The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-29

brain Here was his rescuer-a perfous one, to be sure-vouchsafed to him by some whim of the in- scrutable forest fates He drew down another branchy twig before his face fearful lest his con- cealment should not be adequate. But in his ez. citement he disturbed his balance, and with the effort of his recovery the water swiled nodceaby all about him. His heart sank. AssuredIy. the bear would take aarm at this and be afraid to for the fish.
 But to his surprise the great beast which had seemed to hesitate. plunged impetuous1y into the stream. Nothing, according to a bears knowledge of life. could have made that sudden disturbance in the pool but some fshloving otter or mink, in tent upon seizng the booty. Indignant at the prospect of being forestalled by any such furtive marauder, the bear hurled himself forward with such force that the spray flew high into the branches, and the noise of his splashfng was clear notification that trespassers and meddIsrs had better keep of. That salmon was his by right of discovery; and he going to have it.
 The bear, for all the seeming clumsiness of his bulk, was redoubtable swimmer; and almost be- fore Barnes had decided clearly on his proper course of action those heavy, grunting shorts and vast expulsions of breath were at his ear Enor mously loud they sounded, shot thus close along the surface of the water. Perforce, Barnes made up his mind, the instant.
 The bunch of twigs which had arrested the ap proach of the floating salmon lay just about an arm Faoe his mighty shoulders thrust up wave before him which buried Barnes head safely from view the bear reached the salmon Grabbing it trfumuhapt1v in it's jaws, he turned to make for shore again
 This was Barnes moment Both arms shot out before him. Through the sunocating confusion his clutching fingers encountered the bears haunches Sinking into the long fur, they closed upon 1t vita grip of steel. Then. instinctively, Barnes shut his eyes and cenched his teeth and waited for the shock while his lungs felt as if in another rnlnuts they would burst
 But 1t was no long time he had to wait, perhaps two seconds. while amazement in the bears brain translated itself through panic into action Utterly mortified by this unexplicable attack from the rear and from the depths, the animal threw himself shoulderhigh from the water, and hurled himself forward with all his strength. Barnes felt thoas tremendous launches heaving irresistibly beneath his cutching fingers. He felt himself drawn out straight. and dragged ahead till he though his sn> kle would snap. Almost he came to letting go. to save the ankle But he held on. as much with his will as with his grip. Then the slimy thing in the depths gave way. He felt himself being jerked ont through the water-free His fingers relaxed their clutch on the bears fur, and he the surface gasping, blinking and coughing.
 For a moment or two he padded softly recover ing his breath and shaking the water from nos trils and eyes. He had an instant of appreheu- siveness, lest the bear should turn upon him and attack him at a disadvantage; and by way of pre- caution he gave forth the most savage and piercing yell that his laboring lungs were capable of. But he saw at once that this he had nothing to fear. It was wellfrightened bear there swim ming franticaly for the sandspit; while the dead salmon quite forgotten. was drifting slowly away on the sulen current
 Barnes foot was hurting fercely, but his heart was Night Swimming at leisure, as to just keep head against the stream he watched the bear scut~ tie out upon the sand. Once safe on dry land the great beast turned and glanced back with tfmfd air to see what of being it was that had so astoundingly assailed him. Man he had seen before but never man swimming like an otter; and the sight was nothing to reassure him. One longing look he cast upon the salmon. now floating some distance away; but that to his startled mind was just lure of this terrifying and perfdtous creature whose bright gray eyes were staring at him 60 steadily from the surface of the water He turned quickly and made of into the woods fol lowed by loud. daunting laugh which spurred his pace to panicky galop.
 When he gone, Barnes swan to the sands, pit. There he stripped, wrung out his dripping clothes, and lay down in the hot sand to let fhe sln soak deep into his chilled veins