Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-04-06

| al AllS OaNh W hAN 49,
they were whimperiug softly, their ear:
cooked to listen for the shuttle OF thei
mothers returning footsteps. their bright,
droll little eyes fixed eagerly on the patch
of brightness that filled their doorway.
Suddenly they saw not their mother S
huge form, which always blotted out the
light, but a low, slender shape which en-
tered with a graceful, noiSeleSS bound.
They knew at once that it was deadly,
thatleaping shape, whose eyesfiXed theirs
with so steady and cruel a glare, and both
set up Shrill, whInoenlg call for help.
But the two cubs were very different
il their temper, as often happens in the
case OF ANIMALS so variable and So highly
individualzed as the bears. One OF the
two faced the peril boldly, half crouched
on his launches, baby paw upliited to
Strike. and the thin black edges OF his lips
curled back deiiantly from his tiny teeth.
The other, appalled, on the instant by the
menace OF those approaching ewes,
shivered violently and lost all power OF
movement. II was this little unfortunate
that first caught Ishmael'S eye. Darling
straight al its throat, he rolled il over on
its back and began tearing it Savagely.
There was the JOY OF satisfied vengeance
in that kill, and Ishmae for the moment
forgot his cunning.
A few seconds later, however, he was
disturbed BY feeble clawing and nipping
at his hind quarters. The other cub,
being OF the mettle that reckS not OF odds,
had come valiantly 10 the aid OF his little
bediellow. With dripping jaws and
hideouS Snarl, lShmael whipped about to
rid himself OF this Intellectual aSSailant.
But in that same instant his ears caught
the sound OF a swift padding on the rocks
outside. With one lightning bound, as
if hlS body were all steel springs, ne
reached the mouth of the cave.
In the same instant the mother bear,
breathleSS with haste, reached il also.
Some shock OF distinctive fear had dis
turbed her at the very beginning OF her
feast, and she had not fingered 10 think
aboutit. She had come. One huge paw,
with sweeping stroke, met lshmael full
in the face, crushing his head back be-
tween his shoulders and pinning him to
the rock. Then the other descended like
a plledriver on his slender loins. Even
in his death throb lShmael's jaws worked,
biting madly and bIindly. But in a second
or two it was all over. He lay without
CULVER, shapeless mass OF blood and iur
beneath the avengers feet.
The old bear drew back and eyed the
body for moment Then she hurried
into III. den, whlmpering with anxiety.
The uninjured cub sprawled forward TO
greet her. She gave him hasty lick and
sniff, assuring herself that he was not
hurt, and then turned TO the dead one.
Whining, she snllted at IT, and licked It,
and rolled II over tenderly with her paw.
II was perhaps a full minute before she
could quite make up her mind that II was
dead. When she could no longer doubt
it, however, she stoppeu whining. Lift
ing the limp little body in her jaws, she
carried il outside the cave and laid It down
on steep slope Of rock. As il this were
lust what she had intended, il slipped
slowly IRON IFS place and fell sprawlngly,
rolling over and over, till il lodged and
hung IN the branches OF an aged spruce
some fifty feet below.
The mother did moi stay to watch 1t.
Turning back abruptly, she threw her
self once more upon the carcass OF lsh-
maeI, beating it and rendlng It with her
claws till 1t resem6led nothing that had
ever roamed the wllds. Being faStld-
iouS feeder in her way, lover OF honey
and fruit and delicate meat, she would
not condescend TO eat this rank and
fibrous flesh. When she had FULLY wreak-
ed her vengeance upon If, she flung II
contemptuously far over the ledge. and
withdrew into the cave 10 suckle her re-
naming little one. AS for all that re-
mained OF shmael. il fell to the bottom
Of the ravine, there TO feed some ancient
grudge of fox or wildcat, or, perhaps,
more ANONYMOUSLY, TO make long festi-
val for the scavenger beetles and the
Lto,,,fl;ae