The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-07-28

Down came the paw, but missed,
and the other bear caught the leaper
with his teeth by one hind leg. where
al the first bear struck nnerlly at the
second. This made the second bear
stand up ana grOwI with the frog
dangling cOmically from bis mouth
Bsrsand laughed; and Immediately
the two Dcars stood Ike statues, peer
ing at him
BarsaN now suddenly remembered
bis gun lie grabbed It, aimed and fred
as quickly as his confused faculties
would work. The overloaded musket
belched like q volcano. Barsand
nearly turned q backward somersnuh;
cloud OF smoke rolled across the pool.
Both bears yeiped and vanished
Barsand rose slowly and dubiously.
and felt OF his right shoulder, as II to
reassure himself that IL was still there.
Finding 1t merely bruised, but not
kicked completely away, he picked up
his musket and examined II, 10 see II
II was burst anywhere II was not.
Then he was recalled to the bear busi-
ness.
Something was struggling ana groan-
ing behind the hucklebcrry thlcket
across the pool Perhaps he had q
bearl Without pausing 10 reload or
even 20 go round the pool. Barsand
dashed recklessly through it, stepping
upon IT'S reedy hummOcks. The third
hummock turned under his foot, which
slipped into the water, and he sank
knee-deep ia mud. He fell forward,
tho musket few 10 the firm ground be
yond the pool; his hands plunged over
wrists into the mud, ana he was soaked
from feet TO head He laughed as II
amused at anothcr's blunderiug mis-
hap, saying to himself
"Well, OF all the fsol performances
ever saw, that was the wOrstp
AS he struggled up, his hands pulled
out Of he mud with difficulty, and his
feet sank as they felt his weight In
"a moment he found that he could not
pull out either foot; any effort only
sank them deeper. lie did not laugh
now, but realized his peril with
thrill OF fear Alone without hope OF
rescue His family would not know
where 10 look for him. Fast begged
beside a swamp infested by wolves and
wildcats, he was doomed 10 death un-
less lac could free himself before night
fair
Barsand now lay fiat, breast down,
and stretched. reaching for the near
est bushes. He touched one. Pulling
il bent others toward him Soon he
had grip on several stout enough 10
bear the strain of Il strong pull BY
skllful effort he was able gradually to
straightcu his legs and feet, gaining
enough to reach more and larger bush
es With his knife he cut bundles Of
brush. and thrust them under his body
and legs as far down as he could reach.
until he sank no more, besides having
some support 10 help his body muscles
pull Thus, inch by inch he drew for
ward his movements making the wa
ter somewhat soften the dense mud
But this was very slow work, requlr-
ing Il nice balance and much patient
repetition.
BY and by new peril interrupted.
A large moccasln snake-onc of the
most yenomous of American serpcnts--
appeared in the pool, swimming across
directly toward Barsand who writhed
partly about and tried 10 scare of the
terrible intruder with u bush. But
moccasin snakes are dcnscly stupid
ana persistent creatures. IL stopped.
looked. proceeded and stopped again,
barely q yard from Barsands face.
With great caution and nerve he shd
the large end OF 4 stick under It's mid
die, gave quick, violent tlirt, and
flung the writing horror forty feet
away. IL did not appear again, but
for a long time he fairly sweated with
q miserable fear lest the silent death
should steal upon him from some I'M
guarded quarter, perhaps swimming
beneath the surface of the muddied
water, where no vigilance Of his could
detect it's approach.
Ii was sunset when BarsRpd finally
drew himself out upon land firm
enough TO walk on His whole soul
sang thanksgiving which he had no
time 20 express then. First he cleaned
himself of the clinging mire, using
water from the pool His powder hay-
ing kept dry ia it's horn, he reloaded
MS muskct. not too heavily this time.
Then he went TO look for his bear. hav-
ING heard no sounds from the thicket.
Barsand found one bear dead. big
enough to weigh quite two hundred
pounds lt took him some time 20 dis
embowel the game. Then he partly
dragged, partly carried the carcass
round the pool 10 the solid ground Of
the forest, intending 10 take u home N
IL required hours of toll. But II was
the slipperiest, worst weight 20 man
age he had ever attempted. and his
right shoulder was painfully lame, and
the way was rough. and night had fall
en-. aud he was very tired. Moreover.
ominous sounds were rising from the
swamps-the screams OF wildcats, the
bowling OF wolves, ana other savage
cries
by the time he had made furioug
| 10y series OF exhaustinr lugs, fierce
outburst of snarls told him that wolves
and lynxcs were lighting ever the en-
trails of the bear and soon ne heard
others prowling all about him in the
woods. lie might now skin the bear
and carry away the skin aud hams
perhaps. but he was determined not
60 yield any part Of the prize which
had cost him so much. lie wanted II
ak. especially its valuable fat.
| Iuckttr Rorsand carr,.d a snaro ait