The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-07-25
The great weight Of the brute

made the little tree bend alarmingly,
and when ne wrigg!ed and hitched,
both of which he did very violently.
Lanook felt like an ant on spear Of
grass whipped by the wind. Hope
left the Indian; in its place came des-
perate resolution. He descended as
far as he dared, fitted one of the
poisoned arrow to his bow, and
waited
The bear ceased his struggles
moment, and threw back his head to
lock upward. Quick as the snake
strikes, Lanook buried one arrow,
then another, in his shaggy breast.
The tree lurched so then from the
bears furious climbing that the
third arrow flew wide of the mark,
and splintered itself on the stony
ground.
Lanook dropped his bow, gave
flying leap, and ran, still without
hope, for his life.
He surprised himself with his run
ming, and the bear surprised him with
his awkwardness in getting disen-
tangled from the tree. Lanook was
a long way down the slope and buoy
ant with hope before the chase be-
gan. Filled with new strength, he
sped onward like bird.
The ravine he had chosen for
runway was smooth-bottomed and
clear of brush; the descent was
gentle-just right for a long, sweep
ing stride. And yet the grizzly
gained, at first by leaps and bounds,
as rolling rock bears down on one
embedded; then he came on with
lessened speed, but still gaining.
When he was close behind, Lanook's
second wind came, and he began to
pull away from the bear rapidly. He
knew then that the poison from his
arrow-tips was working in the blood
of his enemy, and hope grew strong
within him.
Had his runway remained clear,
Lanook could have escaped easily,
but fortune favored the bear. For
the ravine suddenly became blocked
with brush, and the Indian narrowly
escaped being caught in corner.
AS it was, the bear was croWdlng
him close before he could get out of
the gully.
Here the brush was thinner, but
he had to take a winding course to
avoid bushes and thickets, while his
pursuer crashed straight through or
over everything. The bear was at his
heels in no time, and Lanook, to pro-
tect his head and chest from the
beasts claws, threw himself on his
back and kicked out with both feet.
The grizzly seemed stupid and
sluggish, but nevertheless made
savage dive at the Indian, and buried
his teeth in lis leg just above the
knee. Lanook began throwing dirt
into the enemy's face, whereupoI the
grizzly released his leg and caught
him by the forearm. Still undaunted,
the Indian sent a handful Of dust and
fine gravel fairly into the brute's
eyes.
Half-blinded, the bear backed
away, paving his eyes furiously.
Lanook filled his fist with dirt, and
lay motionless, waiting. But the
bear never returned to him. He
continued backing about and rubbing
his eyes, and finally retreated into
the thick brush, scratched a shallow
hole there, and lay down. There he
was found the next day by Lanook's
tribesmen, stone-dead.
Lanook managed to drag himself
back to the trail, where ne was short
ly discovered by another party of
fishermen, and carried home. NishEa
was found and cared for also. He
had feigned death throughout the
bears attack, and although crippled,
lived to tell his children's children OF
Lanook, his friend and rescuer, and
of his battle with the giant grizzly
bear.-From Youths Companion.