Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-19

cubs, and TO their wounded mother 10
save myself If possible. So, behind the
cluster of bushes l hid and saw several
tail. two-footed creatures come TO the
spot where my poor wife was dying |
could tell from the groans which escaped
her and the look in her eyes that she
would soon pass out of her agony And
upon sight of the strange animals. she
tried to rise, to show fight. but fell back
dead"
"Grandpapa Bruno stopped TO wipe his
eye and TO steady his voice. which had
grown unsteady. Then he resumed his
narrative: And then / crept up the
mountain side to get my cubs and to hur-
~ homeward. But was not to have any
such good luck. Those long, two-footed
creatures. with white, small faces were
on my trail. and as I was nearing my
cubs-who were still asleep-another
one OF those terrible sharp thunder-like
explosions sounded behind me and / felt
singing sensation in my foot I found
also that could not run on that foot as
l did on the other three, and sided off
Into another deep thcket, hiding myself
from my pursuers. They went past me
up the mountain path and came full upon
my cubs-my darling little ones who were
fast asleep. / guess 1 was forgotten by
those murderers. for they did not look for
me. They took my cubs-fighting and
growling-the dear little things-into cap
tivity. And / have never seen them
since"
Again the old Bear paused In his story
bending his face in his paws and weeping
silently. The hearts of his listeners were
touched. and the leader of the band
such a gay, light-hearted Bear-put his
paw sympathetically on the old Bears
knee and said: "Since II pains You so
good Grandpapa Bruno, to go over that
sad story please tell us no more We do
not enjoy what is pain to you
All, my sons" replied Grandpana
Bruno Il am suffering the remembrance
OF that sad circumstance in the telling
that L may save you the same sort of
experiences. never allow myself to talk
OF the sad ending of my dear Mrs Bruno
and the KIDNAPPING Of my little ones, un-
less IL Is TO warn a fellow Bear And
l m almost done my story, for what re.
MAINS amounts to nothing as compared
10 the part already told"
All, that's how you came to lose your
front paw" said one of the listeners in a
tender voice.
Yes. After 1 saw my little ones car
ried off. and also watched the cruel crea-
lures who had killed my wife take her
poor oody and place 1t on wooden
thing, which they pulled down the noun
TAIN side, l lay down in the thicket to
ule. My physical pain was as nothing to
my mental suffering. L vas directly re-
sponsible for my wife's death and the car
rying on of my cubs. and wanted to die
did not think l could live another night
but We cannot always die when we
would like to, and when the morning
came my paw was swollen and caused
me such intense agony that I went to the
brook down the mountain side, found a
cool, V1ne-covered spot, where 1 might not
be seen, and lay down with my poor nav
In the water. There I lay for DAYS. eat
ing and drinking nothing Every little
while 1 would draw my paw from the
brook to lick the wound But when I
saw how swollen and feverish II was a
Keeling OF inconsistencies came over me
and l crept toward this pace-the home
or my happy cubhood. I wanted to die
surrounded by my own kind And I also
wanted to warn my people about those
DANGEROUS creatures on that mountain
yonder
-" ell. after reaching home-which took
a long time and brought me into repeated
DANGER fell very i'll and all my friends
despaired Of my life-a life that held no
charm for me any longer. But weeks
passed and my paw rotted away, leaving
but this old stub" Here grandpapa held
out the crippled paw stub. And 1 lived
and became strong.
You have been spared to give warn
ing to others who may be wild and ven-
turesome like yourself said one dear old
grandmother Bear to me.
And so it was true. Life was forced
upon me for purpose. BUTTS getting
late and you chaps are off for the great
mountain yonder," and Grandpapa Bruno
looked about on hts listeners
NO. were off for our own safe beds"
cried the band. And they kept their word
too.