Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-09-15
A,ain murray tried desperately to

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refused to produce a tound. 1t was
like Nightmares and fearing that he
would be shot before he was clearly
seen, he fIved with crash into the
swamp, md burrowed among the
ferns.
There he goesl" shouted one
voice.
ITS a bear' proclaimed another;
and another shot was fired after him.
Ihe canoe grated upon the beach,
and the hunters juL ped ashore Muir
ray tried to crawl deeper among the
tangled vines and evergreen shrub
berry, and smashed half a dozen
! inches.
That's no deer; it's a bear for
certain" remarked one of the youth
full voices, with conviction. The
speaker was not thirty feet away.
Better be careful, for he's wounded
Listen, and see If we can hear him. "
There was silence for time, dur
ing which Murray hardly dared to
breathe. He had hopes mat, failing
to hear or see him, they would pres
emily go away
The whole affair seemed to him
like some preposterous and horrible
dream. These boys did not wan. to
kill him; but he was physically I'M
able to call cut, and he was afraid
to move. In the gloom he would GER
tainly shot at the ;rst glimpse;
and, curiously, his mind vas largely
occupied with the horror his slayers
would feel when they discovered
their mistake. After listening in
vain for some minutes, the hunters
began tn throw sticks and stones into
the swamp to make him show him.
self.
Hes either dead or got away"
said some one. I'm going in after
him."
Better not, Billy. Be careful"
warned another; but a cracking and
brushing among the cedar boughs
indicated that Billy was coming in.
1t struck Murray that the action was
plucky, If rather foolhardy.
The hunter advanced slowly. He
was hardly more than ten feet away,
but in the darkness, among the
dense growths, Murray could not see
a thread of him. He stopped at every
step, listened, and beat about with
his rine barrel, Ind some instinct led
him directly toward the spot where
Murray crouched behind the damp,
odorous cedar boughs.
He turned aside and receded, and
Murray's heart rose. But he came
back again, and zigzagged and cir
cled, drawing still nearer.
Murray was in an agony of indecis-
ion whether to reveal himself or not.
But the decision was not left to him.
Billy came close til! the barrel of his
extended rifle swung over Murray's
head. The photographer could al
most have touched him, and another
step would bring him stumbling over
his body. With a desperate resolu-
ton Murray flung himself forward
and clasped the boy round the legs,
crying, Don't shoot! It's a mani"
in kind of screaming whisper.
The hunter gave startled yell
and leap. There was an excited
shout from the rest of the party, and
S. ling crashed upon Murray's
head. He seemed to sink through a
dark If spangled with shooting
He came to himself with the CLEAN
of fire in his face. He was lying
on the beach, and his late hunters
were kneeling around him, anxiety
written upon every one Of their faces.
His head ached violently, and putting
his hand up, he discovered a lump
as large as an apple, on which was
laid vet handkerchief.
Murray explained the mishap-in
a whisper. The three youths, who
were camping mile away, had gone
out for a little nocturnal hunting
with tut greatly concerning them
selves about the law. They over
flowed with remorse and kindness,
however. They padded him with
his camera, to his camp; and until
his head had subs ded to it's usual
size, one of them came over every
day to ascertain his condition, and
to bring him trout and canned deli
Cacies.
Murray's bruised Uranium was well
in a week, and before he left the
woods his voice had partially re-
turned to him. But the adventure
left him with a powerful and lasting
to killing wild game. He
had had too intimate glimpse of
fr~~, the wrong side
Youths Companion.