The sun., 1905-10-29

building for years, terhars, Mixlng some
clay with water from the spring. va lighted
n pine torch and plastercd up every chink
and crevlce leading 10 tho attic, and had
no more trouble from hornets though I
fear I have been the mcahs ~ Staying more
than n million ~ them by fastening them
into the lJft " the house and letting them
s'nrve, MS there were no windows above the
top hpor and tho roof was very tight
shinged as n was with shaved pine, which
will endure for century or longer
Along In tho night my vile woke mo UP
by shaking me
Whats that. Tom9 she asked. I know
II must be bear, and II II Ia, feel sure
shall die Of fright
Naturally, | told her II was the wind
sighing and groanng In the chimney, but
she was not satisfied until ! had lighted
torch and loaded my Winchester. Then
she told me to walk about the house and
shoot anything saw, while she would cover
up her head and hide from danger, 1t Is
not the incest thing In the world for mans
nerves to prowl about deserted house at
midnight and tumble over things In the
dark and say things he Ia sorry for, but
kept it up for nearly an hour pounding
against the wall where my wife was every
time | went by to let her know was still
alive. The third time / went past her
room and gave the signal there was no
response, which led me to investigate and
find my weary and hungry wife sound
asleep among the blankets,
Il was now free to follow my own in
clinations, which did by taking my rifle
and going down into the old orchard, from
which direction the sounds heard by my
wife had seemed to come. / do not know
how dark it ever was in Egypt, but If the
men who built the pyramids had anything
more intense than found in the orchard
l pity them.
Il had stumbled along for eighty or a
hundred rods when l heard something
which seemed to say, 'Ouf Ouf! O-uf" l
stopped and looked into the gloom. 1t
was circle of plain black with something
in the centre that looked even blacker than
,its framing and which loomed up until
it appeared to look down on me. l was
scared. Perhaps other men might say
they we're no more than excited, had they
been in my place, but scared was the word
that fitted my case exactly.
"Who are your l asked. Speak quick
or III shoot The intense black centre
"Ouf! ouf! O-uf!'
Then | fired straight at the heart of
the blackness, and was rewarded by seeing
it fall and by hearing II moan and rustic
among the grass and fallen leaves. was
prevented from thinking what | should do
next by hearing scream from my wife
and by seeing her emerge from the dimly
lighted door and come running toward me.
| screamed for her to remain where she
was until could get torch. but she could
hot hoe arI a vol al hat
time. She came on at a run, painting and
calling me by name. AS she drew near
l tried to head her off and catch her, but
in doing so my foot caught in root throw
ing me fiat on the grass and permitting
my wife to go on and fall sprawling over
the object | had shot.
Il heard her utter one yell OF mortal
terror, and then all was silent. lost no
time in lighting matches and learning
the condition of affairs, finding dead bear
lying under a sweet apple tree and my
wife in faint five feet away.
After that we had baked bear meat
three times day until relief arrived. 1t
may be that bear meat is good when sea-
soned and salted and cooked to a turn,
but after our experience can hardly
believe it. Our greatest lack was salt,
though l assure you that baked apples
make very poor substitute for baked
potatoes. collected watercress from
the brooks and spearmint and most every
thing the skilled cooks uso to give flavoring
to foods, but they were of small use to us.
The bear flavor would come out. let us do
the best we could.
Every day We ate less bear meat and
fewer apples, and | am sure We should
have starved to death had not the buck
board arrived when it did. As it was my
wife lost more than thirty pounds OF flesh,
while my own weight shrunk nearly fifty
pounds"