The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-11-12


ing few cautious dabs NTH her paw,
began to ascend aga.h.
But mechanical difficulties now in
terfered. The wires stoutly resisted
her progress; besides. the tapering
pole afforded a very poor hold for the
upward struggle.
While she was wrestling with THIS
| dilemma, the two baby bears came
roilicking up. squatted on their
launches while gazing with cXpectant
relish at the fresh meat perched on
the cross-arm, then clambered eagerly
after the mother 1t looked to Dan
Maloy as If he were freed by a whole
bear family.
But at the moment of the gloomy
reverie, and Just rs the old mother
bear succeeded in wrenching off an in
sulator thereby enabling her to wrig
gle under one wire and over the 9th
er, Dams face lighted up with
swift relief 1t had occurred to him
that damp bear on wet pole would
be a most excellent conductor for
electricity.
He began fumbling in his pockets,
and in few moments produced
small roll of wire. Strengthening it,
he ripped the insulation from one
end and bent the wire into a hook
Then he paused, scared by the line
mans instructive dread of handling
electricity in rainy weather.
But there was no pause on the part
of the bear With eyes fastened
angrily on his dangling legs. she was
slowly and surely working her way
upward. This would have nerved any
one to action. Pulling cut silk
handkerchief from an inner pocket,
Dan wrapped it about the wire, and
| gripped it with his insulated pincers,
thus doubly protecting himself from
the fluid so prone to follow moisture
He then hooked his improvised con-
ductor over the nearest wire of the
transmission line.
All this happened in n great deal
less time than is taken in the tell
ing of it. Nor was it done whit
too soon: for at the moment when he
was making the connection the bear
fell only n trile short in vicious
swing at his legs.
AS she bucliled to the pole for an
other upward wriggle, Dan swung the
end of his connector against her arch
ed back There was a slight hiss as
| it touched her wet hair, and with
a wrathful roar and arms wildly fy-
ing, the bear tumbled backward,
smashing down through the telephone
wires, and scraping her babies off the
pole on her way to the ground. The
downfall of the bear family was COM
| plete. Up above on the cross-arm,
the lineman laughed uproariously.
Well WELL WE'LL" he shouted.
Divided they stand, united they
fall"
For a moment the old bear lay
feebly paving the air. Then she
struggled to a sitting position, facing
the world and her offspring with an
invalid's Good morning, children
air that set the lineman off in an
other roar of laughter.
The little bears, on rushing forward
! for noIrishment and comfort, were
brushed aside so roughly that they
propped themselves up on their
|
cooking their heads to one side, re-
garded their mother quizzically as if
i'm wonder at her unwonted severity.
! Then the bear began overhauling her
| self, and Dan laughed again at her
| seeming surprise in not finding her
skin torn to bloody ribbons.
Now, old lady" he called down,
"the laugh is on YOU and you'd bet
ter take those babies of yours and
| hit the trail!"
The bear seemed to be much Of
| this mind herself for a while; but
the sight of Dan Maloy astride the
! Cross-arm seemed to recall the indig-
! nifty he had heaped upon her. Fol
| lowed at a respectful distance by her
"bairns." she began TO shuttle un-
! easily about. soon assuming, however,
n warlike stride that finally terminal
! ed in another charge upon the line
man
But the charge of a big bear up
small pole is necessarily a labCrious
: affair. an1 long before she neared the
| top Dan was ready to receive her. This
| time. as she approaches the coveted
| legs. she struck at the proffered live
wire with her wet paw. and fell
Imply to the ground, a loose. culver
| ing heap.
Dan did not laugh now, for the
baby bears rushed forward and with
| soft. low sounds sought to rouse the
fallen mother Silently Dan de-
seconded the pole.
Perhaps she'll come out Of it, he
soliloquized. gazing at the PROSTATE
| animal and Irememlbering hopefully
how ne himself had been struck
down once at noon. and hal come
out OF it" when the moon was shin
| ing
On case she does" ne continued.
wen arrange to avoid any more OF
these shocking occurrences"
Procuring a coil of wire from his
sack. he gently removed the angry
little bears and bound the mothers
legs firmly together Then for an
hour or more he worked abstractcdly
at the wrecked telephone line When
this was repaired to his satisfaction
he sat down ON a rock. gazed helpless
" at the now qucrulous baby bruins
and their linn mother. until with n