Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-03

terrible, sharp, thunderlike explosions
sounded behind me and l felt sting
ing sensation in my foot. l found also
that l could not run on that foot as l
did on the other three, and sided off
into another deep thicket, hiding my.
self from my pursuers. They went
past me up the mountain path and
came full upon my cubs, my darli lg
little ones, who were fast asleep. l
guess l was forgotten by those mur-
derers, for they did not look for me-.
They took my rbs-fghting aud
growing, the dear little things-into
captivity. And I 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 we're touched, and the
leader Of the band-such gay, light
hearted bear-put mis- paw sympathet-
ically on the old bears knee and said:
Since It pains you so, good Grand
papa Bruno, to go over that sad story.
please tell us no more. We do not
enjoy what is pain to YOU"
"Ah, my sons" replied Grandpapa
Brun, II am suffering the remem.
brance of that sad circumstance in the
telling that I may save you the same
sort Of experience. never allow my
self to talk of TIE said ending Of my
dear Mrs. Brun anG the kidnapping CT
my little ones unless it is to warn a
fellow bear. And I'm almost done my
story for what remains amounts to
nothing as compared to the part al.
ready told
YES. After I saw my little ones
carried off, and also watched the cruel
creatures who had killed my wife
take her poor body and place it on a
wooden thing, which they pulled down
the mountain side, I lay down in the
thtcket to die. My physical pain was
nothing to my mental suffering.
was directly responsible for my Wife's
death and the carrying of my cubs
and I wanted to die. l did not think
could live another night.
But we cannot always die when we
| would like to, and when the morning
| came my paw was so swollen and
caused me such intense agony that
went to the brook down the mountain
side, found a cool, vine covered spot
where might not be seen, and lay
down with my poor paw In the water
There lay for days, eating and drink
| ing nothing. Every little while I would
draw my paw from the brook to lick
the wound. But when l saw how
| swollen and feverish it was feeling
Of inconsistencies came over me, and
1 crept toward this place-the homo
of my happy cubhood. I wanted to die
surrounded by my own kind. And
also wanted to warn my people about
these dangerous creatures on thai
mountain yonder.
well, after reaching home-which
took long time and brought me into
repeated danger-I fell very i'll and
all my friends despaired of my life
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 I lived and
became strong.
"'You have been spared to give
| warning to others who may be wild
and venturesome like YOURSELF said
one dear old grandmother bear to me
"And so 1t was true. Life was
forced upon me for purpose. But
its getting late and you chaps are
off for the great mountain yonder,
and Grandpapa Bruno looked about
on his listeners.
"No, we're Off for our own safe
BEDS" cried the band. And they kept
| their words, too.