The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-08-16

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Before him was n small, shallow pool
a dozen feet across. dotted with little
weedy hummocks. Beyond the pool
thick patches of huckleberry bushes,
taller than a man. covered thirty tree
less acres.
While Barsand was eating, two bears
emerged from behind the huckleberry
thicket in front OF him across the pool!
They appeared so suddenly and silent
ly that Barsand sat and stared The
two were playing with frog, which
tried TO escape into the pool. One bear
pinned the sprawler lightly under n
fore paw. while both grinned TO see
the victim squirm. The first bear lift.
ed his paw, and the frog leaped.
Down came the paw, but missed,
and the other bear caught the leaper
with his teeth by one hind leg, where
at the first bear struck angrily at the
second. This made the second bear
stand up and growl, with the frog
dangling comically from his mouth.
Barsand laughed: and Immediately
the two bears stood like statues, peer
| ing at him.
Barsand now suddenly remembered
his gun. He grabbed ii. aimed and fired
as quickly as his confused faculties
would work. The overloaded musket
belched like volcano. Barsand
nearly turned backward somersault;
cloud Of smoke rolled across the pool.
| Both bears yelped and vanished.
Barsand rose slowly and dubiously,
and felt of his right shoulder, as if to
reassure himself that it was still there.
Finding it merely bruised, but not
kicked completely away. he picked up
his musket and examined It, to see if
it was burst anywhere. 1t was not
Then he was recalled to the bear busi-
ness.
Something was struggling and crOan-
ing behind the huckleberry thicket
across the pool. Perhaps he had n
bear! Without pausing to reload, or
even to go round the pool. Barsand
dashed recklessly through it, stepping
| upon its reedy hummocks. The third
hummock turned under his foot, which
slipped into the water, and he sank
knee-deep in mud. He fell forward;
the musket flew to the firm ground be-
yond the pool; his hands plunged over
wrists into the mud, and he was soaked
from feet to head. He laughed as if
amused at another's blundering mis-
hap, saying to himself:
"Well, of all the fool performances
ever saw, that was the worstw
As he struggled up. his hands pulled
out of the mud with difficulty. and his
feet sank rs they felt his weight. In
moment he found that he could not
pull out either foot: any effort only
sank them deeper. He did not laugh
now. but realized his peril with
thrill of fear. Alone, without hope of
rescue! His family would not know
where to look for him. Fast begged
beside swamp infested by wolves and
wildcats, he was doomed to death un-
less he could free himself before night
fall!
Barsand now lay fiat, breast down,
and stretched. reaching for the near
est bushes. He touched one. Pulling
it bent others toward him. Soon he
had grip on several stout enough to
bear the strain of strong pail. BY
skilful effort he was able gradually to
straighten 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 to 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, requir-
ing a nice balance and much patient
repetition.
BY and by new peril interrupted
A large moccasin snake-one of the
most venomous of American serpents-
appeared in the pool, swimming across
directly toward Barsand, who writhed
partly about and tried to scare off the
terrible intruder with bush. But
moccasin snakes are densely stupid
and persistent creatures. 1t stopped
looked, proceeded and stopped again,
barely a yard from Barsand's face.
With great caution and nerve he slid
the large end of stick under its mid
die, gave quick, violent firt, and
flung the writhing horror forty feet
away. 1t did not appear again; but
for long time he fairly sweated with
miserable fear lest the silent death
should steal upon him from some un-
guarded quarter, perhaps swimming
beneath the surface of the muddied
water, where no vigilance of his could
detect its approach.
1t was sunset when Barsand finally
drew himself out upon land firm
enough to walk on. His whole soul
sang thanksgiving, which he had no
time to express then. First he cleaned
himself of the clinging mire, using
water from the pool. Els powder hav-
ing kept dry in its horn, he reloaded
his musket, 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