
ing soft corn directly over his head.
Glancing up Ansel could just see the
ridge of some yellowish animals back
near his honey buckets.
The sounds were so much like those
made by hogs that at first he felt sure
it must be some stray porker that had
come along, and he angrlly shouted,
"Whee, there! Whee, you beast" as
H. 81; IA to hn 70 tn ua hic
honey. But as his head rose clear of
the brow of the crag he perceived to
his CONSERVATION that the creature was
no hog, but a large yellow bear, also
that there were two others, and that
all three were filling themselves from
his honey buckets, several of which
they had upset.
Catching sight of Ansel's head at the
denly on its launches and stared at
him in surprise its jaws slavering
honey. Then, appearing to resent the
interruption of its feast, the animal
growled and dashed forward TO the
very brink of the rock, the hair on its
foreshoulders bristling and its small
eyes rolling furiously.
Ansel had no effective weapon at
hand; even his honey trident was stick
ing down in the chasm. There was
nothing he could do but descend few
loops on the rope as rapidly as posi-
BILE. He was at an utter loss what to
do next, however, and stood still.
But, meanwhile, the bear, after peer
ing over the brink, ran along the top
of the cliff for little way, then ran
back, and in doing so passed under the
fOrked pole above mentioned, on which
the rope was held out. There was
scarcely room for the big beast to
pass under. Its back grazed, and
scrambllng on, it drew pole and rope
along on its Misunderstanding the
latter on with it for several yards,
when it dropped back OH the cliff with
a heavy jerk.
oD up there" Ansel said to me, in de-
scribing his sensations. "When l felt
myself going, thought at first the
bears had rooted up the crowbar, and
that my seconds were numberedw
The rope was strong and withstood
the jerk, but Ansel received a consid-
erabl shock when it dropped or slid off
the bears back. He fell two or three
feet.
my heart nearly came into my
MOUTH he told me. 81 didn't know
what would happen next, and I hung
on there, still as a mouse, for some mo-
ments."
Presently he heard all the bears
champing again, and after a time
climbed cautiously up a few loops,
where he could just see them over the
brink of the rock.
From this uncomfortable situation
Ansel covertly watched large part Of
his honeycomb disappear into the
maws OF the hungry and highly appre-
ciative bears. There was no doubt
that they were fond Of it. They swal-
lowed it by the pound. And although
greatly disappearing, he was in no po-
sition to object, OF even to expostulate
audibly.
Not content with stuffing themselves
to repletion the provoking animals
overset all the buckets, and even rolled
in what was left of the contents on the
dry, mossy rocks. They smeared their
snouts and jowls, then rubbed them
along the moss, as il from pure wan
tonness in such exuberant sweetness.
Then suddenly the largest bear, as
if its skin were tickeld by the honey
or beset by parasites, threw itself half
down beside the crowbar and began
rubbing smartly.
With every rub Ansel could feel the
bear move and sway the rope, and
again his heart "nearly turned over"
lest the bear should actually rub the
bar out of the crevice! For an instant
he was minded to climb rapidly up the
rope and try to run past the animals,
but he knew that these big cinnamon
bears were not TO be trifled with.
Suddenly it occurred to him to use
the bee smoker. 1t was below, set in
a erevice of the crags, but he climbed
down and got it. Then charging the
bowl with bit Of hemp and sulphur.