Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1905-10-18


thirst ~ hlr wounds. WIS ewing the
creek below longngly Presently she
began 20 sidle town the slope. keeping
one sye on me and the oihsr on the
water. when she got down about
hundred feet. I. with both eyes ON the
bear. began 10 slide carefully down
the tree.
But hardly had moved when she
gave an angry snarl and scrambled
back 10 the foot of my pine. There
she sat on her launches FOR COOL
half-hour. with never glance az the
water. trying. apparently. 10 bore holes
through me with the gaze OF her fierce
little eyes.
II sat Tor that hnlf.hour as still a.
a mouse hoping against hope that she
would give me another try for freedom
noting with horror that the wind had
turned. aud was taking the smoke M
the canon. when was almost In
despair the grizzly grew restless. qnd
at lasg began to edge toward the water
again. I fld 90. move this time. I
sat ~ motionless as a wooden Indian
. until she had her nose IN the water
Then fairly dropped ont % that tree.
going down from branch 10 branch lik
flying squirrel.
Il landed amon- the needles with q
flying leap from the lower branches
and I alirhteI running. \ glance ove-
my shoulder showed me that the bear
WIS after me and already halfway up
the bank. But this gave me good
hundred-foot stag.. She was stiff from
her wounds. AMI n rush ~ hope told
me that could VIII.
"Bui 20O yards Of terrific runnine
lot mo distressed Tor breath. aud the
bear was coming on 20 full tilt she
was something more than 200 feet be-
hind % be- sure. bur getting lmbered
up az every Jump. and beginning to
gain rapidly
"For a halfm'le We raced through
the woods ! gaining In the open. aud
The grizzly gaining In the brush Then.
thoroughly Winded aud with the bear
close behind ! Skinned up a young
pine n fat ~ could 90.
- was freed again aud with fierce
old she grizzly below me and a ferccr
forest fire sucking up the canon. The
wind was hot now and heavy with
smoke. Down below / heard the
flames roaring through the brush aud
timber like furnace blast Inside 81
fifteen minutes. I knew. the pines /
round me would be licked up IKE Z
matches.
Even now there was no hone NJ b
running away from the flames Would /
| have Ia choose between jumping into /
the arms ~ the bear and burning NJ.
or would SIDE Gee from the fire in time |
10 give me a chance 81 escape by q |
dash for the creek There wasn't /
much hope of wea herring the fame, |
IN the creek. but | was most anxious .
FOR a chance 10 try Il.
"But the grizzly didn't seem 10 have .
q thought about tie IRE. Through the
smoke could So her reared on her
launches struggling iu vain "a climb
INTO tho lower branches OF my pine
Down The canon the flames were rum
ming rs only wild-ilrc can. but the en-
ragged brute still fought 10 get up that
rec She seemed ~ hold against me
~ that had happened and was hap
leniug.
Il prepared to lie right there. There
vas still plenty of time Tor run 20
he creek. but from the way the grizzly
Icted took II that sns would hang on
iIl the flames were upon H. A. |
aced my death I Ind no n1rd feeling
gainst he bear. knew something 81
low the beast. harassed and wounded
y men. FELT But comics, that was
. bitter IA snll toward tho mon Tor
whose amusement / secuted about 10
uifer death.
''Destruction was fun upon Us: we
we're In the face of tile forest fire.
There H. me- describing that scene. u
vas like confused nightmare at
corch.ug heat suffoga'iuG smoke aud
he cracking roar ~ flames. The
.rizzlv seemed ~ regardless ~ the fire
Is was the horse | once tried To drive
rom a burning stable.
There was something more terrify-
ng than the mere fear of death about
hr mighty destructivcness of " all.
nd IL was this, | presume. that gave
ne my chance. In despair was about
- close my eyes 10 tue awful sight
when | saw the hear waver. aud my
leart gave 2 wild ihrob OF hope. For
moment she faced the lcaping mass
4 advancing namcs- and then whiried
md fed.
The next instant I was scuttl;ng
through the smoking woods FOR the
rcck My only chance. knew. was to
ind one of the wntcr.washcd cnverns
where the creek bed was deep Trust
ne To chance alone. { rushed straight
onward. taking dying leap into the
water from the overhangng bank.
As Il happened. aud IL was the
uckiest happening In the world for
Ne. found there q water-wa shed niche
,ack OF ten.foot waterfall.
The whole creek bed could not have
Gered a better hiding place. and with
thankful heart [ wedlrad myself into |