Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21

record breaking possibilities of racing down hill
| at angle of forty-five degrees. The force of
gravity pulled me forward irresistibly; my feet
flew out alternately with ever lengthen1ng
strides and ever increasing rapidity in the in
stinctive impulse to preserve my equilibrium,
bearing my rebellious and GREATNESS body with
acCelerating and unwecome velocity down the
precipitous path blazed for me by my pre-
cursors.
Il was gaining perceptibly on Sgd who was
now close behind the bear, which was perilously
near the man,-with every prospect of fearful
mix-up for all four of us from a series of rear
end collisions,-when in his needless haste, the
grizzly stubbed his toe against projecting root
and plunged forward on his nose turning a
complete somersault. AS the clumsy monster
performed this unpractised gymnastic feat, the
loose bit of chain still attached to his collar be-
came tangled in his legs, drawing his snout and
his four paws tightly together and forcing his
body into the shape OF an immense ball, which,
with its gathered momentum, continued to re-
volve rapidly down the snowclad steep. adj
vancing upon the hunted hunter with scarcely
diminished celebrity.
1.-THE moist snow chung to the long shaggy
fur of the bear as he rolled over and over pom
derously. -helplessly. shroudng him in snow
mantle that added layer upon layer to itself
with each successive revolution, until he was
quickly lost to sight in giant SNOWFALL which
went bounding crashing, rotating, onward,
growing bigger and bigger as it whirled and
tumbled. an incipient avalanche, in the foot.
ignorant OF the change in the character OF the
danger that threatened him, which he now
might have avoided by slightly swerving to one
side or the other. kept his nose pointed straight
before him and undeviatingly followed it.
HIS route led directly to our camp, and our
campfire. heaped high with logs, hared
fercely athwart his course. To stop, to pause
even. was impossible Urged forward by an un-
comfortable impulse, he sped headlong, his legs
working automatically. his anxiety to escape
from the foe that menaced him in the rear
binding him to the peril that lurked in his path.
our lungs to shout warning to him. even if he
could have heard us, it is not conceivable that
he would have needed us.
"The fire. of course, he could not help seeing,
and gathering his ebbing energies into one last
desparing effort he cleared it in a flying leap
that landed him on the smooth. ice coated rock
incline beyond. AS he struck the slippery sur
face, his feet flew out from under him. bringing
him. with sharp resounding slap that made
my body tingle in sympathy, to sitting pos
ture, in which convenient attitude he shot
toward the distant valley with the feetness of
falling star.
Sgd and / were saved from following him
only by hurting ourselves face foremost into the
deep snow just above the narrow ledge where
we had spent the night. Here we became the
impotent witnesses of sickening spectacle.
The SNOWFALL of which the gyrating body of the
bear was now the insignificant nucleus had
grown by this time to the size of small house.
Like devastating cyclone it passed through
our camp. licking up pelts, packages, pro-
visions and what not from the ground, picking
from the tree branches the priceless skins left
there to dry. cleaning the sides of everything
movable-fire, kettles, pans my beautiful black
wolf-as completely as if it had been swept with
the Augean bosom of Hercules
The great ball with its filched freight
bounded from the shelf and struck the hard
ice slide with an impact that gave it f1attened
base which it slid SO swiftly that it ceased to
revolve. gliding instead with lightning speed
toward the mountains foot.
DEERING down, we watched with beating
hearts. the continuation of the race between
man and avalanche, forgetful, in the excite
ment of the contest. of the loss of our property.
sgd. thorough sportsman, kept offering
to bet me on the outcome, now wanting to stake
his accumulated wages on the human toboggan.
the next moment ready to back his snow inn
bedded bear, as it seemed to gain momentary
advantage. The issue, however. had assumed
too serious a character in my eyes to warrant
me in making it the subject of wager: and in
fact. as far could distinguish the two whiz-
zing objects, it was nip and tuck between them.
Not until our straining eyes could no longer
discern them, did rouse ourselves to the
necessity of action, and, clambering to our feet.
set out by the least circuitous practicable trail
to rescue the vanished Briton and our clipping
possessions.